planning-with-files_skill

Overview

This skill transforms planning and execution into a file-based workflow using persistent Markdown files. It formalizes a three-file pattern—task_plan.md, notes.md, and a deliverable file—to track phases, record research, and produce final outputs. The approach reduces context loss, improves traceability, and makes progress explicit for multi-step work.

How this skill works

Before any complex task you create task_plan.md with goal, phases, questions, and a status line. During work, you save research and findings to notes.md and keep the deliverable in a separate markdown file. After each phase you update task_plan.md (mark checkboxes, record errors, update status) so the plan remains the authoritative source of truth.

When to use it

• Starting multi-step projects with 3+ phases
• Conducting research or synthesis that spans sessions
• Coordinating work that requires progress tracking and handoffs
• Tasks that need reproducible decision logs and error history
• When you want durable working memory stored on disk rather than ephemeral context

Best practices

• Create task_plan.md first and read it before every major decision
• Write findings to notes.md; avoid stuffing long content into live context
• Mark completed phases with [x], update Status, and log any errors immediately
• Keep the deliverable in a dedicated file and update it iteratively
• Use clear, one-sentence Goal and concise Key Questions to keep focus

Example use cases

• Research paper planning: outline phases, save sources in notes.md, draft sections in deliverable.md
• Feature development: define milestones in task_plan.md, log design notes and tests in notes.md, keep the release spec as deliverable.md
• Complex troubleshooting: track steps and errors in task_plan.md, store logs and findings in notes.md, produce a remediation guide file
• Multi-session analysis: preserve progress between sessions by reading task_plan.md before resuming work
• Cross-team handoff: provide a single plan file that documents decisions, status, and outstanding questions