How Rule 6 Specific Time Estimates Differ from Vague Estimates in i-have-adhd

Rule 6 mandates that every response include a concrete, quantifiable time estimate (e.g., “≈ 15 minutes”) instead of ambiguous phrases such as “a bit” or “some time,” reducing cognitive load and enabling downstream automation.

The i-have-adhd skill architecture enforces ten strict communication rules designed to minimize executive function demands. Rule 6—Specific Time Estimates—stands apart from typical vague estimation patterns by encoding a numeric duration requirement directly into the response generation pipeline.

Architectural Differences: Vague vs. Specific Estimates

Unlike conventional systems that tolerate subjective temporal language, the i-have-adhd skill defines a strict binary between acceptable and unacceptable estimates. The differences span cognitive, behavioral, and technical dimensions:

Aspect	Typical Vague Estimates	Rule 6’s Specific Estimates
Cognitive load	Readers must interpret subjective terms (“a bit”, “later”), which overloads limited working memory.	A precise number (minutes) gives a concrete target, reducing mental effort.
Actionability	Vague estimates leave the next step ambiguous, often causing procrastination.	Concrete units enable the reader to decide instantly whether the task fits into the current time slot.
Dopamine feedback	Unclear duration makes it hard to sense progress, diminishing dopamine spikes.	Knowing the exact time needed lets the reader anticipate completion, boosting motivation.
Consistency	Different users interpret “a bit” differently, leading to inconsistent expectations.	A fixed unit (minutes) is universally interpretable, ensuring uniform expectations across sessions.
Automation	Hard for downstream tooling (e.g., task timers) to parse.	Easy to extract with simple regex (\d+\s*minutes?) for integrations or UI timers.

Implementation and Enforcement

Skill Definition Location

Rule 6 is codified in skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md within the Specific time estimates section (lines 82-88). This file defines the behavioral contract that all generated responses must satisfy.

Pre-Send Validation

Before any response is delivered, the skill’s runtime harness executes a pre-send check (implemented in SKILL.md, lines 29-41) that validates the outgoing message against all ten rules. If the text lacks a numeric time estimate, the generation is flagged and re-prompted until compliance is achieved.

Detection Logic

The enforcement mechanism uses regex-based validation. The following pseudo-logic illustrates how the skill verifies Rule 6 compliance:

function ensureSpecificTime(text) {
  // Regex looks for a number followed by "minute(s)"
  const hasEstimate = /\b\d+\s*minutes?\b/i.test(text);
  return hasEstimate;
}

When ensureSpecificTime returns false, the pipeline regenerates the answer until a sentence containing a concrete minute estimate is present.

Correct vs. Incorrect Examples

According to the source code documentation, these examples illustrate valid and invalid outputs:

Correct (Rule 6 satisfied):

About 15 minutes to add a new endpoint and update the tests.

Incorrect (Rule 6 violated):

This will take some work to add a new endpoint and update the tests.

Summary

• Rule 6 requires quantifiable minute-based estimates in every response, rejecting ambiguous temporal language.
• The rule is architecturally distinct from vague estimates because it reduces cognitive load, increases actionability, provides dopamine feedback loops, ensures consistency, and enables automation.
• Enforcement occurs in skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md through a pre-send validation harness (lines 29-41) that re-generates non-compliant responses.
• The validation function ensureSpecificTime uses the regex pattern \b\d+\s*minutes?\b to verify compliance before delivery.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a response does not include a specific time estimate?

If the pre-send check detects a missing numeric estimate, the response generation is flagged as incomplete. The skill automatically re-prompts the underlying model until the output includes a concrete minute value (e.g., “≈ 15 minutes”) that satisfies the regex check in ensureSpecificTime.

Why does Rule 6 use minutes as the standard unit?

Minutes provide a universally interpretable granularity that fits common task durations without requiring mental conversion. The regex pattern \d+\s*minutes? explicitly targets this unit to ensure consistency across sessions and to simplify extraction by downstream automation tools like task timers.

How does Rule 6 specifically help users with ADHD?

The rule eliminates the executive function overhead required to interpret subjective phrases like “a bit” or “later.” By providing a concrete temporal anchor, it reduces working memory load, prevents decision paralysis, and creates anticipatory dopamine spikes that help sustain motivation through task completion.

Where is Rule 6 defined in the codebase?

Rule 6 is defined in the Specific time estimates section of skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md (lines 82-88). The enforcement logic resides in the Pre-send check section of the same file (lines 29-41), which validates all outgoing messages against the skill’s ten-rule protocol before delivery.

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