How the i-have-adhd Skill Makes Progress Visible: A Complete Guide to the Visible Wins Rule

The i-have-adhd skill makes progress visible by prepending every response with a concrete "win" line that states what was accomplished and provides an immediate verification command.

The i-have-adhd skill is an open-source framework designed specifically for ADHD-focused workflows. According to the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository, one of its ten core rules—Rule 7: "Make completed work visible"—ensures users always see tangible progress rather than losing momentum in dense explanations.

In skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md, this rule is explicitly defined with implementation guidance and "good" examples that demonstrate the visible wins format in practice.

How Rule 7 Structures Every Response

The skill enforces a strict response format rooted in dopamine-driven motivation. Every answer must begin with a visible win before any supporting context appears.

The Three-Part Win Line

Each visible progress statement contains:

1. Concrete outcome — A plain-English description of what now works (e.g., "Login now works with magic links")
2. Immediate verification — A runnable command the user can try right away (e.g., "Try: npm run dev, open /login")
3. Top placement — The win line appears first, with explanation following after

This structure appears in the skill definition at lines 91-97 of skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md, where the "good" example shows exactly how to format these statements:

<!-- Example output from the i-have-adhd skill -->
Login now works with magic links. Try: `npm run dev`, open `/login`.
1. Added `magicLink` route in `src/routes/auth.ts`.
2. Updated `User` model to store `magicToken`.
3. Wrote tests in `tests/auth.test.ts`.

Implementation in the Skill Definition

The visible progress behavior is not merely a style suggestion—it is encoded directly into the skill's operating rules. The SKILL.md file defines how the skill must behave when activated:

// Minimal implementation of the "visible progress" rule
function emitProgress(message: string, command?: string) {
  const progress = command ? `${message} Try: \`${command}\`.` : `${message}.`;
  console.log(progress); // Sent as the first line of the response
}

When a user activates the skill via /i-have-adhd, the system stays active and prepends each answer with this visible win line:

# Command-line usage (via Claude or Codex)

/i-have-adhd

# → The skill stays active and will prepend each answer with a visible win line.

Why Visibility Matters for ADHD Workflows

The README.md at line 96 reinforces Rule 7's importance, explaining that abstract progress creates mental friction that stalls work. By surfacing completed work immediately, the skill triggers a dopamine-boosting cue that the task is advancing.

This design directly addresses a common ADHD challenge: the tendency to lose track of accomplishments mid-project. The visible win transforms abstract effort into an observable, verifiable result.

Key Files That Enable Visible Progress

File	Purpose	Location
skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md	Defines Rule 7 and provides implementation examples	skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md
README.md	Summarizes all ten rules including visible progress	README.md
GEMINI.md	Mirrors the rule set for Gemini-based agents	GEMINI.md

Summary

• Rule 7 ("Make completed work visible") is hardcoded into the i-have-adhd skill definition
• Every response begins with a concrete outcome statement plus a verification command
• The format appears in SKILL.md lines 91-97 with working examples
• Top placement ensures the win is seen before any explanation
• The README.md and GEMINI.md files propagate this rule across AI platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the i-have-adhd skill?

The i-have-adhd skill is an open-source framework that adds ADHD-optimized behavior to AI assistants through ten structured rules. It is maintained in the ayghri/i-have-adhd repository and can be activated via /i-have-adhd in compatible clients.

Why does the skill place the win line at the top?

Top placement ensures the reader encounters the dopamine-triggering accomplishment before any supporting context. This prevents the mental friction that occurs when users must search through verbose explanations to find what actually got done.

Can I use this visible progress technique without the full skill?

Yes. The core pattern—outcome + verification command at the start—can be applied to any technical writing or project management workflow. The SKILL.md file provides the exact template for manual implementation.

How does Rule 7 differ from a standard task summary?

Standard summaries often bury accomplishments in bullet points or closing paragraphs. Rule 7 requires an immediate, standalone statement with a runnable verification step, transforming passive reading into active confirmation.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}