Protocol

The Systems Synthesizer

Stop installing random habits. Build a whole-life operating system: load limits, compatibility checks, seasonal cycles, and recovery commands.

See the systems
The Systems Synthesizer

Does this sound familiar?

  • You have a stack of habits but no stable baseline
  • Your calendar is full and your recovery is fragile
  • You fix work problems by borrowing from sleep, health, or relationships
  • When you miss once, you spiral into 'I blew it'
  • You keep adding systems instead of deleting conflicts
Old Way
  • Install more habits until the system collapses
  • Let urgency route your day
  • Run always-on until burnout forces a reset
  • Change rules weekly, never stabilize
New Way
  • Set load limits and hard stops
  • Detect conflicts before you commit
  • Cycle seasons: build, intensify, deload
  • Treat failures as patches, not identity
Myth

Common Myth

If I cared more, I would be consistent.

Mechanism

The 5 Operating Systems

Click a system to explore its habits

Load Management

Load Management

Control cognitive and calendar load so the operator stays stable.

Interference Detection

Interference Detection

Detect conflicts between habits, goals, and domains before they collide.

Seasonal Rotation

Seasonal Rotation

Use cycles (build/intensify/deload) instead of 'more forever'.

Execution Kernel

Execution Kernel

Simple daily procedures that reduce activation energy and decision fatigue.

Failure Recovery

Failure Recovery

Reboot fast after lapses so one glitch doesn't become a cascade.

Progression

Habit Tiers

Tier 1

Foundation

Defaults under 2 minutes. Boundaries, capture, and basic control loops.

Tier 2

Growth

5–30 minutes. Install audits, planning, and friction tuning.

Tier 3

Mastery

Higher precision. Periodization, debugging, and sequencing that holds under load.

Tier 4Peak

Titan

Stress tests (sprints, emergency offloads, long focus blocks). Always paired with recovery.

The Protocol

  • Morning: boot the system

    2–5m

    Declare boundaries, pick your first action, stage the surface.

  • Day: execute with friction control

    blocks

    Do small tasks fast, make good habits easy, add friction to distractions.

  • Conflicts: run compatibility checks

    2–15m

    Tag Glass vs Rubber. Use WOOP and Eisenhower to resolve trade-offs.

  • Evening: shutdown and recovery

    10–15m

    Capture open loops, plan tomorrow's boot script, end work mode.

  • Weekly: tune the system

    30m

    Run the Monday Audit. Patch failures. Plan deloads.

Getting Started

Step01

Week 1: Stabilize the baseline

Install Foundations only. Hard stop. Capture open loops. Never miss twice.

Step02

Week 2: Stop conflicts

Add Interference Detection. Tag Glass vs Rubber. Run WOOP before new commitments.

Step03

Week 3: Add the control loop

Schedule + run the weekly audit. Triage with Eisenhower. Plan a deload.

Step04

Week 4+: Prove fault tolerance

Use the Failure Reboot playbook when life breaks the plan. Then attempt a focused sprint.

Habit Cards

30

Core Systems

5

Progression Tiers

4

Weekly Review

30m

Frequently Asked Questions

Protocol Playbooks

Curated sequences of habits designed to be practiced together. Click a playbook to see its cards in the deck below.

Shutdown & Next-Day Boot
5 cards

Shutdown & Next-Day Boot

End work mode cleanly. Clear open loops. Start tomorrow without decision friction.

Declare a Hard Stop
Run an Inbox Sweep
Capture Open Loops

+2 more habits

Overload Triage Protocol
5 cards

Overload Triage Protocol

When everything feels urgent, sort conflicts, reduce load, and protect Glass domains.

Tag Glass vs Rubber
Name the Conflict
Triage with Eisenhower

+2 more habits

Weekly Control Loop Reset
5 cards

Weekly Control Loop Reset

Reset the system weekly: review, triage, and plan the next cycle without drift.

Schedule a Weekly Audit
Run the Monday Audit
Triage with Eisenhower

+2 more habits

Failure Reboot Protocol
5 cards

Failure Reboot Protocol

Recover fast after a lapse. Patch the system. Keep the identity intact.

Reboot After a Lapse
Reframe the Slip
Never Miss Twice

+2 more habits

Sprint + Deload Sequence
5 cards

Sprint + Deload Sequence

Time-boxed overdrive, then recovery. Use for launches, deadlines, or breakthroughs.

Execute a Monk Mode Sprint
Run a 4-Hour Focus Block
Plan a Deload Week

+2 more habits

Quests

Challenges to accelerate your transformation. Click a quest to see its target cards.

Initiation

The Foundation Blueprint

Establish core stability by capturing loops, setting hard stops, and mastering the 2-minute execution rule for seven days.

"Your life is a complex machine. Before we optimize the output, we must stabilize the foundational architecture."

Foundation tier streak for 7 days
7 cards
View Quest Cards
System Mastery

The Signal-to-Noise Protocol

Eliminate resource competition by tagging glass priorities, triaging with Eisenhower, and debugging broken behavioral stacks.

"A system fails when its components fight for the same resources. It is time to resolve the interference."

Complete Interference Detection system
6 cards
View Quest Cards
Titan Trial

The Deep Architecture Sprint

Commit to radical focus by defining forbidden lists and executing an uninterrupted four-hour deep work session.

"The ultimate test of a system is its ability to generate high-output depth under controlled conditions."

Complete Titan tier
2 cards
View Quest Cards

The Full Deck

30 habits across 5 core systems

Systems:
Playbooks:
Declare a Hard Stopfoundation

Declare a Hard Stop

Pick a stop time and put it on your calendar before starting work.
⏱ 30s⚡ mental
Load Management
Capture Open Loopsfoundation

Capture Open Loops

Write the task in your system; add the next action or schedule it.
⏱ 2m⚡ tactical
Load Management
Tag Glass vs Rubberfoundation

Tag Glass vs Rubber

Label each conflicting option Glass or Rubber; choose Glass by default.
⏱ 2m⚡ mental
Interference Detection
Name the Conflictfoundation

Name the Conflict

Write I can't do A and B; if I choose A, I lose B.
⏱ 30s⚡ mental
Interference Detection
Pick a Seasonal Themefoundation

Pick a Seasonal Theme

Choose one phrase like Consolidation, Health, or Order; review monthly.
⏱ 20m⚡ mental
Seasonal Rotation
Schedule a Weekly Auditfoundation

Schedule a Weekly Audit

Put a 30-minute block on Monday morning or Sunday night now.
⏱ 2m⚡ tactical
Seasonal Rotation
Do the 2-Minute Taskfoundation

Do the 2-Minute Task

If it takes under 2 minutes, do it immediately; otherwise schedule or delete.
⏱ 2m⚡ tactical
Execution Kernel
Start the 2-Minute Versionfoundation

Start the 2-Minute Version

Do the entry step only: shoes on, document open, mat unrolled; stop if needed.
⏱ 2m⚡ tactical
Execution Kernel
Never Miss Twicefoundation

Never Miss Twice

If you miss Day 1, Day 2 becomes the minimum viable version.
⏱ 30s⚡ mental
Failure Recovery
Reboot After a Lapsefoundation

Reboot After a Lapse

Do one micro-action: drink water, 5 squats, 1 page, or 1 next action.
⏱ 2m⚡ tactical
Failure Recovery
Run an Inbox Sweepgrowth

Run an Inbox Sweep

Scan email and chat; reply, schedule, or send a receipt saying got it tomorrow.
⏱ 10m⚡ tactical
Load Management
Plan Tomorrow's Boot Scriptgrowth

Plan Tomorrow's Boot Script

Write the first task plus first next action; stage tools like doc or workspace.
⏱ 5m⚡ mental
Load Management
Run a WOOP Pre-Mortemgrowth

Run a WOOP Pre-Mortem

Write Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, If-Then Plan; keep it specific before adding routines.
⏱ 10m⚡ mental
Interference Detection
Triage with Eisenhowergrowth

Triage with Eisenhower

Sort tasks: Do Q1, Schedule Q2, Delegate Q3, Delete Q4 during weekly audit.
⏱ 15m⚡ mental
Interference Detection
Run the Monday Auditgrowth

Run the Monday Audit

Review last week, scan calendar, pick one tweak like move tools or add buffer.
⏱ 30m⚡ mental
Seasonal Rotation
Plan a Deload Weekgrowth

Plan a Deload Week

Drop peripheral habits for 7 days; keep sleep, basic movement, and one review.
⏱ 15m⚡ mental
Seasonal Rotation
Lower Startup Frictiongrowth

Lower Startup Friction

Stage tools: shoes visible, doc open, water ready, charger placed.
⏱ 10m⚡ tactical
Execution Kernel
Increase Distraction Frictiongrowth

Increase Distraction Friction

Log out of social, remove apps from home screen, put remote in another room.
⏱ 10m⚡ tactical
Execution Kernel
Reframe the Slipgrowth

Reframe the Slip

Use RAP: Realistic, Adaptive, Positive; then run Reboot After a Lapse.
⏱ 5m⚡ mental
Failure Recovery
Write a Failure Postmortemgrowth

Write a Failure Postmortem

Write trigger, failure mode, patch; then change environment or calendar accordingly.
⏱ 15m⚡ mental
Failure Recovery
Apply the 5/25 Filtermastery

Apply the 5/25 Filter

List 25 goals, circle top 5, treat 6-25 as distractions until top 5 move.
⏱ 20m⚡ mental
Load Management
Debug a Broken Stackmastery

Debug a Broken Stack

Make the cue physical, stage tools, shrink the routine, or split the chain.
⏱ 15m⚡ tactical
Interference Detection
Periodize a 9-Week Cyclemastery

Periodize a 9-Week Cycle

Plan 4 weeks accumulation, 4 weeks intensification, 1 week deload; protect Glass.
⏱ 30m⚡ mental
Seasonal Rotation
Pre-Commit a Backup Protocolmastery

Pre-Commit a Backup Protocol

Define your minimum viable day: sleep, movement, capture; save it as a checklist.
⏱ 20m⚡ tactical
Failure Recovery
Write an Ivy Lee Listmastery

Write an Ivy Lee List

Write 6 tasks max, rank 1-6; tomorrow start at 1, don't move until done.
⏱ 5m⚡ mental
Execution Kernel
Cancel One Optional Obligationtitan

Cancel One Optional Obligation

Pick one low-value meeting, decline, use reclaimed time for sleep or movement.
⏱ 10m⚡ mental
Load Management
Run an Emergency Offloadtitan

Run an Emergency Offload

Pause, cancel or delegate all Rubber tasks for 48 hours, run capture and recovery.
⏱ 15m⚡ tactical
Interference Detection
Execute a Monk Mode Sprinttitan

Execute a Monk Mode Sprint

Define dates plus forbidden list; pre-plan re-entry with a deload week.
⏱ 30m⚡ tactical
Seasonal Rotation
Run a 4-Hour Focus Blocktitan

Run a 4-Hour Focus Block

Phone away, comms off, snacks ready; work 90/15 cycles; end with shutdown.
⏱ 4h⚡ tactical
Execution Kernel
Run the Minimum Viable Daytitan

Run the Minimum Viable Day

Do 1 capture, 2 minutes movement, 1 next action, then sleep.
⏱ 10m⚡ tactical
Failure Recovery

Sources & References

External reading that informed this stack.

8 links

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