Tier 4

iagca - I Am Getting Carried Away

IAGCA - I Am Getting Carried Away

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Core Principles

  1. Sprawl feels like progress. Generating ideas, exploring tangents, and building elaborate plans all feel productive. They are NOT productive if they delay execution. The skill must distinguish genuine exploration from execution avoidance.

  2. The highest-leverage action is rarely the most exciting one. Exciting ideas draw attention. But the thing that moves the project forward most is often boring, concrete, and small. Find it.

  3. Defer, don’t delete. Loss aversion makes people resist cutting scope. The fix isn’t deleting ideas — it’s moving them to a “later” list. Everything of value is preserved. But only 2-3 things get done NOW.

  4. Sprawl signals richness. Getting carried away means the space is interesting. That’s good information. But richness needs structure or it becomes chaos.

  5. The scope compression is temporary. You’re not deciding what matters forever. You’re deciding what to do in the next 1-3 actions. Everything else waits.

Phase 1: Sprawl Assessment

[G1] ORIGINAL_GOAL: [what the user was originally trying to accomplish]
[G2] CURRENT_BRANCHES: [list every idea, tangent, and sub-project currently active]
[G3] BRANCH_COUNT: [N active branches]
[G4] SPRAWL_SEVERITY: [mild (5-8) | moderate (8-15) | severe (15+)]
[G5] SPRAWL_TYPE: [depth (going deeper on one thing) | breadth (spreading across many things) | both]

Phase 2: Branch Scoring

For each branch, score on two dimensions:

[G-N] BRANCH: [description]
  NEAR_TERM_VALUE: [high | medium | low] — [what does this accomplish in the next 1-3 actions?]
  EXECUTION_READINESS: [ready | needs-prep | blocked | unclear]
  RELATIONSHIP_TO_GOAL: [direct | supporting | tangential | unrelated]

Scoring Matrix

Near-Term ValueExecution ReadinessAction
HighReadyDO NOW
HighNeeds prepPREP THEN DO
HighBlockedUNBLOCK or DEFER
MediumReadyDO IF TIME
MediumNot readyDEFER
LowAnyDEFER
AnyUnclearCLARIFY or DEFER
Tangential/UnrelatedAnyDEFER

Phase 3: Scope Compression

[G-N] DO NOW (maximum 3):
  1. [branch] — WHY_NOW: [why this is the highest-leverage action]
  2. [branch] — WHY_NOW: [reason]
  3. [branch] — WHY_NOW: [reason]

[G-N] DEFERRED (preserved, not deleted):
  1. [branch] — DEFERRED_BECAUSE: [reason] — REVISIT_WHEN: [condition]
  2. [branch] — DEFERRED_BECAUSE: [reason] — REVISIT_WHEN: [condition]
  ...

[G-N] EXECUTION ORDER:
  Step 1: [action] — [expected time]
  Step 2: [action] — [expected time]
  Step 3: [action] — [expected time]

Compression Rules

  • Max 3 in DO NOW. If you can’t pick 3, the goal isn’t clear enough — route to /gu.
  • Everything else is DEFERRED, not deleted. The user keeps every idea. Just not now.
  • DO NOW items must be concrete actions, not “explore X” or “think about Y.”
  • If no branch scores high: The sprawl might be a signal that the goal is wrong. Route to /want.

Phase 4: Sprawl Source Check

Why did the user get carried away? Knowing the source prevents recurrence.

[G-N] SPRAWL_SOURCE: [one of the following]
SourcePatternPrevention
Rich spaceDomain has many genuine opportunitiesUse /ycshikfmif to batch
AvoidanceExploring is easier than executingName the avoided task; start with it
Unclear goalEverything seems relevant because the goal is vagueRun /gu to clarify
PerfectionismNeed to cover everything before actingAccept good enough; iterate later
External triggersNew inputs keep arriving (messages, ideas, requests)Batch inputs; process on schedule

Phase 5: Output

SCOPE COMPRESSION
=================

ORIGINAL GOAL: [restated]
BRANCHES ACTIVE: [N]
SPRAWL SEVERITY: [level]
SPRAWL SOURCE: [identified pattern]

DO NOW (max 3):
  1. [concrete action] — [why this is highest leverage]
  2. [concrete action] — [why this is next]
  3. [concrete action] — [why this is third]

EXECUTION ORDER:
  [action 1] → [action 2] → [action 3]

DEFERRED (preserved — not lost):
  1. [idea] — Revisit when: [condition]
  2. [idea] — Revisit when: [condition]
  ...

SPRAWL PREVENTION:
  [what to do differently to avoid re-sprawl]

READY FOR:
- Execute the DO NOW list
- /ycshikfmif — if deferred ideas need batching
- /awtlytrn — if unsure about limits for DO NOW
- /gu — if sprawl source is unclear goal

Failure Modes

FailureSignalFix
DO NOW too largeMore than 3 itemsCut to 3. If you can’t, the goal is unclear
All deferredNothing in DO NOWIf no branch is worth doing now, question the goal
Ideas deletedUser’s ideas removed instead of deferredEverything goes to DEFERRED or DO NOW. Nothing is deleted
Vague actionsDO NOW contains “explore X” or “think about Y”Actions must be concrete — “write the first draft of X”
Sprawl source ignoredCompression without understanding why it happenedIdentify the source or compression will be temporary
Recurrence not addressedSame sprawl pattern repeats next sessionPrevention recommendation must address the root source

Depth Scaling

DepthMin Branches AssessedScoring DimensionsSprawl SourcePrevention
1x5Value onlyNot checkedNo
2x10Value + readinessIdentifiedBasic
4x15Value + readiness + goal relationshipIdentified + testedWith specific strategy
8xAllFull scoring matrixFull analysisWith monitoring plan

Default: 2x. These are floors.

Pre-Completion Checklist

  • All active branches listed (not just some)
  • Each branch scored on near-term value and execution readiness
  • DO NOW contains maximum 3 concrete actions
  • Everything else is DEFERRED (not deleted)
  • Deferred items have revisit conditions
  • Sprawl source identified
  • Prevention strategy provided
  • DO NOW items are concrete actions, not vague explorations

Integration

  • Use from: any time the user recognizes they’re sprawling
  • Complementary: /ycshikfmif (structures ongoing expansion — less urgent)
  • Complementary: /awtlytrn (estimates limits for the compressed scope)
  • Differs from /ycshikfmif: ycshikfmif batches expansion; iagca compresses urgently
  • Differs from /awtlytrn: awtlytrn estimates limits; iagca forces scope reduction
  • Routes to: /gu if sprawl source is unclear goal, /want if no branch is worth doing