Concepts
The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types
Have one backup for your constraint step at 80% quality…
Document one alternative method or backup person who can execute your constraint step at 80% quality to serve as capacity buffer during disruptions, rather than pursuing redundancy everywhere.
Tier your habits for graceful degradation — know which…
Rank operational habits into three tiers (minimum viable, performance-improving, optimizations) so you know which to preserve under moderate disruption (tiers 1-2) and severe disruption (tier 1 only).
After 2+ day disruptions, triage before processing — many…
After disruptions longer than two days, triage accumulated items (actionable + time-sensitive, resolved itself, archive) before chronological processing to eliminate waste from self-resolved issues.
Restart habits tier by tier after disruption — confirm…
Restart operations sequentially after disruption by adding tier 1 first, confirming stability, then adding tier 2, then tier 3, rather than attempting simultaneous restart of all habits.
Run systems at 70-85% capacity — full utilization means…
Run operational systems at 70-85% of measured capacity to maintain adaptive buffer, because systems at full utilization cannot absorb environmental change without breaking.
Add backup slot and automated reminder to critical…
When operational maintenance is scheduled at a time with no buffer, no reminder, and no fallback slot, add redundancy through a primary slot, backup slot, and automated reminder rather than increasing willpower.
Build support structures before the trough hits…
Pre-load support structures during the phase before a known cyclical trough rather than attempting to maintain behavior through willpower during the trough itself.
Test backup paths during normal operations — untested…
When validating redundancy in human systems, test backup paths during normal operations rather than waiting for primary failure, as untested redundancy often fails precisely when needed due to skill atrophy or outdated procedures.
Shared dependencies make redundancy cosmetic — two systems…
When two systems appear redundant but share a common power source, network segment, authentication service, or human operator, treat them as a single point of failure with cosmetic duplication rather than genuine redundancy.
Design triggers for your worst cognitive day…
Design triggers to work at your minimum cognitive state (tired, distracted, depleted) rather than your maximum state, because triggers must function when you need them most.
Design a degraded-mode version of every recurring system…
When building any recurring system (workflow, habit, routine), design an explicit degraded-mode version that preserves core function at reduced scope before the system encounters its first disruption.
Design three operating modes for every important process
For every important recurring process, design three explicit operating modes—full, reduced, and minimal—where each preserves progressively less fidelity but never loses continuity.
Define triggers for mode transitions in both directions…
Define transition triggers for each operating mode that specify when to shift from full to reduced, reduced to minimal, and—critically—from degraded back to full operation.
Test degraded modes during calm periods — if they don't…
Test degraded operating modes during periods of abundant resources to verify they preserve core function, because modes that fail under calm conditions will certainly fail under stress.
Occasionally run processes in degraded mode…
Practice running processes in degraded mode occasionally even when not required to rehearse partial failure, making the transition familiar rather than frightening when real constraints force it.
Document five recovery components for every important…
For every important process, document five components of recovery: failure mode specification, detection trigger, ordered recovery steps, recovery time target, and verification check.
Set RTO and RPO before failure, not during crisis — define…
Set Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) that define maximum acceptable downtime and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) that define maximum acceptable data loss before a failure occurs, not during crisis.
Every active goal needs an error budget — define…
For each active goal, define an explicit error budget specifying how many misses, delays, or quality drops per period are acceptable before triggering system review, converting brittle expectations into resilient ones.
Classify tool delegations as appropriate, convenient…
Before delegating a cognitive task to a tool, classify whether the delegation is appropriate (tool does it better and verification is easy), convenient (saves time but you could do it), or critical (you cannot perform it without the tool), because critical delegations create capability gaps when tools fail.
Periodically perform critical delegated tasks without…
For critical tool delegations where failure would compromise your effectiveness, maintain periodic unassisted performance of the delegated capability to prevent atrophy of the biological skill, treating the practice as architectural redundancy rather than inefficiency.
Difficulty without depletion confirms values alignment…
When values-aligned work produces difficulty without depletion, interpret sustained difficulty as confirmation of alignment rather than signal to quit—genuine alignment enables voluntary acceptance of costs.
Layer multiple commitment mechanisms for high-failure…
For recurring commitments with documented histories of failure, install multiple reinforcing commitment layers (pre-commitment + device + public accountability + implementation intention) rather than relying on any single mechanism, because commitment failures typically result from alignment of multiple weaknesses not single-point vulnerabilities.
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.