Agent triggers must be observable or measurable — vague triggers like "when I feel ready" never fire reliably
Define agent triggers as observable external events or measurable internal states rather than subjective feelings or abstract conditions, because vague triggers cannot be recognized reliably when they occur.
Why This Is a Rule
Implementation intention research (Gollwitzer, 1999) shows that behavior change success depends critically on trigger specificity. "When I feel inspired, I'll write" fires inconsistently because "feeling inspired" is a vague internal state that's hard to recognize in the moment and easy to rationalize away. "When I sit down at my desk after lunch" fires reliably because you can't miss the trigger — it's an observable external event that happens at a predictable time.
The mechanism is cue detection: your cognitive system needs to recognize the trigger quickly enough to interrupt default behavior and activate the designed agent. Observable external events (door opening, alarm sounding, arriving at a location) are processed automatically by perception. Measurable internal states (heart rate above 100, third yawn in an hour) are detectible with attention. Subjective feelings ("when I'm stressed," "when I have enough energy") require real-time self-assessment that competes with the very states being assessed — you're least likely to notice you're stressed when you're most stressed.
Abstract conditions fail for the same reason: "when circumstances permit" or "when appropriate" require judgment calls that reintroduce the deliberation the agent was designed to eliminate.
When This Fires
- When designing any behavioral agent, habit, or implementation intention
- When an existing agent isn't firing reliably — check trigger specificity first (Diagnose failing behavioral agents by component — trigger salience, condition scope, or action effort each require different fixes)
- When writing if-then plans for goal pursuit
- When coaching someone whose behavioral commitments aren't activating
Common Failure Mode
Designing triggers around internal readiness: "When I feel focused enough, I'll start deep work." You never feel focused enough before starting — focus develops during the work. The trigger should be external: "When the 9am alarm sounds" or "When I close my email client." These fire regardless of how you feel, which is the point: the agent activates the behavior that produces the state, not the other way around.
The Protocol
(1) When designing an agent trigger, check: is it an observable external event (alarm, location, visible cue, completion of prior action) or a measurable internal state (specific physical sensation, countable occurrence)? If yes → good trigger. (2) If the trigger relies on subjective assessment ("when I feel...", "when I'm ready...") or abstract conditions ("when appropriate", "when possible") → redesign. (3) Convert subjective triggers to observable ones: "when I feel stressed" → "when I notice my shoulders are tense" or "after the third interruption in 30 minutes." (4) Convert abstract conditions to specific events: "when circumstances permit" → "Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm." (5) Test: would a camera or pedometer detect this trigger? If yes, it's observable enough to fire reliably.