Three consecutive months on the "didn't get to" list =…

When This Fires

• During monthly reviews when you notice the same goal appearing on the "didn't get to" list again
• When your active goal list contains items that haven't received any attention in months
• When goal-list guilt is accumulating without producing action
• Complements Limit monthly commitments to 3-5 specific outcomes… (3-5 monthly commitments) and Formally retire at least one commitment every quarter… (quarterly pruning) with the monthly-level zombie detection

Common Failure Mode

Perpetual rescheduling: "I'll definitely get to this next month." Month after month, the goal is copied to the next month's plan without any structural change that would make execution possible. The goal provides the comfort of aspiration without the discomfort of either genuine commitment or honest abandonment.

The Protocol

(1) During monthly review, check: has any goal appeared on the "didn't get to" list for 3+ consecutive months? (2) For each zombie goal, make one of two decisions — no third option: Restructure: identify what specific commitment you will drop or reduce to create protected capacity for this goal. Block the time on next month's calendar. If you can't identify what to sacrifice, you've revealed that this goal is lower priority than everything you're currently doing. Abandon: remove the goal from your active list. Write a one-sentence acknowledgment: "I'm choosing not to pursue [goal] at this time because [honest reason]." (3) If you choose restructure, monitor: does the goal receive actual attention next month? If not after one restructured month, it's abandoned in practice — formalize it. (4) Abandoned goals go on a "someday/maybe" list, not deleted. They can return when capacity genuinely opens. (5) The act of formally abandoning frees cognitive resources and list space for goals you'll actually pursue.