planning
Create and manage persistent markdown planning files for structured task execution. Use when the user asks to "create a plan", "track progress", "start a research project", or when a task requires more than 5 tool calls and needs structured phase tracking to stay focused and avoid goal drift.
What this skill does
# AI Maestro Planning
Solve the execution problem -- staying focused during complex, multi-step tasks. Uses persistent markdown files to track goals, findings, and progress so you never lose context. Part of the [AI Maestro](https://github.com/23blocks-OS/ai-maestro) suite.
## When to Use
- Multi-step tasks (3+ steps)
- Research projects
- Building features requiring >5 tool calls
- Any task where you might lose track of the goal
## The 3-File Pattern
Create in `docs_dev/` (or `$AIMAESTRO_PLANNING_DIR`):
| File | Purpose | Update When |
|------|---------|-------------|
| `task_plan.md` | Goals, phases, decisions, errors | After each phase |
| `findings.md` | Research, discoveries, resources | During research |
| `progress.md` | Session log, test results | Throughout session |
## Quick Start
```bash
PLAN_DIR="${AIMAESTRO_PLANNING_DIR:-docs_dev}"
mkdir -p "$PLAN_DIR"
```
Then create `task_plan.md` with:
```markdown
# Task: [Goal]
## Phases
- [ ] Phase 1: Research
- [ ] Phase 2: Design
- [ ] Phase 3: Implement
- [ ] Phase 4: Test
## Decisions
| Decision | Rationale | Date |
|----------|-----------|------|
## Errors Encountered
| Error | Attempt | Resolution |
|-------|---------|------------|
```
## The 6 Rules
1. **Create plan first** -- Never start complex work without `task_plan.md`
2. **Read before decide** -- Re-read the plan before any major decision
3. **Update after act** -- Mark phases complete, log what changed
4. **2-action rule** -- After every 2 search/browse operations, save findings to `findings.md`
5. **Log all errors** -- Every error goes in the plan with attempt number and resolution
6. **Never repeat failures** -- If an action failed, change your approach
## The 3-Strike Protocol
| Strike | Action |
|--------|--------|
| 1 | Diagnose root cause, apply targeted fix |
| 2 | Try a different approach entirely |
| 3 | Question assumptions, search for similar issues |
| After 3 | Escalate to user with all attempts documented |
## The 5-Question Reboot
Lost? Answer these from your planning files:
1. Where am I? (current phase in `task_plan.md`)
2. Where am I going? (remaining phases)
3. What's the goal? (goal section)
4. What have I learned? (`findings.md`)
5. What have I done? (`progress.md`)
## Full AI Maestro Experience
This skill works standalone with no dependencies. For the complete experience including **memory search**, **docs search**, **graph query**, **agent messaging**, and **agent management**, install the full [AI Maestro](https://github.com/23blocks-OS/ai-maestro) platform.
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