promote-to-project

name	promote-to-project
description	Upgrade an action in gtd/actions/next/ into a full project folder under gtd/projects/. Re-runs the relevant POBO phases minimally and rewrites references.

/promote-to-project

The "default to action" rule says: when ambiguous, create an action; promote later if it earns it. This skill is the promotion path.

Invocation

• /promote-to-project {action-slug} — promote a specific action
• /promote-to-project --auto — scan gtd/actions/next/ for actions older than 14 days with multiple touch events; propose candidates

Phases

1. Read the action

Read gtd/actions/next/{slug}.md. Note parent:, source:, body description.

2. Confirm target

All promotions land at gtd/projects/{slug}/. Projects live in GTD; there is no separate atlas-side initiative folder.

3. Run mini-POBO

Walk the operator through a compressed POBO:

• Outcome — what does success look like? (Carry over from action body if explicit.)
• Principles — any non-negotiables? (May be empty.)
• Brainstorm — what else needs to happen beyond the next action?
• Organize — what are the 2-5 phases? Which is current?

Confirm whether to use --lite shape (3 fields only) or full POBO.

4. Scaffold

Create the 8-item folder under gtd/projects/{slug}/. Populate _brief.md, _status.md, plan.md from the mini-POBO output. The promoted action is the current next action; carry it into _status.md.

Frontmatter on _brief.md: expected-cadence: biweekly.

5. Rewrite the original action

The original gtd/actions/next/{slug}.md becomes a child of the new project:

• Update parent: to point at the new _brief.md
• Keep source: as-is

6. Rewrite inbound references

Find any other notes referencing the original action via [[...]] and update them to reference the new _brief.md if the original meaning was "the project this action belongs to" rather than "this specific action." Operator confirms ambiguous cases.

7. Log

Hooks fire project-created automatically. No manual logging.

What NOT to do

• Don't promote actions younger than ~7 days unless the operator explicitly asks. The default-to-action principle is intentional.
• Don't drop the original action. The promoted action is the project's first next action.