creating-a-goal

Creating a Goal

Overview

Set up a new open-ended goal by creating the directory structure, writing the goal definition, and preparing for iteration tracking.

Core principle: One-time setup. Run this once per goal, then use starting-an-iteration for all subsequent work.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• User runs /create-goal command
• Starting a brand new open-ended goal
• No existing autonomy goal directory exists

DO NOT use for:

• Continuing existing goal (use starting-an-iteration instead)
• Closed goals with definition of done (use ed3d-plugins plan-and-execute workflow)

Quick Reference

Step	Action	Tool
1. Verify no existing goal	Check for autonomy directory	Glob
2. Get goal details	Prompt user for goal statement	User interaction
3. Generate directory name	Convert to kebab-case	Manual
4. Create structure	Make directory	Bash
5. Write goal.md	Document goal definition	Write
6. Announce ready	Tell user to run /start-iteration	Direct output

Process

Step 1: Verify No Existing Goal

Check that no goal already exists:

# Use Glob to check
pattern: "autonomy/*/goal.md"

If goal.md found:

"An autonomy goal already exists: [goal-name]
Use '/start-iteration' to continue working on this goal.
If you want to create a different goal, first archive or remove the existing one."

Stop here - don't create duplicate goals.

If no goal found: Proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Get Goal Details from User

Prompt user for goal information:

"What open-ended goal would you like to pursue?

This should be a goal that never truly completes - ongoing optimization, continuous improvement, or iterative exploration.

Examples:
- Maximize monthly recurring revenue
- Improve developer productivity
- Reduce customer churn
- Optimize application performance

Your goal:"

User provides goal statement.

Then ask about success criteria:

"What metrics or indicators should we track for this goal?

Since this is open-ended, there's no 'done' state, but we can track progress.

Examples:
- MRR: Starting at $45k/month
- Churn rate: Currently 13%
- Build time: Currently 5 minutes

Your metrics (or 'none' if not applicable):"

User provides metrics or indicates none.

Step 3: Generate Directory Name

Convert goal statement to kebab-case:

Rules:

• Lowercase all characters
• Replace spaces with hyphens
• Remove special characters
• Keep concise (max 50 chars)

Examples:

• "Maximize monthly recurring revenue" → maximize-monthly-recurring-revenue
• "Improve developer productivity" → improve-developer-productivity
• "Reduce customer churn by 50%" → reduce-customer-churn

Step 4: Create Directory Structure

Create the goal directory:

# Use Bash to create directory
mkdir -p autonomy/[goal-name]

Step 5: Write goal.md

Create the goal definition file:

# Goal: [Original goal statement]

## Goal Statement
[Full description from user]

## Success Criteria
[Open-ended - note that this has no completion state]

## Metrics to Track
[If user provided metrics:]
- [Metric 1]: [Starting value]
- [Metric 2]: [Starting value]

[If no metrics:]
- No specific metrics defined
- Progress will be qualitative

## Current Status
Active - Ready for iteration 1

## Started
[Current date: YYYY-MM-DD]

## Notes
[Any additional context from user]

Write this file to: autonomy/[goal-name]/goal.md

Step 6: Announce Ready

Inform user that goal is created:

**Goal created: [goal-name]**

Directory: `autonomy/[goal-name]/`
Goal definition: `autonomy/[goal-name]/goal.md`

---

**Next step:** Run `/start-iteration` to begin the first iteration.

This will:
- Create iteration-0001-[today's date].md
- Set up workspace for working toward the goal
- Track progress in iteration journals

Important Notes

Single Goal Per Project

Currently, autonomy supports one goal per project directory:

• If goal.md exists, creation fails
• User must archive/remove existing goal to create new one
• Future enhancement could support multiple goals

Goal Naming

Keep directory names:

• Descriptive but concise
• Stable (won't change over time)
• Filesystem-safe (kebab-case, no special chars)

Open-Ended Requirement

Verify goal is truly open-ended:

Good examples:

• "Maximize X" - always can improve
• "Reduce Y" - continuous optimization
• "Improve Z" - never fully complete

Bad examples:

• "Build authentication system" - has done state (use ed3d-plugins plan-and-execute)
• "Fix bug #123" - has done state
• "Write documentation" - has done state

If user suggests closed goal, guide them:

"This goal seems to have a clear completion state. For goals with a definition of 'done',
consider using the [ed3d-plugins](https://github.com/ed3dai/ed3d-plugins) plan-and-execute workflow instead.

Autonomy is designed for never-ending optimization and improvement goals.

Would you like to reframe this as an open-ended goal, or would a different workflow be better?"

Metrics Are Optional

Not all open-ended goals have quantifiable metrics:

• "Improve code quality" - may be qualitative
• "Increase team knowledge" - hard to measure
• "Enhance user experience" - subjective

Accept "none" or "qualitative" as valid answers.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Reality
"I'll create goal even though one exists"	NO. One goal per project. Check first.
"User goal is closed-ended but I'll create anyway"	NO. Guide to appropriate workflow.
"I'll skip metrics prompt to save time"	NO. Always ask - user may have important metrics.
"Directory name can have spaces"	NO. Use kebab-case only.
"I'll start first iteration automatically"	NO. Let user run /start-iteration when ready.

After Creating

Once goal is created:

• goal.md exists with definition
• Directory ready for iteration journals
• User runs /start-iteration to begin work
• Iteration 1 will create first journal entry