self-check

name	self-check
description	Mid-execution self-monitoring checkpoint (Ralph Wiggum Loop): Detect warning signs (drift, confusion, gold-plating), course-correct before completion. Mandatory at 25% progress and before delegation.
version	1.0.0
type	quality-gate
category	self-monitoring

Self-Check: Self-Observation Protocol

Invoke mid-execution checkpoint to detect warning signs and course-correct. Prevents drift, confusion, and wasted effort through systematic self-observation.

Instructions

When to Invoke (Mandatory):

• 25% task completion (early warning)
• Before delegating tasks to other agents
• After loading 5+ directives or large documents
• When 3+ ⚠️ symbols appear within 10 minutes
• Before marking task complete (final alignment check)

Optional Invocations:

• Every 15-20 minutes during long tasks
• When detecting internal confusion
• When switching reasoning modes frequently
• Before requesting human guidance

---

Checkpoint Protocol

Step 1: Enter Meta-Mode

[mode: current-mode → meta]

Step 2: Document Checkpoint Header

🔄 **Ralph Wiggum Loop Checkpoint**

[Timestamp: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ]
[Current Mode: /previous-mode]
[Task Progress: XX% complete, Step N of M]
[Elapsed Time: XX minutes]

Step 3: Run Self-Observation Checklist

## Self-Observation Checklist

### Execution State
- **Current task:** [one-line description]
- **Original goal:** [from initial prompt or task file]
- **Progress:** [steps completed / total steps]
- **Time budget:** [elapsed / estimated]

### Warning Signs (Mark all that apply)
- [ ] Repetitive patterns: Am I doing the same thing multiple times?
- [ ] Goal drift: Have I lost sight of the original objective?
- [ ] Speculation: Am I guessing instead of validating?
- [ ] Verbosity: Are outputs becoming unclear or too long?
- [ ] Scope creep: Am I adding work not requested?
- [ ] Directive violations: Am I ignoring established protocols?
- [ ] Confusion: Do I understand what I'm doing next?
- [ ] Mode misuse: Is my reasoning mode appropriate?

### Integrity Symbols
- ❗️ Critical issues: [list or "none detected"]
- ⚠️ Warning signs: [list or "none detected"]
- ✅ Alignment status: [confirmed/uncertain/violated]

Step 4: Pattern Recognition

If warnings detected, identify pattern:

Pattern	Symptoms	Required Action
Drift	Scope creep, added features	Revert to original scope
Confusion	Multiple ⚠️, uncertainty	Stop and request clarification
Gold-plating	Over-engineering, future features	Remove unnecessary work
Mode misuse	Wrong reasoning mode	Switch to appropriate mode
Repetition	Same actions multiple times	Change approach
Speculation	Guessing without validation	Validate assumptions

Step 5: Course Correction

If ✅ Aligned:

• Resume previous mode
• Continue execution
• Document alignment confirmation

If ⚠️ Warnings:

• Apply corrections from pattern recognition table
• Document corrective actions
• Resume with adjusted approach

If ❗️ Critical:

• STOP execution immediately
• Request human guidance
• Document issue clearly

Step 6: Exit Meta-Mode

[mode: meta → previous-mode]

**Checkpoint Result:** ✅ Aligned / ⚠️ Corrected / ❗️ Blocked

**Corrective Actions Taken:** [List or "none needed"]

**Resuming:** [Next specific action]

---

Example Checkpoint

🔄 **Ralph Wiggum Loop Checkpoint**

[Timestamp: 2026-02-06T14:30:00Z]
[Current Mode: /analysis-mode]
[Task Progress: 25% complete, Step 3 of 12]
[Elapsed Time: 45 minutes]

## Self-Observation Checklist

### Execution State
- **Current task:** Implement GenericYAMLAdapter with ENV support
- **Original goal:** Create adapter that reads tool config from YAML
- **Progress:** 3/12 steps (base class done, env expansion pending)
- **Time budget:** 45min elapsed / 5h estimated (18% time used)

### Warning Signs
- [x] Scope creep: Added caching mechanism not in requirements
- [ ] Repetitive patterns: No
- [ ] Goal drift: No
- [ ] Speculation: No
- [ ] Verbosity: No
- [ ] Directive violations: No
- [ ] Confusion: No
- [ ] Mode misuse: No

### Integrity Symbols
- ❗️ Critical issues: none detected
- ⚠️ Warning signs: Scope creep detected (caching not requested)
- ✅ Alignment status: UNCERTAIN

---

**Pattern Identified:** Gold-plating
- **Symptom:** Added caching for "future performance"
- **Root cause:** Anticipated need without validation

**Corrective Action:**
1. Remove caching code (not in requirements)
2. Add TODO comment if needed later
3. Focus on core adapter functionality only
4. Follow Directive 020 (Locality of Change)

**Result:** ⚠️ Corrected

---

[mode: meta → analysis]

**Checkpoint Result:** ⚠️ Corrected - Removed gold-plating

**Corrective Actions Taken:**
- Deleted 45 lines of caching code
- Simplified to core requirements only
- Added TODO for future consideration

**Resuming:** Implement ENV variable expansion (Step 4)

---

Warning Pattern Guide

1. Goal Drift

Symptoms:

• Original goal unclear or forgotten
• Working on tangentially related items
• "While I'm here..." changes

Correction:

• Re-read original task description
• Compare current work to acceptance criteria
• Remove work not in scope

2. Confusion

Symptoms:

• Multiple ⚠️ markers accumulating
• Uncertainty about next steps
• Conflicting constraints

Correction:

• STOP immediately
• Request clarification
• Do NOT proceed on assumptions

3. Gold-Plating

Symptoms:

• Adding features "for future use"
• Over-engineering solutions
• Implementing before needed

Correction:

• Remove extra features
• Focus on current requirements
• Add TODO if truly valuable later

4. Repetition

Symptoms:

• Attempting same approach multiple times
• Not learning from failures
• No progress despite effort

Correction:

• Change approach completely
• Request help or guidance
• Consider different tool/technique

5. Speculation

Symptoms:

• Guessing without validation
• "Probably" or "should work" language
• No verification of assumptions

Correction:

• Validate every assumption
• Write test to verify behavior
• Use tools to check facts

6. Mode Misuse

Symptoms:

• Creative mode for technical analysis
• Analysis mode for writing/brainstorming
• Unclear which mode is active

Correction:

• Switch to appropriate mode
• Document mode transition
• Stay in mode until natural boundary

---

Integration with Workflow

During /iterate

Agent (Backend-Dev):
  Step 1-3: Implement feature...

  [At 25% completion]
  🔄 Self-Check Checkpoint
    ✅ Aligned - Continue

  Step 4-6: Continue implementation...

  [Before delegating to Frontend]
  🔄 Self-Check Checkpoint
    ⚠️ Warning: Scope creep detected
    Corrective action: Removed extra validation
    ✅ Corrected - Ready to delegate

  Step 7: Delegate UI task...

Before Major Decisions

Agent: About to make significant architectural change...

🔄 Self-Check Checkpoint
  ❗️ CRITICAL: Change not aligned with ADR-025
  Action: STOP - Request architect review
  Status: BLOCKED pending review

Final Alignment Check

Agent: Feature implementation complete...

🔄 Final Self-Check Checkpoint
  ✅ All requirements met
  ✅ No scope creep
  ✅ Tests passing
  ✅ Work log created
  Status: ALIGNED - Ready to complete

---

Benefits

Prevents Wasted Effort:

• Catches drift early (25% checkpoint)
• Corrects course before major investment
• Avoids "throw away and restart" scenarios

Maintains Quality:

• Detects directive violations
• Ensures alignment with requirements
• Prevents over-engineering

Improves Communication:

• Documents decision points
• Makes reasoning visible
• Creates audit trail

Reduces Rework:

• Catches issues before completion
• Validates assumptions early
• Prevents late-stage corrections

---

Common Patterns

Healthy Checkpoint (✅)

🔄 Checkpoint at 25%
  ✅ On track, aligned
  Resume: Continue Step 4

Warning Detected (⚠️)

🔄 Checkpoint at 50%
  ⚠️ Scope creep detected
  Corrective action: Removed feature X
  Resume: Refocus on core requirements

Critical Issue (❗️)

🔄 Checkpoint at pre-delegation
  ❗️ Violates ADR-029
  Action: STOP - Request architect review
  Status: BLOCKED

---

Anti-Patterns

❌ Skipping mandatory checkpoints:

• "I'm almost done, no need to check"
• Results in wasted effort on wrong path

❌ Ignoring warnings:

• "I'll fix it later"
• Compounds problems, harder to correct

❌ Superficial checks:

• "Everything looks fine"
• Defeats purpose of systematic observation

❌ Over-checking:

• Checkpoint every 5 minutes
• Wastes time, disrupts flow

✅ Correct usage:

• Follow mandatory checkpoint schedule
• Take warnings seriously
• Course-correct immediately
• Resume work promptly after alignment

---

Related Skills

• /iterate - Uses self-check at batch milestones
• /review - Similar systematic evaluation
• /status - Planning-level health check

References

• Directive 024: .github/agents/directives/024_self_observation_protocol.md
• Approach: .github/agents/approaches/ralph-wiggum-loop.md (detailed pattern)
• Directive 020: .github/agents/directives/021_locality_of_change.md (Scope management)