Hi Reader,

Here’s something you may find useful, excerpted from the book I am currently writing.

The Reliability Cycle

It’s the simple loop your work follows—again and again:

[ Re-enter ] → [ Start ] → [ Continue ] → [ Finish ] ↺

Think of it like getting back on your bike:

• Re-enter = get back on (after an interruption or a busy week)
• Start = push off (begin the next piece)
• Continue = keep pedaling (stay with it mid-way)
• Finish = park the bike (stop at “done enough”)

How to spot your fragile corner (quick self-check)

• Re-enter: “After a break, I don’t know where to jump in.”
• Start: “I overthink the beginning and stall.”
• Continue: “I lose steam in the middle.”
• Finish: “I keep polishing and never ship.”

Different corners need different fixes. When you support the exact corner that cracks first, your whole system gets sturdier—without needing more willpower.

Key Concept

Floor = the smallest version that still counts.

If you do only the floor, you get a win and you’re allowed to stop. Floors prevent zero-days.

Try-This-Now (≤5 minutes)

Step 1 — Name your corner.
Circle one: Re-enter / Start / Continue / Finish.

Step 2 — Set a floor for just that corner.
Paste one of these into your notes:

• Re-enter: “Voice-memo: what I finished, what’s next, where the file lives. Stop.”
• Start: “Write a hook + 3 bullets. Stop.”
• Continue: “Pick one weekly anchor; let the rest flex. Touch that anchor for 5 minutes. Stop.”
• Finish: “One polish pass, then run my finish form (deliver → notify → archive). Ship.”

Tiebreaker: If two corners feel tied, pick the one that fails first when you’re under load. Stabilize it for 2–3 weeks, then layer support for the second.

Tendency Tweaks (pick the line that sounds like you)

• Architect (loves plans, risks over-planning) → Often fragile at Start.
  Micro-floor: Title + 3 bullets in 3 minutes. Stop.
• Surfer (rides energy waves) → Often fragile at Continue.
  Micro-floor: One daily anchor you’ll touch for 5 minutes. Stop.
• Keeper (steady steward, careful finisher) → Often fragile at Finish.
  Micro-floor: One polish pass, log “fix later,” then ship.
• Pilot (action-first, handles fires) → Often fragile at Re-enter.
  Micro-floor: Breadcrumb: done / next / file path. 60 seconds. Stop.

Why this works

• Alignment beats discipline. You’re fixing the right failure point, not “trying harder.”
• Energy is the real budget. Floors make progress possible even on low-capacity days.
• Momentum compounds. Today’s tiny win lowers tomorrow’s activation cost.

Track one signal this week
​Start a tiny counter called Re-entry Time. How many minutes does it take to resume meaningful work? Aim toward ≤5 minutes by next Saturday.

Book-in-Progress
​The book I’m drafting is (tentatively) titled “Pattern-First Productivity”. Want quarterly progress notes + early chapter polls? Reply “insider.”

Warmly,

Pierre/
Founder, Curio Chat Academy

P.S. Hit reply with your tendency (Architect/Surfer/Keeper/Pilot) + fragile corner. I’ll send a one-line “maintenance version” you can run on low-energy days.