| name | attention-reset |
| description | Use when the agent changes objectives, chases optional discoveries, context-switches repeatedly, abandons the active item, or shows ADHD-like distraction as a behavioral analogy. |
Attention Reset
Core principle
Freeze novelty, recall the locked objective, park non-blocking branches, and resume one required action. Read attention drift for signals and examples.
Procedure
- Freeze the current branch.
- State objective, remaining Definition of Done, and active work item.
- Classify the branch as blocker, required, optional, or unrelated.
- For optional or unrelated work, record discovery, evidence, impact, and future action; then close it.
- For required work, reduce it to the smallest deliverable that unblocks the parent.
- Set active WIP to one.
- Resume the shortest evidence-producing action.
Quick reference
Only blocker and required findings interrupt. Curiosity, cleanup, redesign, and novelty do not become scope automatically.
Common mistakes
- Opening another search during the reset.
- Turning the reset into a full replan.
- Losing useful findings instead of parking them.
- Calling all discovered defects required.
Stop condition
Stop when one objective, one active item, and one direct next action remain.
