Separate Planning From Execution
Planning and executing require completely different cognitive states. Mixing them guarantees neither is done well.
This directive mandates absolute separation between deciding what to do and actually doing it.
The Core Principle
Planners decide. Executors obey.
Planning is strategic, fluid, and expansive. Execution is tactical, rigid, and narrow. When you plan while executing, you introduce doubt and alter the target.
A disciplined system separates the architect from the worker.
Why This Fails for Most People
Most people figure out what to do while they are doing it.
They sit down to work and then decide what the work is. They change their priorities mid-task. They stop execution to research the next step.
Mixing states creates high friction and low output.
The Gyōji Directive
Never plan during execution blocks.
If you do not know the exact next step, you cannot begin execution.
Implementation Protocol
- Dedicate specific blocks solely to planning.
- Output a rigid, ordered list of actions.
- Transition to an execution block.
- Follow the list blindly without altering it.
- If the plan fails, stop execution and return to planning.
The executor does not question the plan.
Common Errors
- Starting a work session without a list.
- Redesigning the project while doing the work.
- Stopping to research instead of noting the gap and continuing.
Enforcement Rule
If you are deciding what to do next during execution, you are violating the protocol.
Final Order
Plan the work. Then work the plan.