iagca-i-am-getting-carried-away

name	iagca - I Am Getting Carried Away
description	Detect idea sprawl, compress scope aggressively, and return to the highest-leverage next actions — preserving valuable ideas without letting them derail execution.
output	{"format":"prose"}

IAGCA - I Am Getting Carried Away

Input: $ARGUMENTS

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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.

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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]

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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 Value	Execution Readiness	Action
High	Ready	DO NOW
High	Needs prep	PREP THEN DO
High	Blocked	UNBLOCK or DEFER
Medium	Ready	DO IF TIME
Medium	Not ready	DEFER
Low	Any	DEFER
Any	Unclear	CLARIFY or DEFER
Tangential/Unrelated	Any	DEFER

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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.

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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]

Source	Pattern	Prevention
Rich space	Domain has many genuine opportunities	Use /ycshikfmif to batch
Avoidance	Exploring is easier than executing	Name the avoided task; start with it
Unclear goal	Everything seems relevant because the goal is vague	Run /gu to clarify
Perfectionism	Need to cover everything before acting	Accept good enough; iterate later
External triggers	New inputs keep arriving (messages, ideas, requests)	Batch inputs; process on schedule

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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

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Failure Modes

Failure	Signal	Fix
DO NOW too large	More than 3 items	Cut to 3. If you can't, the goal is unclear
All deferred	Nothing in DO NOW	If no branch is worth doing now, question the goal
Ideas deleted	User's ideas removed instead of deferred	Everything goes to DEFERRED or DO NOW. Nothing is deleted
Vague actions	DO NOW contains "explore X" or "think about Y"	Actions must be concrete — "write the first draft of X"
Sprawl source ignored	Compression without understanding why it happened	Identify the source or compression will be temporary
Recurrence not addressed	Same sprawl pattern repeats next session	Prevention recommendation must address the root source

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Depth Scaling

Depth	Min Branches Assessed	Scoring Dimensions	Sprawl Source	Prevention
1x	5	Value only	Not checked	No
2x	10	Value + readiness	Identified	Basic
4x	15	Value + readiness + goal relationship	Identified + tested	With specific strategy
8x	All	Full scoring matrix	Full analysis	With monitoring plan

Default: 2x. These are floors.

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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

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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