Concepts
The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types
Measure environmental impact using predetermined metrics…
Measure environmental impact using predetermined metrics recorded at fixed intervals during the experience, not retrospective assessments after the experience ends.
Sequence description before evaluation in all observations…
Sequence description before evaluation in all observations to prevent your judgment from corrupting the data you perceive.
Run environmental experiments using crossover designs…
Run environmental experiments using crossover designs that alternate between conditions rather than testing sequentially, to control for temporal confounds like day-of-week effects or changing life circumstances.
Use grayscale display mode and remove color cues…
Use grayscale display mode and remove color cues from notification badges to reduce the salience of non-essential signals without removing functionality.
Carry transitional objects that have accumulated associative
Carry transitional objects that have accumulated associative history with your desired cognitive states rather than technically superior alternatives without that history.
Negotiate shared environmental standards by identifying…
Negotiate shared environmental standards by identifying interests (why each person needs what they need) rather than debating positions (what configuration each person wants).
Prioritize environmental maintenance through reset rituals…
Prioritize environmental maintenance through reset rituals and seasonal reviews over one-time optimization, recognizing that entropy will degrade any design that lacks active maintenance.
Track queue size and growth rate at each stage of a process…
Track queue size and growth rate at each stage of a process to identify where work accumulates and throughput is constrained.
Calculate utilization rate by categorizing constraint time…
Calculate utilization rate by categorizing constraint time into productive processing versus waste categories (setup, interruption, input starvation, decision overhead, low-value processing), then eliminate waste categories in order of magnitude.
Pre-stage all inputs required by a constraint before…
Pre-stage all inputs required by a constraint before the constraint session begins, so the constraint never consumes its capacity on preparation work.
Cap work-in-progress to match constraint consumption rate…
Cap work-in-progress to match constraint consumption rate, preventing upstream processes from flooding the system with tasks the constraint cannot process.
Decline tasks that consume non-constraint resources…
Decline tasks that consume non-constraint resources but produce no input to the constraint, as they increase system load without increasing system throughput.
Build deliberate pauses into workflows and communication…
Build deliberate pauses into workflows and communication systems to create structural separation between reactive impulses and considered responses.
Detect constraint shifts by monitoring for local metric…
Detect constraint shifts by monitoring for local metric improvement without proportional global throughput increase, as this pattern signals the constraint has moved.
Actively dismantle or modify policies built around…
Actively dismantle or modify policies built around a previous constraint once that constraint shifts, as maintaining outdated subordination rules prevents addressing the new constraint.
When fixing a bottleneck reveals multiple downstream…
When fixing a bottleneck reveals multiple downstream constraints in rapid succession, treat the intervention as a campaign requiring a planned sequence rather than a single fix.
Before upgrading any tool, measure whether it is actually…
Before upgrading any tool, measure whether it is actually the binding constraint by timing active work versus tool-wait time in your most important workflow.
Eliminate process steps that add no value rather…
Eliminate process steps that add no value rather than automating them, because faster waste is still waste.
Map the full value stream of a recurring process to make…
Map the full value stream of a recurring process to make the ratio of value-adding time to total elapsed time visible, because waste is invisible until measured.
Test approval gates by measuring how often they change…
Test approval gates by measuring how often they change outcomes—eliminate gates with zero or near-zero impact rates.
Plan your commitments at 70-85% of measured capacity…
Plan your commitments at 70-85% of measured capacity to maintain system stability under variation.
Track output metrics (throughput, quality, cycle time)…
Track output metrics (throughput, quality, cycle time) rather than activity metrics to distinguish actual system health from busy-feeling productivity.
Design three parallel plans calibrated to high, medium…
Design three parallel plans calibrated to high, medium, and low capacity states rather than one plan that assumes constant capacity.
Before any high-stakes observation, externalize…
Before any high-stakes observation, externalize your expectations, emotional state, and attentional focus in writing to make your perceptual filters visible and compensable.