How "Lead with the Next Action" Works in i-have-adhd: The ADHD-Friendly Response Rule Explained

The "Lead with the next action" rule requires that the very first line of every response must be a concrete, runnable command, file path, or code snippet that the reader can execute immediately—no context, preamble, or multi-step plans allowed in that first line.

The i-have-adhd open-source skill is designed to reshape how AI assistants communicate with people who have ADHD. According to the project source code, the first and most important rule—"Lead with the next action"—eliminates the cognitive friction of parsing through explanatory text before knowing what to do. This article breaks down exactly how this rule is defined, enforced, and implemented across all runtimes.

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What "Lead with the Next Action" Means

The rule is brutally simple: the first line must be actionable. Context, reasoning, and follow-up steps come after, never before.

In skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md (lines 33-41), the canonical definition states:

"The first line is something the reader can do. Not context. Not a plan. The action."

This means responses that start with phrases like "Let's think about..." or "First, you should understand..." are automatically invalid. The rule forces the model to cut to what matters most for ADHD readers: the immediate next step they can take.

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Where the Rule Is Defined

The i-have-adhd skill uses a two-layer definition system to ensure consistency across all AI runtimes:

Layer	File	What It Contains
Canonical skill definition	skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md	The master ruleset with examples of "bad" vs. "good" responses
Runtime-specific prompts	skills/i-have-adhd/agents/gemini.toml	The embedded rule for the Gemini CLI agent (line 10)

In agents/gemini.toml, the rule appears as:

1. Lead with the next action. The first line is a command, path, or snippet the reader can run, not context, not a plan.

This dual-definition approach ensures that whether you're using Gemini, Claude, Codex, or another interface, the same "action-first" constraint applies.

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How the Rule Is Enforced

The enforcement happens through a three-stage pipeline implemented in the source code:

1. Prompt injection – The runtime-specific agent file (like gemini.toml) bakes the rule into the system prompt, conditioning the model to generate compliant responses.

2. Response generation – The model produces output with the action line first, followed by any necessary context.

3. Pre-send validation – As documented in the "Pre-send check" section of SKILL.md, responses are verified before delivery. If the first line fails the action test, the system edits or rejects the output.

This pipeline guarantees runtime-agnostic enforcement—the same constraint applies whether you're in a CLI, web interface, or IDE plugin.

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Correct vs. Incorrect Usage Examples

The source code provides concrete examples that illustrate what passes and fails the "Lead with the next action" rule.

✅ Correct: Action-First Response

npm install jsonwebtoken

Run the command above, then edit src/auth.ts:42 as instructed in the next line.

The first line is immediately executable. Context follows on line two.

❌ Incorrect: Preamble-First Response

Let's think about the auth flow first…

This violates the rule. The pre-send check would flag or rewrite this response because the opening line provides context rather than action.

✅ Correct: Multi-Step Task Still Leads with Action

npm install jsonwebtoken

1. Open src/auth.ts.
2. Replace the verifyToken function with the snippet below.
3. Run npm test -- auth.spec.ts.

Even complex workflows comply—the first line is runnable, and the numbered list (Rule 2) organizes what follows.

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Persistence and Session Behavior

The "Lead with the next action" rule is not a one-time setting. According to the "Persistence" section of SKILL.md, once activated, the skill stays active for the entire session until explicitly disabled with "stop adhd mode." This ensures consistent ADHD-friendly formatting across all interactions without requiring repeated activation.

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Summary

• "Lead with the next action" is the foundational rule of the i-have-adhd skill, requiring executable content in the first line of every response.
• The rule is canonically defined in SKILL.md and propagated to runtimes through agent-specific files like agents/gemini.toml.
• Pre-send validation enforces compliance, rejecting or rewriting responses that start with context instead of action.
• The rule persists across sessions until manually disabled, ensuring consistent behavior for ADHD users.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a response violates the "Lead with the next action" rule?

The pre-send check mechanism documented in SKILL.md intercepts non-compliant responses before they reach the user. Depending on implementation, the system either rejects the response for regeneration or automatically rewrites it to move actionable content to the first line.

Can the rule handle complex, multi-step instructions?

Yes. As shown in the source examples, complex workflows simply place the immediate first step as line one, then use numbered lists ( complying with Rule 2) for subsequent steps. The constraint is on position, not complexity.

Is "Lead with the next action" specific to the Gemini runtime?

No. While agents/gemini.toml shows the Gemini implementation, the architecture is runtime-agnostic. The canonical definition in SKILL.md serves as the single source of truth, with each agent file adapting the rule for its specific model and interface.

How do I disable the "Lead with the next action" rule?

According to the persistence documentation in SKILL.md, users can deactivate the entire skill—including this rule—by issuing the command "stop adhd mode". This returns responses to standard formatting for the remainder of the session.

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