Concepts
The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types
Check-in with evidence ('did/didn''t on these days')…
Format public commitment check-ins as evidence-based reports ('I did/didn't do X on these specific days') rather than narrative explanations ('I tried hard but...'), because evidence-based formats prevent rationalization at the reporting layer while narrative formats invite it.
A commitment contract needs five elements
Write commitment contracts with all five structural elements (behavior, schedule, completion criteria, duration, signature) and treat any commitment missing one or more elements as a preference rather than a binding commitment.
Maximum 1-3 active implementation intentions at a time…
Limit active implementation intentions to 1-3 simultaneously for novel behaviors, adding additional if-then plans only after existing ones have compiled into automatic execution, because cue-accessibility mechanisms have finite attentional capacity.
When your anchor behavior changes context, immediately…
When an anchor behavior's context changes (time, location, or sequence), immediately redesign dependent stacked commitments rather than expecting them to survive the anchor disruption.
One new stacked commitment per month maximum — overloading…
Stack only one new commitment per month onto existing anchors to prevent chain overload that converts working infrastructure into brittle sequences.
Commitment thresholds must be binary — 'done' or 'not…
Specify commitment thresholds as clear boundaries that separate 'done' from 'not done' without requiring interpretation, eliminating the space for rationalized partial compliance.
Budget commitments on two dimensions
Track both time cost (hours per week) and cognitive cost (mental bandwidth on 1-5 scale) for each active commitment when budgeting capacity.
Instant yes = threat response, not deliberation…
When commitments are accepted within seconds of being asked, classify them as threat-response driven rather than deliberative, and subject them to immediate reassessment.
Exit criteria must be state+date pairs…
Design exit criteria as state-plus-date pairs (observable condition + time horizon) rather than feeling-based thresholds, because feelings in the moment are precisely what the criteria exist to override.
The zero-based commitment test
Apply the zero-based question to each commitment during scheduled renewal reviews: 'Knowing what I know now, would I start this commitment today?' treating 'probably not, but...' as a signal that qualifiers are rationalizations requiring investigation.
Review commitments quarterly (monthly for high-stakes)…
Schedule commitment renewal reviews at fixed intervals (quarterly for most commitments, monthly for high-stakes or rapidly evolving ones) rather than waiting for subjective dissatisfaction, because perceptual thresholds prevent detection of gradual drift.
Only 5-10 commitments deserve identity-level anchoring…
Select which commitments receive identity-level anchoring based on three criteria: values alignment (expresses core values), long-term directionality (points toward desired future self), and resilience requirement (needs to survive serious adversity), limiting identity-anchored commitments to 5-10 total.
Anchor identity to values…
Define identity at the level of values or principles ('someone who values physical challenge') rather than specific behaviors ('a runner') to enable commitment evolution without identity rupture when circumstances force behavioral change.
Micro-commitments must pass three tests
Decompose large goals into daily micro-commitments that pass three tests: takes less than 15 minutes, executable on your worst realistic day (tired/distracted/unmotivated), and has binary completion clarity within 10 seconds.
Micro-commitments are the floor, not the ceiling — exceed…
Treat micro-commitments as the floor (minimum below which you don't drop) not the ceiling, executing more on high-capacity days while hitting exactly the minimum on low-capacity days without guilt.
Weekly direction checks verify that daily micro-actions…
Pair daily micro-commitments with weekly direction checks to verify accumulated actions build toward the macro-goal rather than merely generating activity, adjusting trajectory when micro-actions prove directionally misaligned.
Ritualize only 2-3 commitments — selective application…
Build commitment rituals only around the 2-3 most important and hardest-to-initiate commitments rather than ritualizing every transition, preserving ritual power through selective application and contrast with non-ritualized activities.
Make the threshold moment clean and undeniable — close…
Position the threshold moment as a clean, crisp, undeniable transition between preparation and execution (closing door, writing first word, speaking intention aloud) to eliminate drift and create a liminal passage that marks entry into committed time.
After a ritual-sustained commitment breaks, re-enter…
When a commitment breaks after being sustained by ritual, re-enter by performing the full ritual sequence rather than attempting to resume through willpower alone, using the consistent doorway as the recovery mechanism.
After a large commitment collapses, recommit…
Recommit at a smaller scope (micro-commitment level) after a large commitment collapses, using the reduced scope as a re-entry point that rebuilds identity before expanding again.
Three consecutive reviews flagging the same commitment…
When the same commitment is flagged for action (renegotiation, deferral, or release) in three consecutive reviews without any action taken, treat this as a system failure requiring immediate resolution rather than another deferral.
Persistent willpower requirement despite structural…
When a commitment requires ongoing willpower to maintain despite adequate structural support, diagnose for values misalignment rather than increasing structural complexity or enforcement.
Log every task AND its trigger for one full day — then…
Track one full workday by logging every task and its trigger (notification, email, request, anxiety, or deliberate decision), then calculate the external-to-deliberate ratio to quantify reactive living patterns.
Write one sentence justifying every renewed commitment…
During commitment review, require a one-sentence written justification for every commitment you renew to prevent rubber-stamping—if you cannot articulate why you are choosing this commitment right now, mark it for deeper examination.