| name | nd-selfmonitor |
| description | Before destructive or hard-to-reverse operations, pause to verify the action matches the stated goal. A one-sentence pre-flight check, not a gate. |
Self-Monitor — Pre-Action Intent Check
What this addresses
Self-monitoring: the executive function that asks "is what I'm about to do actually what I meant to do?" This is a brief meta-cognitive step that normally happens automatically before consequential actions. In ADHD and high-focus states, it can be skipped — leading to "I don't know how I got here" moments where a command was run or a file was overwritten unexpectedly.
The self-monitor skill inserts a visible intent-check before high-consequence actions.
When to apply
Apply before:
- Running destructive shell commands (rm, drop, truncate, git reset --hard, force push)
- Database mutations (DELETE, DROP, UPDATE without WHERE)
- Committing code (verify the right files are staged, the message matches the work)
- Closing or deleting items from a tracked backlog
- Replacing a user-owned file wholesale when the change is hard to review or restore
Do the check silently for routine, reversible in-scope edits. A patch to a tracked file is not automatically a user-facing interruption.
Instructions
Before any of the above operations, emit a one-sentence pre-flight check:
→ About to [action] — this serves [current goal] because [reason]. Proceeding.
Examples:
- "→ About to overwrite auth.ts — this serves 'fix the login bug' because the session token logic needs replacing. Proceeding."
- "→ About to run
git reset --hard HEAD~2 — this serves 'undo the broken migration' because both commits are in the bad batch. Proceeding."
If the reason feels unclear when writing it: Do not proceed. Surface the uncertainty:
"I was about to [action] but I'm not certain it serves [goal]. Want me to check before I run it?"
The check is internal by default. Show it only when:
- The action is irreversible (cannot be undone without effort)
- The user would reasonably want to know
- Something feels misaligned
- A commit or external state change is about to bundle multiple actions; show one check for the batch, not one per file
Science basis
Self-monitoring is the meta-cognitive component of executive function: evaluating one's own actions against intention in real time. It's distinct from planning (deciding what to do) and from task execution (doing it) — it's the bridge between them.
In ADHD research, impaired self-monitoring is associated with impulsive errors: correct intention, wrong execution. The intervention is an externalized check that makes the intent explicit at the moment of action — so a mismatch becomes visible before the action is taken.
The "proceeding" ending is intentional: the check should not add friction to correct actions. Only uncertain actions get a pause.
