Concepts
The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types
Ask 'What would become true if I wrote this down?'…
For each thought you resist capturing, immediately ask and write down 'What would become true if I had written this down?'—usually revealing that externalization would trigger a downstream commitment chain you're avoiding.
When one-third of commitments are failing, stop accepting…
When more than one-third of your active commitments are late, incomplete, or lower quality than promised, stop accepting new commitments until the ratio improves to preserve remaining trust accounts.
When a commitment will be missed, renegotiate proactively…
When a commitment cannot be met, communicate the fact proactively before the deadline and renegotiate terms explicitly, as silent dropping versus explicit renegotiation distinguishes reliable commitment systems from internal intention failures.
After commitment failure, diagnose within 48 hours
When a commitment fails, conduct the diagnostic protocol (identify failure trigger, locate decision point, match structural support to vulnerability type, install before next instance) within 48 hours rather than treating failure as evidence of insufficient willpower.
Public commitments must be behavioral + verifiable…
Structure public commitments as behavioral specifications with verification mechanisms rather than identity declarations, because identity-based announcements produce premature satisfaction that reduces subsequent effort while behavioral commitments create accountability pressure.
Place commitment reminders where breakdowns happen…
Place written commitments in the physical or digital location where the breakdown typically occurs rather than in convenient filing locations, because visibility at the decision point creates structural friction that memory-based retrieval cannot provide.
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.
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.