My AI harness is an external executive function

Short summary

The author describes building an AI agent harness—CLAUDE.md rules, fixed skills, routing logic, and file-based memory—to reduce token waste, then realized the same structure serves as external executive function for their ADHD brain. Both an unstructured agent and an ADHD brain forget, drift, and redo work; external structure fixes both by holding decisions outside the moment. The key insight: if a rule keeps failing on willpower alone, it belongs in a file or checklist, not in your head.

• •An AI agent harness (rules, skills, routing, memory) reduces token waste and task drift
• •The same external structure that stabilizes agents serves as executive function for ADHD
• •Rules that fail on willpower belong in files and checklists, not in your head

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.