Concepts
The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types
Design behavioral chains as modular architectures of 3-5…
Design behavioral chains as modular architectures of 3-5 sub-chains when total length exceeds 7-8 links, with each sub-chain having its own independent anchor and terminal reward to prevent cascading failure.
Anchor behavioral chains to existing automatic behaviors…
Anchor behavioral chains to existing automatic behaviors at the first link and to immediately-delivered, genuinely enjoyable physical actions at the last link, as these bookends carry disproportionate structural load for chain ignition and reinforcement.
Create physical bridges—brief, concrete micro-behaviors…
Create physical bridges—brief, concrete micro-behaviors requiring no thought—that connect the end of one link to the start of the next, filling attentional gaps where competing behaviors could enter.
Physical recreation of the starting position and sensory…
Physical recreation of the starting position and sensory environment is necessary to re-ignite an interrupted behavioral chain, not merely a mental decision to continue.
Document behavioral chains by writing each link…
Document behavioral chains by writing each link as a specific physical action rather than abstract categories, because abstract labels conceal the actual behaviors and transitions where chains fail.
Mark each transition between chain links as automatic…
Mark each transition between chain links as automatic or deliberate during documentation, because deliberate triggers are structural weak points that fail under stress when executive function is depleted.
Pre-commit to specific observable conditions under which…
Pre-commit to specific observable conditions under which you will abandon a hypothesis before investigating it.
During mental rehearsal, include sensory details…
During mental rehearsal, include sensory details and physical transitions between links rather than only rehearsing the major behavioral nodes, because transitions are where chains break and transitions require their own neural encoding.
Execute behavioral chains within an optimal tempo…
Execute behavioral chains within an optimal tempo window—neither rushed (causing errors) nor dawdling (causing disengagement)—because tempo controls arousal level and arousal follows an inverted-U relationship with performance quality.
Adjust chain tempo to current capacity rather…
Adjust chain tempo to current capacity rather than maintaining fixed timing, because optimal execution speed shifts with fatigue, skill level, and environmental load.
For complex cognitive tasks that resist starting, design…
For complex cognitive tasks that resist starting, design micro-chains of three to five links that complete in under 90 seconds and end with the smallest unit of output, because the gap between intention and action is where procrastination lives and micro-chains close that gap before resistance organizes.
Make the first link of a micro-chain trivially easy…
Make the first link of a micro-chain trivially easy and physical (not mental), because physical actions are unambiguous, measurable, and cannot be displaced by competing thoughts the way mental actions can.
Design micro-chain final links to produce one minimal unit…
Design micro-chain final links to produce one minimal unit of output rather than complete work, because crossing the threshold from consumption to production changes psychological state and the micro-chain's function is initiation, not completion.
Eliminate all decision points from micro-chains…
Eliminate all decision points from micro-chains by specifying exactly one successor for each link, because deliberation consumes the executive function that task initiation requires.
Design transition behaviors that connect the terminal link…
Design transition behaviors that connect the terminal link of one chain to the first link of the next chain to eliminate cognitive dead zones between contexts.
Use physical boundary objects that exist at context…
Use physical boundary objects that exist at context transitions to carry behavioral momentum from one chain to the next without requiring deliberation.
Install pre-built behavioral sequences with three to four…
Install pre-built behavioral sequences with three to four links maximum for high-stress situations, since working memory capacity drops to 2-3 items under acute stress.
When confidence spikes, increase scrutiny…
When confidence spikes, increase scrutiny proportionally—high certainty is a warning signal that neural gating against disconfirmation has activated.
Preserve the first and last links of a normal chain…
Preserve the first and last links of a normal chain when designing emergency variants, compressing only the middle section, to maintain identity signals and reduce activation cost.
Define activation triggers for emergency chains using…
Define activation triggers for emergency chains using observable conditions evaluable in under two seconds without deliberation, rather than internal states requiring self-analysis.
Rehearse emergency chains monthly even when not needed…
Rehearse emergency chains monthly even when not needed, because infrequently-run sequences remain fragile unless the basal ganglia encode them through deliberate practice.
Design social chain links to specify your own behavior…
Design social chain links to specify your own behavior precisely while allowing the other person's response to vary within an acceptable range, since you cannot control autonomous agents.
Make social chains explicitly shared structures when both…
Make social chains explicitly shared structures when both parties benefit from coordination, converting encounters into collaborative sequences rather than one-sided impositions.
Keep pre-social and post-social links tight while allowing…
Keep pre-social and post-social links tight while allowing only the social interaction itself to flex, preventing the entire chain from becoming loose.