Center and Circle Playbook

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The Meaning definition below is a simple but tough-minded description of how living systems keep themselves going. The Center and Circle Playbook is a practical guide designed to help maintain equilibrium through an AI-first cycle called The Pulse.

Meaning	the two-way survival relationship where a system detects and values what matters in its environment to preserve its own life patterns, and (in social species) remains valuable enough to its community that social scaffolds help protect and stabilize it over time.

Survival is not just endurance; it is an ongoing loop of sensing, prioritizing, and adapting so the system’s core pattern (health, identity, stability, purpose) doesn’t fall apart when conditions change. The strategy is to strengthen your internal stability (The Center) and strengthen your external connections (The Circle) simultaneously.

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Keep your center. Keep your circle.

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Part 1: Your AI Toolkit (The Threads)

To run this playbook, set up one project in your AI (like ChatGPT) with these dedicated threads. These act as your "outside brain" to reduce friction and catch problems early.

Thread ID	Name	Purpose
Thread 00	Control Room	Your primary dashboard for running the weekly Pulse and navigation.
Thread RR	Risk Register	A single source of truth for backups, "Plan B" maneuvers, and review dates.
Thread 01	Principle 1: Pulse Workshop	Deep-dive into sensing, vital signals, and micro-experiments.
Thread 02	Principle 2: Basics Workshop	Managing infrastructure: sleep, movement, meds, and nutrition.
Thread 03	Principle 3: Redundancy Workshop	Identifying and removing "single points of failure."
Thread 04	Principle 4: Social Value Workshop	Developing reliability and a calming presence in the group.
Thread 05	Principle 5: Social Scaffolding Workshop	Converting value into mutual support nets before crisis hits.
Thread 06	Principle 6: Maintenance Workshop	Scheduling relationship check-ins and performing "fast repairs."
Thread 07	Principle 7: Commitment Workshop	Auditing roles to ensure they are "scaffolding" and not just "load."
Thread 08	Principle 8: Identity Workshop	Managing growth, new skills, and seasonal project rotations.

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Part 2: The Pulse Sequence (The Weekly Routine)

The Pulse Sequence is the collective term for the seven stages of your weekly system review. It moves from raw data to social connection, ensuring your life is managed like a well-run system.

Pulse Components & Identifiers

1. The Scan (Sense): The intake phase. You identify what is draining, strengthening, or quietly sliding downhill.
2. Vital Signals (Orient): The filtering phase. You pick 1–2 specific metrics (Sleep, Mood, Focus, etc.) that predict stability.
3. Decision Point: Choosing the focus area for the week: Internal Stability or External Connection.
4. Micro-Experiment (Decide/Act): Designing one small, 7-day test to improve a chosen signal.
5. Social Touchpoint (Connect): Reaching out to one person in your circle to maintain the network.
6. Risk Check (Safety): Checking for new single points of failure and updating the Risk Register.
7. Finish the Record (Learn/Adapt): Logging the "Signal → Change → Result" to help the AI learn.

Connecting the Process

Once you enter the Control Room (Thread 00), the process begins with The Scan. By looking at the "weather" of your week, you identify where the system is losing energy. This is where we distinguish "noise" from vital information.

1. THE SCAN (Identify Drift)

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2. VITAL SIGNALS (Pick your Dials)

Once the scan reveals the status of the system, we narrow our focus to Vital Signals. We don't try to fix everything; we choose specific dials that predict stability. This leads to the Decision Point, where we determine if we need to fix the internal "engine" or the external "radio."

3. DECISION POINT (Internal vs. External)
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Internal: Basics (P2) • Redundancy (P3) • Load (P7)	External: Value (P4) • Scaffolding (P5) • Bonds (P6)

Every internal fix requires an external counterpart. After launching a Micro-Experiment, we perform a Social Touchpoint to ensure the social scaffolding remains warm and receptive. We then perform a Risk Check to ensure our backups are still valid.

4. MICRO-EXPERIMENT (Test a Fix)

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5. SOCIAL TOUCHPOINT (Warm the Circle)

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6. RISK CHECK (Check Backups)

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7. FINISH THE RECORD (Close the Loop)

Finally, we Finish the Record. By logging the result, the system "learns," making next week's scan even more accurate.

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Part 3: The 8 Core Principles

The Center and Circle Playbook is built on 8 core principles—a practical set of “stability laws” for living systems. The first three strengthen The Center (your internal engine): running a weekly Sense→Decide→Adapt loop, protecting the basics, and adding redundancy so one failure doesn’t collapse everything. The next three strengthen The Circle (your external world): being reliably valuable, converting that value into social scaffolding, and maintaining relationships with steady “schedule energy” rather than mood. The final two principles keep the whole system sustainable over time: choosing commitments that don’t quietly break you, and keeping your identity upgradeable so you can adapt to new seasons without losing coherence.

Principle 1. Run a “Sense → Decide → Adapt” Loop

A living system survives because it pays attention, chooses what matters, and updates its behavior before small problems become big ones. Your version of that is a simple weekly loop: do a quick scan (15 minutes) to notice what is draining stability, what is restoring it, and what is quietly sliding downhill. Then track just one or two “vital signals” that reliably predict whether you’re doing okay (sleep, pain, mood, mobility, mental clarity, meaningful social contact). Finally, run small 7-day experiments—change one thing, observe, keep what works. This keeps you out of vague “I should…” land and turns life into a series of manageable course-corrections.

AI Instruction: Use Thread 01 to identify trends. Have the AI design one 7-day experiment to fix a sliding vital signal.

Field	Details
Intent	Catch drift early and make small course-corrections before problems compound.
Signals	Sleep quality • pain level • mood/irritability • mobility • focus/clarity • social contact.
Loop	Observe: Scan + Vitals • Orient: Trends • Decide: Experiment • Act: Run • Learn: Compare • Update: Keep/Drop.
Guardrails	Preoccupation with failure: treat small drift as data. Reluctance to simplify: look for multiple factors.
Risk	Identify: Likely slide. Assess: Damage. Treat: Routine/Boundary. Review: Signal → change → result.
AI assist	Run the Pulse • help pick signals • propose experiments • write the weekly note • summarize patterns.
Moves	Do a 15-minute weekly scan • pick 1–2 signals • run one 7-day micro-experiment.
Support	Calendar reminder • simple notes page • accountability buddy.
Proof	You can name what’s improving in one sentence • fewer “surprise” bad weeks.

Principle 2. Protect the Basics First (Infrastructure)

Most long-term collapse starts as boring neglect: sleep gets sloppy, movement disappears, meals get random, appointments slip, and the house accumulates friction. So the smartest move is to protect the basics like they’re load-bearing beams—because they are. Consistent sleep/wake time, gentle daily movement, decent nutrition and hydration, sunlight/time outside, and staying on top of meds/appointments create a stable platform for everything else. The more stable your baseline, the less dramatic each disruption becomes—and the more energy you have for the things you actually care about.

AI Instruction: Use Thread 02 to create a "Low-Energy Default" checklist for overwhelmed days.

Field	Details
Intent	Build a stable baseline so disruptions don’t knock you off your feet.
Signals	Sloppy sleep/wake • skipped meals • missed meds • rising home friction.
Loop	Observe: Basics slipped? • Orient: Weak link? • Decide: Stabilize one • Act: Add defaults • Learn: Energy improved? • Update: Keep/Swap.
Guardrails	Sensitivity to operations: daily reality vs ideals. Commitment to resilience: design for recovery.
Risk	Identify: Preventable failure. Treat: Barrier to make the right thing easier. Review: Note cause of slip.
AI assist	Design “low-energy defaults” • create reminder systems • generate weekly “trap removal” plan.
Moves	Lock wake time • daily movement • plan default meals • schedule meds • remove one home “trap.”
Support	Pill organizer • alarms • healthy snacks • walking shoes by door.
Proof	More predictable energy • fewer preventable flare-ups • basics happen even on bad days.

Principle 3. Build Redundancy (No Single Points of Failure)

Robust systems don’t bet everything on one component; they build backups. The human version is making sure your meaning, support, and identity aren’t all tied to one role, one person, or one activity. Keep multiple sources of meaning (family, friends, clubs, personal projects, service), multiple helpers (so you’re never stranded when one person is unavailable), and multiple roles you can play (organizer, mentor, builder, storyteller, listener, teacher). Redundancy doesn’t make life dull—it makes life survivable, especially when circumstances shift.

AI Instruction: In Thread 03, ask: "If [Person/Role] disappears, where am I stuck?" Build a Plan B.

Field	Details
Intent	Stay resilient by not tying meaning or support to only one person/role/activity.
Signals	“If this goes, I’m stuck” • over-dependence • narrow identity.
Loop	Observe: Single-threaded? • Orient: What breaks? • Decide: Add one backup • Act: Build lightly • Learn: Fragility reduced? • Update: Keep/Replace.
Guardrails	Commitment to resilience: practice recovery paths before crisis. Reluctance to simplify: multiple pillars needed.
Risk	Identify: Single point of failure. Treat: Prevention barrier (backup) + Mitigation barrier. Review: Findable backup list.
AI assist	Build a “backup list” • map single points of failure • draft Plan B/C checklists.
Moves	Add one extra source of meaning • cultivate second helper • rotate projects.
Support	Simple “backup list” • standing group connection • low-barrier hobbies.
Proof	If one thing pauses, life feels held together • you name multiple places you belong.

Principle 4. Be Consistently Valuable in Ways People Can Feel

In social ecosystems, people protect what reliably improves the group. “Value” here is not status; it’s trust. It’s being the person who follows through, contributes steadily, and makes interactions safer and clearer rather than more chaotic. The practical path is simple: keep small promises, help others get better at something (teach, simplify, mentor), reduce drama by increasing clarity, and bring a calming presence when things get tense. Over time, this creates a reputation that becomes a form of social protection—people want you around, and they notice when you’re not okay.

In social systems, value is less about status and more about:

• reliability
• contribution
• emotional safety

Practical behaviors:

• Keep small promises (follow-through beats big intention)
• Make others better at something (teach, simplify, mentor)
• Reduce drama; increase clarity
• Be a calming presence

AI Instruction: In Thread 04, draft clear messages confirming you will follow through on small promises.

Field	Details
Intent	Become a steady, trusted presence that people naturally want to support.
Signals	Often flaky • interaction is draining • avoiding small responsibility • lack of trust.
Loop	Observe: Reactions to you? • Orient: Current reputation? • Decide: Reliability behavior • Act: Keep small promise • Learn: Trust increased? • Update: Keep/Drop.
Guardrails	Deference to expertise: let skilled people lead. Sensitivity to operations: fit the group's function.
Risk	Identify: Trust damage (overpromising). Treat: Smaller promises + clear boundaries. Review: Repetition of smoothness.
AI assist	Draft “small promise” scripts • rewrite commitments as boundaries • generate calm phrasing.
Moves	Keep small promises • follow through visibly • teach/simplify • reduce drama.
Support	Smaller commitments • clear boundaries • “promise filter.”
Proof	People seek you out • reputation is “reliable” • more invitations/trust.

Principle 5. Convert Value into Social Scaffolding

You’re not building a favor ledger—you’re building mutual resilience. Social scaffolding forms when your contribution is specific and memorable (“He’s the guy who…”), when you ask for help early in small doses (instead of waiting for a crisis), and when you strengthen group trust by giving credit and gratitude openly. A key move is protecting the dignity of the group—because communities defend people who defend community trust. Done well, this creates a safety net that feels natural, not forced: people help because it fits the relationship, not because they were cornered by emergency.

You are not “buying love.” You are strengthening mutual protection.

• Contribute in specific ways others can name:
  • “He’s the guy who…”
• Ask for help early, in small doses (prevents crisis-level asks)
• Give credit and gratitude publicly
• Protect the dignity of the group (communities defend people who defend community trust)

AI Instruction: In Thread 05, draft a "Small Ask" that feels natural and non-emergency.

Field	Details
Intent	Build mutual resilience so help flows naturally before emergencies.
Signals	Only ask in crisis • vague relationships • rare gratitude • one-sided help.
Loop	Observe: Named contribution? • Orient: Thin network? • Decide: One contribution + early ask • Act: Offer/ask small • Learn: Help easier? • Update: Keep scaffolding.
Guardrails	Reluctance to simplify: living network, not a ledger. Commitment to resilience: build the net before you need it.
Risk	Identify: Waiting until crisis. Treat: Convert to early, small, normal asks. Review: Help Menu.
AI assist	Write “small ask early” messages • create “help menu” • draft gratitude lines.
Moves	Contribute in specific ways • ask small help early • give credit publicly • express gratitude.
Support	Short “help menu” • easy go-to asks • community presence routines.
Proof	Asking feels easier • help shows up faster • check-ins happen without prompting.

Principle 6. Maintain Relationships Like a Schedule, Not a Mood

AI Instruction: In Thread 06, suggest a "Rotation Schedule" for check-ins and draft "Fast Repair" (my bad) scripts.

Field	Details
Intent	Keep bonds warm with steady maintenance instead of big emotional events.
Signals	Long gaps • “Should get together” loops • unspoken friction • crisis-only texting.
Loop	Observe: Gaps/friction? • Orient: Drift impact? • Decide: Touchpoint + Repair • Act: Do it • Learn: Warmth returned? • Update: Schedule it.
Guardrails	Preoccupation with failure: treat cracks as data. Sensitivity to operations: maintenance beats heroics.
Risk	Identify: Drifting relationship. Treat: Recurring touchpoints + fast repair habit. Review: Contact type (call/text/coffee).
AI assist	Build a “rotation list” • write check-in templates • draft repair messages.
Moves	Set recurring touchpoints • coffee/lunch • concrete help (meals/rides) • repair fast.
Support	Calendar reminders • “people to rotate” list • templates • shared routines.
Proof	Fewer surprises • ease and warmth • faster repairs • people stay in orbit.

Principle 7. Choose Commitments That Stabilize You

AI Instruction: In Thread 07, ask: "Will this destroy my sleep or spike my stress?" If yes, draft "Not This Season."

Field	Details
Intent	Pick roles that strengthen capacity instead of quietly draining it.
Signals	Sleep wrecked • stress spikes • guilt-debt • dreading commitments • no recovery.
Loop	Observe: Sleep/Stress wreckers? • Orient: 60-day impact? • Decide: Boundary move • Act: Change commitment • Learn: Capacity returned? • Update: Keep boundary.
Guardrails	Reluctance to simplify: meaning is not always stability. Commitment to resilience: protect recovery time.
Risk	Identify: Overload building. Treat: Reduce load OR add recovery OR clarify boundaries. Review: Check vital signals.
AI assist	Reality-check commitments • draft “not this season” scripts • build capacity budget.
Moves	Use blunt rule (Sleep/Stress) • choose clear boundaries • say no early.
Support	“Capacity budget” • permission phrases • reality-check buddy.
Proof	Show up consistently without burnout • stable weeks • energy left for what matters.

Principle 8. Keep Your Identity Upgradeable

AI Instruction: In Thread 08, suggest 3 tiny skills (15 min/day) and low-stakes experiments for new roles.

Field	Details
Intent	Stay coherent while evolving—update without shattering when life changes.
Signals	Stuck/rigid • fear of change • boredom • beginner shame.
Loop	Observe: Stuck/shrinking? • Orient: Next season's needs? • Decide: One upgrade • Act: Low-stakes try • Learn: Expanded options? • Update: Keep what fits.
Guardrails	Commitment to resilience: evolve without shattering. Deference to expertise: learn from mentors.
Risk	Identify: Rigidity (narrow identity). Treat: Low-stakes learning + social connection for growth. Review: Track gained options.
AI assist	Build “next version” list • propose tiny upgrades • create learning paths.
Moves	Keep upgrade list • learn one small skill • rotate projects by season • widen identity.
Support	Beginner-friendly sources • a low-pressure class • project bench.
Proof	Change less threatening • pivot without losing yourself • finding new ways to matter.

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Part 4: Pulse Dashboard: System Learning Log

AI Instruction: At the end of each Pulse session, ask the AI: "Based on our session today, provide the data for my Pulse Dashboard table in a single MediaWiki row format."

Week Ending	Vital Signal(s)	Micro-Experiment (The Change)	Result / Observation	Status
2026-01-10	Sleep / Focus	Phone in kitchen by 9:00 PM	30 min extra sleep; focus improved	KEEP

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Part 5: Prompt Cheat Sheet (Copy & Paste)

Initial Setup: The "Control Room" (Thread 00)

"Act as the 'Control Room' for my Center and Circle Playbook. We are running a Sense → Decide → Adapt loop called 'The Pulse.' Your goal is to help me run a Weekly Scan. Ask me what is draining me, what is strengthening me, and what is quietly worsening. Then help me pick 1–2 vital signals and one 7-day micro-experiment. Keep responses short and tactical."

The Pulse Flow (Use in Thread 00)

1. The Scan: Use the prompt: "Run the Weekly Pulse. Ask the three questions, then summarize draining, strengthening, and worsening factors. Identify any 'drift' early."
2. The Signals: Use the prompt: "Pick 1–2 vital signals for next week (Sleep, Pain, Mood, Mobility, Focus, or Social). Explain why these predict my stability best right now."
3. The Experiment: Use the prompt: "Propose one 7-day micro-experiment for the chosen signals. Keep it small, specific, and measurable."
4. The Circle: Use the prompt: "Give me one 'keep the circle warm' touchpoint I can do in 10 minutes. Draft the message in my voice."
5. The Risk Check: Use the prompt: "Identify my biggest single point of failure this week. Suggest a prevention barrier and a mitigation plan for the RR thread."
6. The Record: Use the prompt: "Write a row for my Pulse Dashboard table using the columns: Signal → Change → Result → Status."

Part 6: Risk Register (The "Plan B" Tracker)

AI Instruction: Use your dedicated RR — Risk Register thread for this work. Ask the AI: "Analyze my life for 'Single Points of Failure.' Based on our discussion, fill out a row for my Risk Register table using the columns below."

The goal of this table is to move from being "brittle" (where one bad event breaks everything) to "redundant" (where you have a backup ready to go).

Risk / Fragility	Early Warning Signs	Prevention (Barrier)	Mitigation (Plan B)	Status
Transportation: Car breakdown	Strange noises; missed service	Save $50/month for repairs; monthly check-up	List of local bus routes; "Emergency Uber" fund	ACTIVE
Health: Caregiver Burnout	Poor sleep; rising irritability	Schedule 2 "off-clock" hours daily	Call sister or neighbor for backup shift	MONITOR

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AI Instructions for Risk Management

To keep your Risk Register useful, use these specific prompts in your RR — Risk Register thread:

1. The Risk Audit (Finding Single Points of Failure)

• The Prompt:

"I want to find where my life is 'single-threaded.' Look at my [Health / Money / Home / Tech / Transportation]. If one person or one tool disappeared tomorrow, what would cause a total collapse? List the top 3 risks."

2. Building Barriers

• The Prompt:

"For the risk of [Specific Risk], suggest one 'Prevention Barrier' (to stop it from happening) and one 'Mitigation Plan' (to reduce the damage if it happens anyway)."

3. The Recovery Script

• The Prompt:

"If [Specific Risk] happens today and I am in a state of panic, write a 3-step 'Emergency Checklist' I can follow so I don't have to think clearly while stressed."

Risk Register Definitions

• Prevention (Barrier): A routine or tool that stops the problem before it starts (like a smoke alarm).
• Mitigation (Plan B): A backup plan that keeps you moving after the problem happens (like a fire extinguisher).
• Status:
  • ACTIVE: The backup plan is ready and tested.
  • MONITOR: The risk is growing; need to build a backup soon.
  • STABLE: The risk is low and the barriers are holding.