| name | planning |
| description | Analyze project state, prioritize TODO.md, create or refine plans for upcoming work |
Planning Skill
Use this skill to run the planning cycle: analyze the project's current state and organize what comes next.
Step 1: Orient
- Read
AGENTS.md — understand project architecture, current status, and phase
- Read
TODO.md thoroughly — what's done, in progress, blocked, and pending
- Read recent entries in
.flow/log.jsonl — understand velocity, repeated failures, and patterns
Step 2: Assess Current State
Answer these questions:
- Scope: Are Phase 2 (or current phase) tasks properly scoped and prioritized?
- Hidden work: Are there implicit tasks not yet captured in TODO.md?
- Follow-up: Do any completed items have follow-up work needed?
- Blockers: Are any tasks blocked? Why? Is the blocker documented?
- Sizing: Are tasks small enough for a single coding cycle to complete?
Step 3: Update TODO.md
Make TODO.md accurate and actionable:
- Re-prioritize: Move tasks up/down based on current understanding
- Add new tasks: Capture discovered work with priority and context
- Mark blockers: Note tasks that are blocked and explain why
- Remove stale tasks: Delete tasks that are no longer relevant
- Sharpen descriptions: Make each task specific enough that a coding cycle can pick it up cold
Each task in TODO.md should be:
- Completable in a single coding cycle
- Specific about what needs to be done (not vague like "improve X")
- Linked to the relevant source file or plan document
Step 4: Create or Update Plans (If Needed)
If a new plan is needed:
- Create it in
plans/ following plans/TEMPLATE.md format
- Reference the plan from the relevant TODO.md task
- Keep plans focused on one area (don't mix concerns)
If an existing plan is outdated:
- Update the relevant sections
- Note what changed and why
Step 5: Commit
Commit your changes with a descriptive message explaining what you reorganized or added and why.
Constraints
- Focus on actionable, well-scoped tasks — the output of planning is better TODO.md entries, not essays
- Every task should be completable in a single coding cycle
- Keep TODO.md clean — remove stale items, don't let it become a graveyard
- Do not start implementing — this cycle is analysis and organization only