Relevant states and reliable signals

Pick the few genuinely different conditions your plan should branch on, then name for each one a measurement you can actually take on schedule. Two jobs: define the small set of modes, and pin each to an observable number rather than a mood.

Pick the few genuinely different conditions your plan should branch on, then name for each one a measurement you can actually take on schedule. Two jobs: define the small set of modes, and pin each to an observable number rather than a mood.

Example

For the freelance budget, the states are flush, tight, and emergency. The signal is one number you read in 30 seconds on the first of the month: cash in the account divided by average monthly spend, giving months of runway. Not "how busy work feels."