Capture the commitment
Record a real action or decision with a clear next move, so it does not need to live in memory.
Why this exists
Make the next return credible.
An unfinished commitment can call for attention while you are doing something else. Research on unfulfilled goals and task switching helps explain why. A specific plan can reduce interference; reminders can help you remember a future action. They do not guarantee a quiet mind.
Critical Path turns that insight into an operating practice. Capture what truly deserves action, connect it to an outcome, protect a realistic work window, and record the result. Leave room for rest and for work that never needed to become a task.
Connect it to consequence
Decide its urgency, importance, owner, and relationship to an outcome when that link is genuine.
Protect a return path
Estimate effort, reserve feasible time, and use a useful reminder through a connected channel.
Close the loop
Finish, delegate, reschedule, or cancel it. Keep the record as truthful as the plan.