| name | lost - Lost My Direction |
| description | For when you had a direction but lost it. Helps you find whether the goal changed, you changed, or the situation changed — and what to do next. |
| output | {"format":"prose"} |
Lost - Lost My Direction
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Core Principles
-
Getting lost usually means you outgrew the map, not that you failed. The direction that made sense before stopped making sense because something real changed. That's growth, not failure.
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There are only three reasons you lose direction. You changed. The situation changed. Or you learned something that made the old direction invalid. Identifying which one tells you what to do next.
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The old goal is data, not an obligation. You set it with the information you had. You have different information now. Honoring the old goal out of guilt or sunk cost isn't integrity — it's inertia.
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Feeling lost is disorienting but not dangerous. You're between directions, not without capacity. The skills that got you to the old direction still work. You just need something to point them at.
Phase 1: What Was the Direction?
[L1] ORIGINAL_GOAL: [What were you working toward? State it clearly.]
[L2] WHEN_SET: [When did you commit to this direction?]
[L3] WHY_IT_MATTERED: [What made this goal feel right at the time?]
[L4] HOW_FAR: [How far did you get before feeling lost?]
Phase 2: When Did It Stop Feeling Right?
[L5] INFLECTION_POINT: [When did the direction start feeling off?]
[L6] SIGNAL: [What was the first sign? A feeling? An event? A realization?]
[L7] RESPONSE: [What did you do when you noticed? (Ignored it? Pushed through? Stopped?)]
Phase 3: What Changed?
Only one of these is primary. Identify which.
| Change Type | Signals | Meaning |
|---|
| You changed | Different values, interests, energy, priorities than when you set the goal | You outgrew the goal. The goal was right for who you were, not who you are. |
| The situation changed | External factors shifted — market, relationships, resources, constraints | The goal may still be valid but the path to it needs updating. |
| You learned something new | New information made the old direction seem wrong, naive, or incomplete | The goal was based on incomplete understanding. Now you know more. |
[L8] CHANGE_TYPE: [you | situation | knowledge]
[L9] WHAT_SPECIFICALLY_CHANGED: [name it precisely]
[L10] IS_THIS_PERMANENT: [Is this change temporary/reversible, or is it the new reality?]
Phase 4: Is the Original Goal Still Valid?
[L11] VALIDITY_CHECK:
- Does the original goal still matter to you? [yes | no | partially]
- Is the original goal still achievable? [yes | no | differently]
- Would achieving it still produce the outcome you wanted? [yes | no | different outcome]
If STILL VALID (all yes):
[L12-V] RECONNECTION:
The goal is fine. You lost connection to it, not faith in it.
What disconnected you? [fatigue | distraction | fear | a setback]
TO RECONNECT:
- Revisit why it mattered (L3)
- Identify the next concrete step (not the whole path — just the next step)
- Check: do you need rest before re-engaging, or just a restart?
→ INVOKE: /gu [original goal with fresh context]
If NO LONGER VALID (any no):
[L13-N] RELEASE:
The goal served its purpose. It got you here. It's OK to set it down.
WHAT YOU GAINED from pursuing it (even though you're not finishing):
1. [skill, knowledge, relationship, or clarity gained]
2. [skill, knowledge, relationship, or clarity gained]
WHAT'S PULLING YOU NOW:
[Is there something emerging that feels more right? Even a whisper?]
If something is emerging → INVOKE: /gu [the emerging direction]
If UNKNOWN:
[L14-U] You had a direction and it's gone, and nothing has replaced it yet.
That's the space between maps. It's uncomfortable but it's not permanent.
→ INVOKE: /idk [current state and what you've ruled out]
Phase 5: Output
LOST MY DIRECTION
=================
ORIGINAL GOAL: [goal]
SET WHEN: [when]
WHY IT MATTERED: [reason]
LOST DIRECTION BECAUSE: [you changed | situation changed | learned something new]
SPECIFICALLY: [what changed]
ORIGINAL GOAL STATUS: [still valid | no longer valid | unknown]
PATH FORWARD:
[One of three:]
a) RECONNECT: [goal is valid — here's how to re-engage]
b) RELEASE AND REDIRECT: [goal served its purpose — here's what's emerging]
c) SIT IN THE GAP: [nothing clear yet — here's how to be OK with that]
WHAT YOU HAVEN'T LOST:
[Skills, knowledge, relationships, or capacities gained on the old path that carry forward regardless]
READY FOR:
- /gu [goal] — to clarify a new or reconnected goal
- /idk [state] — if no direction has emerged
- /grf [goal] — to reframe the goal with new understanding
- /emotion [feeling] — if grief or frustration about the lost direction needs processing
Failure Modes
| Failure | Signal | Fix |
|---|
| Forcing reconnection | Pushing user back to old goal when they've outgrown it | Check L11 honestly — if the goal doesn't resonate, don't force it |
| Premature new goal | Jumping to a new direction without processing what happened | Phase 3 and 4 must complete before Phase 5 |
| Sunk cost pressure | "But I've invested so much" keeping a dead goal alive | Name the sunk cost explicitly. What you gained carries forward. What you invested is spent either way. |
| Romanticizing the old direction | Remembering only the good parts of the old goal | Check: are you missing the goal, or missing the certainty of having one? |
| Shame about changing | "I should have known" or "I'm flaky" | Changing direction because of new information is rationality, not failure |
| Skipping grief | Moving to next goal without acknowledging loss of the old one | Letting go of a direction you cared about is a real loss. Acknowledge it. |
Depth Scaling
| Depth | Phases | Analysis | Emotional Processing |
|---|
| 1x | Goal + change type + path | Light | Acknowledge only |
| 2x | Full phases | Standard | Named and addressed |
| 4x | Full + pattern analysis (is this recurring?) | Deep | Full processing |
| 8x | Full + life-direction context | Complete | Integration with identity/values |
Default: 2x. These are floors.
Pre-Completion Checklist
Integration
- Use from: "I'm lost", "I don't know where I'm going anymore", "I had a plan but...", "I lost my way"
- Routes to:
/gu (goal understanding), /idk (total uncertainty), /grf (goal reframing), /emotion (processing feelings about the loss)
- Differs from
/idk: idk may never have had a direction; lost had one and lost it
- Differs from
/cnfsd: cnfsd can't understand something; lost understands but can't find direction
- Differs from
/unsure: unsure has a direction but lacks confidence; lost has lost the direction entirely
