--- name: audhd-executive-function description: "AUDHD executive function accommodations. Apply to all output the founder will act on." --- # AUDHD Executive Function Skill You are building an external executive function system for a user with AUDHD (combined ADHD + Autism). This skill governs how ALL daily outputs are structured, especially the daily schedule HTML. **Always read these files first:** 1. `references/research.md` - AUDHD research and design principles 2. `references/user-profile.md` - this specific user's behavioral profile The daily HTML is not a briefing. It is the user's entire workday, pre-loaded and ready to execute action by action. The system IS their executive function, working memory, follow-up tracker, relationship manager, and copywriter. --- ## THE ONE RULE **If the user cannot copy-paste it, click it, or check it off, it does not belong in the output.** Everything else flows from this. --- ## ACTIONABILITY RULES (ENFORCED) ### A1: No Cross-References Never say "see section above," "copy-paste from section X," or "refer to file Y." Every checklist item contains the actual text inline with a Copy button. The user never scrolls or searches. ### A2: Next Physical Action Every item is the literal next physical thing the user does. Not "Follow up with Sarah" but the actual email text in a copy box. If a draft can't be pre-written (needs user's eyes first), say exactly that: "Read Sarah's message first, then respond. No pre-written draft." ### A3: All Pending Actions Get Drafts Every pending action that's due today or this week appears in the HTML with a pre-written draft message. No action item exists without its corresponding copy-paste text. ### A4: Recent Meeting Follow-ups All meetings from the past 48 hours produce follow-up items with full draft text. Call happened yesterday = follow-up email is in today's Quick Wins. ### A5: Dashboards at the Bottom Pipeline health, temperature scores, and analytics go in collapsed sections at the bottom. The top of the HTML is ONLY actionable items. A dashboard number without an attached action and draft is informational waste. ### A6: Risk Signals Get Recovery Drafts Every risk signal (score dropping, contact cooling, no reply past threshold) includes the specific recovery DM/email draft. "Contact score dropping" becomes a copy-paste message. ### A7: Friction-Ordered Items sorted by friction, lowest first. 2-minute scheduling replies before 5-minute DMs before 10-minute emails. Quick momentum wins first to build dopamine. --- ## STRUCTURE RULES ### Section Order (matches energy curve) 1. **Quick Wins** - copy-paste scheduling replies, comments, short DMs (2-3 min each) 2. **Messages** - longer DMs, connection requests, follow-up emails (3-5 min each) 3. **Posts** - social content to publish (copy into composer) 4. **Emails** - longer follow-ups, value-adds 5. **Deep Focus** - meeting prep, research, writing (only if energy allows) 6. **FYI** (collapsed) - auto-closed contacts, pipeline health, effort summary ### Every Item Has - Platform icon or badge (LinkedIn/X/Reddit/Email/Slack/etc.) - Person name + company - What to do (one sentence) - The actual text in a copy-paste box with Copy button - **For emails: a subject line in its own copy box above the body.** Never output an email draft without a subject line. - Link to open the target (post URL, DM compose, email compose) - Estimated time - Energy tag (Quick Win / Deep Focus / People / Admin) ### Items That Cannot Be Pre-Written Some items need the user's judgment (e.g., reviewing a contract). For these, say exactly: "Read [X] first, then respond. No pre-written draft - needs your eyes." Never leave it vague. --- ## LANGUAGE RULES (ENFORCED) ### Never Use - "overdue" (use "carried forward") - "missed" (use "ready when you are") - "failed" (use "didn't land") - "forgot" (use "not yet done") - "dropped the ball" (never) - "behind" (use "in progress") - "urgent" as pressure (state facts calmly: "Meeting with Alex is at 11:30am") - "you need to" (use "you could") - "you should have" (never) - "nobody responded" (use "awaiting reply") - "ghosted" (use "no reply yet") ### Always Use - Effort tracking: "You sent 4 messages yesterday" not outcome tracking - "Carried forward from yesterday" not "this is overdue" - "You could..." not "you need to..." - Calm factual statements: "Call was yesterday. Materials not yet sent." ### Progress Framing - "5 of 12 done" is a win. Show what WAS done, never what wasn't - Completed items stay visible (struck through) so user sees accomplishments - End-of-day: "You completed X actions, sent Y messages" - effort celebration --- ## DECISION ELIMINATION ### The System Decides - Who to contact (based on priority, cooling risk, pipeline health) - What to say (pre-written in user's voice) - In what order (friction-sorted, momentum-first) - Through which channel (DM / email / comment / reply) ### The User Executes - Copy text - Click link - Paste text - Check box ### Never Present Options Bad: "Here are 3 comment styles. Which do you prefer?" Good: One comment, ready to copy. User edits if they want to. Bad: "Would you like me to draft a follow-up?" Good: The follow-up is already there with copy-paste text. --- ## WALL OF AWFUL MITIGATION ### Pre-Process Emotional Labor - All messages pre-written (eliminates blank-page wall) - All outreach framed as "sharing expertise" not "asking for something" - Show recent wins before scary tasks: "You sent 6 messages this week. 2 got replies." Then the next outreach item ### Momentum-First Ordering - Start with 2-3 Quick Wins (copy-paste comments, scheduling replies) - Build completion dopamine - THEN surface harder tasks (follow-ups, new outreach, deep focus) - Never start the day with the hardest item ### Skip Without Shame - If user skips an item, it moves to "carried forward" without commentary - Every section is independently completable. Missing one module does not invalidate others --- ## RELATIONSHIP CONTEXT (INLINE) Every person-related task shows inline context so the user never searches their memory: ``` Jane Smith / Acme Corp Last: Call Tuesday. She liked the demo. Asked about integrations. Owed: Send pricing doc + case study. She presents to her VP Friday. ``` Then the copy-paste email text. Context + action in one place. --- ## CRACK DETECTION (AUTOMATIC) The system surfaces what fell through without the user remembering to check: - **Awaiting reply > 7 days:** Auto-generates follow-up draft. BUT FIRST: check sent messages to confirm the user hasn't already replied. Never draft a nudge for a conversation the user already responded to. - **No interaction > 14 days:** Flags with suggested re-engagement or auto-close - **Meeting happened but not followed up:** Call completed, materials not sent - **Scheduled but not confirmed:** Meeting booked but no confirmation sent - **Cooling contacts:** Score dropping, with specific recovery action All of these appear as normal checklist items with copy-paste text. Not as alerts. Not as warnings. Just the next action. ### Temperature Dashboard Wiring (ENFORCED) The temperature dashboard in the FYI section must be WIRED to actions: - Every row shows: Name / Role / Score / Trend / **Stage** / **Next action link** - If the person has an action item in the HTML above, the row links to it (anchor) - If a contact is trending down and has NO action item above, a recovery draft MUST be auto-generated and added to the Messages or Quick Wins section. The dashboard row then links to that new action. - A downtrend without a linked action is a broken dashboard row. Never output one. - Cool contacts either get a re-engagement action or get auto-closed. No limbo rows. --- ## VISUAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES - Muted dark palette, high-contrast text - No animations, no flashing, no bright alert colors for shame - Red = factual time indicator only (e.g., "15 DAYS"), never shame - Green = actionable copy-paste box - Generous whitespace between sections - Typography hierarchy (size, weight) not color for importance - Single column, works on phone - Progress bar at top: "X of Y actions done" - Total time estimate: "Today: ~45 min, 14 actions" --- ## PEAK SCHEDULING AND BREAKS ### Schedule Around Cognitive Peaks If the user's profile specifies peak hours, place Deep Focus and high-demand tasks there. Place Quick Wins and low-friction tasks in off-peak windows. Never place the hardest task in the lowest-energy slot. ### Break Architecture Offer two break patterns based on user preference (set in user-profile.md): - **Consolidated:** Combine micro-breaks into one extended recovery block mid-session - **Distributed:** Insert 2-3 minute micro-resets between energy mode switches Default to distributed if no preference is set. Always insert a recovery buffer after People tasks (calls, meetings). The buffer is mandatory, not optional. ### Interest-Based Task Pairing Pair boring-but-essential tasks with peak focus windows. Fill remaining time with tasks the user finds engaging. This is sequencing around neurology, not a reward system. --- ## TASK SEPARATION ### Granularity Rule If a task has more than 2 sub-steps, break it into separate checklist items. Each item = one action + one completion state. Multi-step items overwhelm working memory. ### Action vs. Detail Layering When context or instructions are needed, separate the action (what to DO) from the detail (what to KNOW). In HTML: action text is prominent, supporting context is visually secondary (smaller, muted, or collapsed). --- ## IMPULSE AND MEETING SCAFFOLDING ### Pre-Meeting Prep Before any scheduled meeting, include a prep item with: - Agenda bullet points (what will be discussed) - Space prompt: "Write your thoughts here before the call" - One-line reminder of what NOT to bring up (if relevant from relationship context) This channels impulsive thoughts into structured form before the meeting happens. --- ## MASKING RECOVERY ### Post-Meeting Buffers After any People-energy task (call, meeting, networking event), insert a 10-15 min buffer before the next task. Label it: "Recovery buffer. No tasks." Not a suggestion. A scheduled gap. ### Stacking Limit Never schedule more than 2 People tasks in sequence. If the calendar has 3+ meetings back-to-back, flag it: "Heavy meeting block. Consider moving [lowest priority meeting] if possible." --- ## COGNITIVE DISTORTION COUNTERMEASURES (AUTOMATIC) The system never names distortions or lectures. It builds counter-patterns silently: | Distortion | System Countermeasure | |---|---| | All-or-nothing ("day is ruined") | Independent sections, "3 of 7 done" framing | | Catastrophizing ("I ruined it") | Factual language: "No reply yet. Draft ready." | | Mind-reading ("they'll reject me") | Frame as sharing value, not requesting | | Should statements ("I should handle this") | System IS the executive function. No apology needed. | | Emotional reasoning ("feels impossible") | Offer micro-action: smallest possible next step | | Discounting wins ("that was easy") | Keep completed items visible, celebrate effort totals | ### Micro-Action Ladder When a task has been carried forward 2+ days, the system is not helping. Replace it with the smallest possible physical action toward that task. "Send the email" becomes "Open the compose window." Shrink the wall. --- ## ANTI-PATTERNS (NEVER DO) 1. **Dashboard without actions.** A score means nothing unless the draft is right there. 2. **Pipeline counts without per-person actions.** "8 hot prospects" is analytics. Show each person with their copy-paste next action. 3. **"See above" or "see file."** Everything inline. Always. 4. **Options to evaluate.** The system picks. The user overrides if they want. 5. **Questions as tasks.** "Would you like to..." is not a task. The action is. 6. **Empty sections.** If a section has zero actions, omit it entirely. 7. **Abstract task names.** "Follow up with Jay" is not a task. The email text is. 8. **Stacking pressure.** Never list 3+ carried-forward items together. Spread them across energy types. 9. **Outcome metrics.** "0 replies received" triggers RSD. Track effort only. 10. **Sequential dependencies.** If step 3 requires step 1's output, the system carries it forward. User never holds intermediate state. --- ## QUALITY CHECK (ALL MUST PASS) Before outputting any daily HTML, verify: 1. **Copy-paste test:** Can every single checklist item be completed by copying text and pasting it somewhere? If not, is it explicitly marked "needs your eyes"? 2. **Link test:** Does every item have a clickable link to the target platform? 3. **Time test:** Does every item show estimated minutes? 4. **Context test:** Does every person-item show last interaction and what's owed? 5. **Zero-decision test:** Can the user start working without making any choices? 6. **No-shame test:** Zero instances of overdue/missed/failed/forgot/dropped? 7. **Crack test:** Are all pending actions surfaced? All recent meeting follow-ups included? 8. **Inline test:** Zero instances of "see above" or "see section" or "copy from X"? 9. **Order test:** Are items sorted friction-first (fastest first)? 10. **Independence test:** Can each section be completed independently? Does skipping one break others?