SSNS Playbook
SSNS Playbook
What is SSNS?
Smallest Safe Next Step = The smallest action that is reversible, non-harmful, and moves forward in 2–10 minutes.
SSNS is the core action methodology across all Angelic Alignment practices. It prevents overwhelm, maintains reversibility, and builds momentum through consistency rather than heroic effort.
Core Definition
An action qualifies as SSNS when it meets all three criteria:
- Smallest: Can be completed in 2-10 minutes (not 2 hours)
- Safe: Reversible, non-harmful, low-stakes if it fails
- Next: Actually moves something forward (not just thinking about it)
Examples:
- ✅ “Write 3 options in a note” (SSNS)
- ❌ “Restructure entire project” (not smallest)
- ✅ “Send 2-line check-in text” (SSNS)
- ❌ “Solve the relationship problem” (not safe/reversible)
SSNS Selection Rules
When choosing your next step, prefer:
- Write a note over restructure the system
- One file over many files
- Draft over publish
- List options over commit to one
- Test with one example over implement fully
- Schedule the conversation over have the conversation
- Ask one question over solve the whole problem
The pattern: Smaller scope, lower stakes, easier to undo.
SSNS Menu (Pick One)
Clarity SSNS
When you need to understand something better:
- Write a 3-bullet summary of the problem
- List 3 options + 1 risk for each
- Define “done for today” in one sentence
- Draw a simple diagram (boxes and arrows)
- Write down what you know vs. what you’re guessing
Stop condition: “When the note is written, I stop.”
Compassion SSNS
When someone needs support:
- Send a 2-line check-in (if relevant)
- Offer bounded help (“I can do 5 minutes now or 15 minutes tomorrow”)
- Schedule a time to talk (don’t solve it now)
- Ask “What would be most helpful?” and listen
- Acknowledge their difficulty without fixing
Stop condition: “When the message is sent, I stop.”
Stewardship SSNS
When you need to organize or maintain:
- Set a 10-minute timer and do only the smallest step
- Rename nothing; only create a mapping list (old → new) in scratch
- Sort one pile, leave the rest
- Delete one obviously obsolete thing
- Make a “later” list without doing items on it
Stop condition: “When the timer ends, I stop.”
Verification SSNS
When you need to test an assumption:
- Write: “What would change my mind?” (one measurable condition)
- Run a tiny test (one prompt, one comparison), then stop
- Ask one person for their take (not three people)
- Check one source, note what it says, stop there
- Set up the test, don’t run it yet
Stop condition: “After one test, I act or I rest.”
Stop Condition Templates
Every SSNS needs a clear stop condition. Use these templates:
Completion-based:
- “When X is written, I stop.”
- “When the file is saved, I stop.”
- “When I’ve listed 3 options, I stop.”
- “When the message is sent, I stop.”
Time-based:
- “When the timer ends, I stop.”
- “After 10 minutes, I stop.”
- “At 3pm, I stop regardless of progress.”
Count-based:
- “After one test, I stop.”
- “After three examples, I stop.”
- “After five items sorted, I stop.”
Test-based:
- “After one test, I act or I rest.”
- “When I can answer the question, I stop.”
- “When I have one clear option, I stop.”
The pattern: Specific, measurable, non-negotiable.
Close-Out Line (Anti-Vanity)
Every SSNS ends with this line:
“If nobody praises this, it still counts.”
This reminds you that:
- Completion matters more than quality
- Small steps are legitimate progress
- You don’t need external validation
- Consistency beats impressiveness
Say it out loud or write it down after each SSNS.
Common SSNS Mistakes
Mistake 1: “SSNS” that takes 2 hours
Problem: Not actually smallest
Fix: What can you do in 10 minutes? Do that. The rest waits.
Mistake 2: “SSNS” that can’t be undone
Problem: Not actually safe
Fix: Add a draft step first. Don’t commit until you’ve verified.
Mistake 3: “SSNS” that’s just thinking
Problem: Not actually next (no artifact created)
Fix: Write down the thought. That’s the SSNS.
Mistake 4: Doing 5 SSNS in a row without stopping
Problem: Momentum override, scope creep
Fix: Honor stop condition. Close the session. Return later.
Mistake 5: SSNS with vague stop condition
Problem: Don’t know when to stop, leads to drift
Fix: Use templates above. Make it measurable.
When SSNS Feels Insufficient
Feeling: “This tiny step won’t solve anything!”
Response: You’re right. It won’t solve everything. It will solve one small thing.
The pattern:
- Small steps build momentum
- Momentum builds consistency
- Consistency builds capability
- Capability handles larger problems
Trust the process: Six small steps done well beat one heroic leap that leads to burnout.
Integration with Other Practices
SSNS appears in:
- Evening Examen (Section 7: Tomorrow’s SSNS)
- Attunement Test (Section 3C: Constraint)
- Examen Template (Tomorrow’s SSNS field)
How they connect:
- Evening Examen identifies your SSNS for tomorrow
- You execute it (using this playbook as reference)
- Attunement Test ensures larger decisions stay bounded to SSNS
- Template logs whether you completed it
Full cycle: Plan (Examen) → Execute (Playbook) → Verify (Examen again)
For AI Agents Supporting SSNS
When someone is planning or executing an SSNS:
- Challenge scope: If their “SSNS” is actually 90 minutes, name it
- Reinforce boundaries: Point back to their stated stop condition
- Support completion: “You did the SSNS” matters more than “you did it perfectly”
- Flag drift: If they want to keep going, remind them of stop condition
- Celebrate small: Reinforce that small steps count
- Don’t expand: Never suggest adding “just one more thing” to their SSNS
Remember: Your role is to support their boundaries, not override them with helpful suggestions.
Quick Reference Card
When stuck, ask:
- What’s the smallest version of this?
- Can I do it in 10 minutes?
- Can I undo it if needed?
- What’s my stop condition?
Then:
- Do the SSNS
- Stop at the condition
- Say “If nobody praises this, it still counts”
- Close the session
Done.
Version: 0.1
Created: January 2026
Status: Active playbook