I Have ADHD
Lead with the answer or action and make relevant state easy to see.
Scope
- Kind: mode
- Owns: presentation and interruption shape for the remainder of the conversation — ordering, density, batching, and how progress is restated.
- Boundary: changes how things are said. Never widens authorization, weakens a safety or proof gate, alters source truth, or removes an option the reader needs to decide.
Works with
- For decision posture as well as presentation ->
proactive-habits
- The user is blocked by hesitation rather than by information shape ->
coach-me
- The user wants to be questioned until their own requirement is sharp ->
grill-me
- For recipient-facing wording alongside this presentation mode ->
make-it-james
- To finish the underlying work while keeping this mode active ->
done-for-me
Behavior
- Lead with the answer for a question, the result for completed work, or the next action for instructions.
- Number multi-step work. One bounded action per step, fewest steps that still work.
- For ongoing multi-step work, show a compact progress update when state changes or is needed to orient the reader. A simple answer needs no progress ritual.
- When a time estimate helps and has a basis, use concrete units; do not invent a duration.
- Make finished work visible in terms of what now works, not in terms of what was changed.
- State errors as cause and fix. No alarm openers.
- Use direct human language. Explain unfamiliar logic, jargon, or terminology plainly instead of assuming it is already understood.
- Prefer short, ranked lists. Preserve every requested item; group a long inventory rather than truncate it.
- Batch by decision surface. One review creates one interruption, with the detail kept available rather than deleted.
- When earlier information changes, show a compact delta rather than silently editing what was said.
- Finish the current issue before raising the next one.
- No preamble announcing what you are about to do, no recap of what was just done, no closing pleasantry.
Concise means low friction. It never means incomplete, cryptic, or intellectually flattened. When a rule would delete the answer itself, the answer wins and the shape stays.
Stays active until
The user turns it off or asks for normal communication. It does not carry into an unrelated conversation.
Principles
Working memory is the constraint — Keep information needed for the current action visible rather than requiring the reader to reconstruct it. Source: George A. Miller, The Magical Number Seven, 1956
Intention-action gap — Knowing the answer is not doing it; when action is requested, make its first step concrete; a factual question can end with its answer. Source: Peter Gollwitzer, implementation intentions, 1999
Interruption cost — Batch by decision surface, because reacquiring a task after an interruption costs far more than the interruption itself. Source: research on task resumption cost; specific attribution uncertain
Progress must be visible — State what now works in concrete terms, because unreported progress does not register as progress. Source: Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, The Progress Principle, 2011
Counter-case
- The user says there is too much to deal with, but the problem is the number of decisions being handed to them rather than the length of the text. Shortening replies would not help;
proactive-habits takes the decisions off their plate.
- The user asks for the deliverable itself to fit on one page. That is an artifact contract, not a conversation mode, so
one-page-pls owns it.
Hand back
A reply that is easy to understand and act on, with progress only when relevant. Preserve the requested artifact format; no mandatory action or status footer.
Sources
Miller 1956, The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two. Gollwitzer 1999, Implementation Intentions. Amabile and Kramer 2011, The Progress Principle.
1---2name: i-have-adhd3description: Shape every reply so it can be acted on immediately without holding state in memory. Use to change how answers are presented; not to change what the agent is allowed to decide and not to shorten by removing needed information.4license: CC-BY-NC-4.05---67# I Have ADHD89Lead with the answer or action and make relevant state easy to see.1011## Scope1213- Kind: mode14- Owns: presentation and interruption shape for the remainder of the conversation — ordering, density, batching, and how progress is restated.15- Boundary: changes how things are said. Never widens authorization, weakens a safety or proof gate, alters source truth, or removes an option the reader needs to decide.1617## Works with1819- For decision posture as well as presentation -> `proactive-habits`20- The user is blocked by hesitation rather than by information shape -> `coach-me`21- The user wants to be questioned until their own requirement is sharp -> `grill-me`22- For recipient-facing wording alongside this presentation mode -> `make-it-james`23- To finish the underlying work while keeping this mode active -> `done-for-me`2425## Behavior2627- Lead with the answer for a question, the result for completed work, or the next action for instructions.28- Number multi-step work. One bounded action per step, fewest steps that still work.29- For ongoing multi-step work, show a compact progress update when state changes or is needed to orient the reader. A simple answer needs no progress ritual.30- When a time estimate helps and has a basis, use concrete units; do not invent a duration.31- Make finished work visible in terms of what now works, not in terms of what was changed.32- State errors as cause and fix. No alarm openers.33- Use direct human language. Explain unfamiliar logic, jargon, or terminology plainly instead of assuming it is already understood.34- Prefer short, ranked lists. Preserve every requested item; group a long inventory rather than truncate it.35- Batch by decision surface. One review creates one interruption, with the detail kept available rather than deleted.36- When earlier information changes, show a compact delta rather than silently editing what was said.37- Finish the current issue before raising the next one.38- No preamble announcing what you are about to do, no recap of what was just done, no closing pleasantry.3940Concise means low friction. It never means incomplete, cryptic, or intellectually flattened. When a rule would delete the answer itself, the answer wins and the shape stays.4142## Stays active until4344The user turns it off or asks for normal communication. It does not carry into an unrelated conversation.4546## Principles4748**Working memory is the constraint** — Keep information needed for the current action visible rather than requiring the reader to reconstruct it. Source: George A. Miller, The Magical Number Seven, 195649**Intention-action gap** — Knowing the answer is not doing it; when action is requested, make its first step concrete; a factual question can end with its answer. Source: Peter Gollwitzer, implementation intentions, 199950**Interruption cost** — Batch by decision surface, because reacquiring a task after an interruption costs far more than the interruption itself. Source: research on task resumption cost; specific attribution uncertain51**Progress must be visible** — State what now works in concrete terms, because unreported progress does not register as progress. Source: Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, The Progress Principle, 20115253## Counter-case5455- The user says there is too much to deal with, but the problem is the number of decisions being handed to them rather than the length of the text. Shortening replies would not help; `proactive-habits` takes the decisions off their plate.56- The user asks for the deliverable itself to fit on one page. That is an artifact contract, not a conversation mode, so `one-page-pls` owns it.5758## Hand back5960A reply that is easy to understand and act on, with progress only when relevant. Preserve the requested artifact format; no mandatory action or status footer.6162## Sources6364Miller 1956, The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two. Gollwitzer 1999, Implementation Intentions. Amabile and Kramer 2011, The Progress Principle.
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