| 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.
