# The 10 I/O Rules of i-have-adhd: How This Skill Formats AI Responses for ADHD Minds > Discover the 10 I/O rules of i-have-adhd. This skill formats AI responses for ADHD minds, making them action-first concise and low-cognitive-load. Boost comprehension now. - Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd) - Tags: deep-dive - Published: 2026-08-02 --- **The i-have-adhd skill enforces 10 strict output rules that restructure AI responses to be action-first, concise, and low-cognitive-load for readers with ADHD.** The [i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd) skill is an open-source productivity formatter that overrides standard language model outputs. Developed by Ayoub Ghriss, it persists across entire sessions once activated and fundamentally reshapes how information is delivered. The core of this transformation lies in its **I/O rules**—ten concrete formatting principles defined in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md). ## How to Activate the i-have-adhd Skill According to the [README.md](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/README.md#L31-L46), invocation is simple: ```bash /i-have-adhd ``` For Codex users, prefix with a dollar sign: `$i-have-adhd`. Once triggered, the **persistence rule** takes effect—the skill remains active for the entire session until explicitly disabled with "stop adhd mode" or "normal mode" as noted in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 17-22](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L17-L22). ## The 10 I/O Rules Explained Each rule targets a specific cognitive friction point for ADHD readers. The source code explicitly numbers these ten rules in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 33-110](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L33-L110). ### Rule 1: Lead With the Next Action Every response must open with an executable step, not context or explanation. **Example from source:** "Run `npm install jsonwebtoken` then edit `src/auth.ts:42`." This eliminates the "scroll to find the point" problem. The rule appears in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 35-42](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L35-L42). ### Rule 2: Number Multi-Step Tasks Complex workflows become concise numbered lists with **single bounded actions per item**. Source reference: [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 44-52](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L44-L52). ### Rule 3: End With One Concrete Next Action After the main explanation, provide exactly **one short follow-up task**. No alternatives, no "choose your own adventure." Found in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 59-66](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L59-L66). ### Rule 4: Suppress Tangents Complete the current issue before mentioning any secondary concern. This prevents **task interruption** and premature context-switching. Defined in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 66-73](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L66-L73). ### Rule 5: Restate State Every Turn Every response repeats the step number and completed work. The reader never needs to hold context in working memory. Source: [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 75-82](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L75-L82). ### Rule 6: Give Specific Time Estimates **Concrete units only**—minutes, seconds, hours. Never "a while" or "soon." Implemented in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 84-90](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L84-L90). ### Rule 7: Make Completed Work Visible Explicitly state success outcomes: "Login now works with magic links." This provides **dopamine feedback** and closure. From [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 91-97](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L91-L97). ### Rule 8: Matter-of-Fact Tone for Errors State cause and fix directly. **No "uh-oh," "oops," or emotional framing.** [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 98-104](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L98-L104). ### Rule 9: Cap Lists at Five Items When exceeding five, split into **"do now" vs. "later"** or rank by priority. Prevents overwhelm from unlimited choice. [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 105-108](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L105-L108). ### Rule 10: No Preamble, Recap, or Closing Pleasantries The response **starts immediately with content** and ends when the answer is complete. No "Here's what I found" or "Hope this helps." Final rule in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 109-116](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L109-L116). ## Example Output Format Here's how the 10 I/O rules transform a standard response: ```markdown 1. Open a migration file `migrations/2024_08_02_add_user_age.sql`. 2. Add `ALTER TABLE users ADD COLUMN age INT;`. 3. Run `npm run db:migrate`. Next: Verify the column exists with `psql -c "\d users"`. ``` This follows all ten rules: **action-first** (Rule 1), **numbered** (Rule 2), **one next action** (Rule 3), **no tangents** (Rule 4), would **restate state** in context (Rule 5), implies **~5 minute duration** (Rule 6), **shows completion** (Rule 7), uses **direct tone** (Rule 8), has **three items under five** (Rule 9), and **no fluff** (Rule 10). ## Configuration and Agent Files The skill ships with runtime-specific configurations: | File | Purpose | |------|---------| | [`skills/i-have-adhd/agents/openai.yaml`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/agents/openai.yaml) | OpenAI-based runtime configuration | | [`skills/i-have-adhd/agents/gemini.toml`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/agents/gemini.toml) | Gemini-based runtime configuration | | [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) | Core rule definitions and metadata | | [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md) | Step-by-step setup for Claude, Codex, and other environments | The [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) header (lines 1-6) declares the skill name, description, and **disables normal model invocation**—the skill handles the entire reply pipeline itself. ## Summary - **Ten I/O rules** in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) fundamentally reshape AI output structure - **Persistence**: Once activated with `/i-have-adhd`, rules apply session-wide until explicitly disabled - **Action-first formatting** eliminates cognitive overhead for ADHD readers - **No emotional language, no preambles, no excessive lists**—strict concision - **State restatement and visible completion** support executive function challenges ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What triggers the i-have-adhd skill to start working? Type `/i-have-adhd` (or `$i-have-adhd` for Codex). The skill activates immediately and persists across all subsequent messages in that session. It only stops when you explicitly say "stop adhd mode" or "normal mode" per the persistence rule in [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 17-22](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md#L17-L22). ### Why does the skill ban preambles and pleasantries? Rule 10 eliminates cognitive friction. Traditional AI responses often bury the actionable content under introductory phrases and closing wishes. For ADHD readers, this creates **unnecessary reading load** and delays gratification. The skill jumps directly to value and ends immediately when the answer is complete. ### Can I customize which rules are active? No. The [[`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md)](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) defines a fixed ten-rule set that operates as an all-or-nothing formatter. The metadata header explicitly disables normal model invocation, meaning the skill controls the entire output pipeline without selective rule toggling. ### How does Rule 5 (restate state) actually appear in practice? Every response repeats where you are in a multi-step process. For example: "Step 2 of 4: Database migration created. Now applying..." This externalizes working memory—readers don't need to track progress mentally, which addresses a core ADHD executive function challenge.