The Chameleon Task

Metaphorical Narrative

You reach for a simple task and it shifts hue, revealing a new layer. You chase, it morphs again—now a hydra with extra heads.

By nightfall, you are still holding the tail of something unrecognizable.

Core Insight

Ego avoids evaluation by changing the target. Scope creep masquerades as excellence while protecting against closure. Each change resets progress and drains executive functions.

The antidote is a criteria freeze: define acceptance tests before work begins. New insights are logged for later, never injected mid‑stream.

Identity Shift Tie-In

Observer Mode acts as guardian of scope. Sovereignty is keeping the promise: finish what you agreed to under the light you chose.

Saturday Experiment

1. Write three acceptance criteria for today’s main task—measurable and observable.
2. Freeze them. Any new ideas go to a backlog note titled ‘After Finish.’
3. Complete and review only against the frozen criteria.

Sunday Reflection

• How would a narrator describe their pattern of moving the target?
• Which acceptance test would make finishing unambiguous for them?
• What useful ideas belong in ‘After Finish’ instead of ‘Right Now’?