Planning

Planning

Universal planning methodology for technical implementation and general project planning.

Mode Selection

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Technical Implementation Planning

Use when: Planning software features, system architecture, technical solutions

Core Principles

Always honor YAGNI, KISS, and DRY principles. Be honest, be brutal, straight to the point, and be concise.

Workflow

1. Research & Analysis → references/research-phase.md

• Skip if: Provided with researcher reports

2. Codebase Understanding → references/codebase-understanding.md

• Skip if: Provided with scout reports

3. Solution Design → references/solution-design.md

4. Plan Organization → references/plan-organization.md

5. Task Breakdown → references/output-standards.md

Output Structure

plans/
└── YYYYMMDD-HHmm-plan-name/
    ├── research/
    ├── reports/
    ├── scout/
    ├── plan.md
    └── phase-XX-*.md

Requirements

• DO NOT implement code - only create plans
• Self-contained with necessary context
• Include code snippets/pseudocode when clarifying
• Provide options with trade-offs
• Detailed enough for junior developers

---

Project Planning (Non-Technical)

Use when: Business, personal, creative, academic, event planning

Domains

• Business: Product launches, marketing, process improvements
• Personal: Career development, learning, lifestyle changes
• Creative: Writing, art, content creation
• Academic: Research, thesis, study programs
• Events: Conferences, weddings, community events

Plan Format

Location: docs/plans/PLAN-YYYYMMDD-HHMM-{slug}.md

Frontmatter:

---
plan_id: PLAN-YYYYMMDD-HHMM-{slug}
title: [Project Name]
created: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
status: draft | active | completed | on_hold
category: business | personal | creative | academic | event
phase: planning | execution | monitoring | complete
priority: critical | high | medium | low
---

Required Sections

1. Vision & Objectives - SMART goals, alignment 2. Scope & Deliverables - In/out of scope, acceptance criteria 3. Action Steps - Phased tasks with owners, durations 4. Resources Required - People, budget, materials, tools 5. Timeline & Milestones - Dates, checkpoints, Gantt 6. Risks & Contingencies - Mitigation, early warnings 7. Success Metrics - Measurable outcomes, completion criteria

Quick Templates

• references/business-plan-template.md
• references/personal-goal-template.md
• references/generic-plan-template.md

---

Pre-Planning Protocol

ALWAYS execute before creating new plan:

1. Check for active plan: test -f docs/plan.md && cat docs/plan.md 2. If exists: Ask user to continue or create new 3. If none: Proceed with new plan creation

---

Quality Standards

Technical Plans

• Consider long-term maintainability
• Address security and performance
• Validate against codebase patterns
• Research thoroughly when uncertain

Project Plans

• All 7 sections present
• Each step has owner and deadline
• Resources are realistic
• Risks have contingencies
• Metrics are SMART

Both Types

• Be thorough and specific
• Simple, understandable structure
• Action-oriented
• Clear next steps

---

References

Technical Implementation

• references/research-phase.md - Research methodology
• references/codebase-understanding.md - Codebase analysis
• references/solution-design.md - Architecture patterns
• references/plan-organization.md - Plan structure
• references/output-standards.md - Task breakdown standards

Project Templates

• references/business-plan-template.md
• references/personal-goal-template.md
• references/generic-plan-template.md

---

Plan quality determines implementation success. Be comprehensive.

Codebase Understanding Phase

When to skip: If provided with scout reports, skip this phase.

Core Activities

Parallel Scout Agents

• Use /scout:ext (preferred) or /scout (fallback) slash command to search the codebase for files needed to complete the task
• Each scout locates files needed for specific task aspects
• Wait for all scout agents to report back before analysis
• Efficient for finding relevant code across large codebases

Essential Documentation Review

ALWAYS read these files first:

1. `./docs/development-rules.md` (IMPORTANT)

• File Name Conventions
• File Size Management
• Development rules and best practices
• Code quality standards
• Security guidelines

2. `./docs/codebase-summary.md`

• Project structure and current status
• High-level architecture overview
• Component relationships

3. `./docs/code-standards.md`

• Coding conventions and standards
• Language-specific patterns
• Naming conventions

4. `./docs/design-guidelines.md` (if exists)

• Design system guidelines
• Branding and UI/UX conventions
• Component library usage

Environment Analysis

• Review development environment setup
• Analyze dotenv files and configuration
• Identify required dependencies
• Understand build and deployment processes

Pattern Recognition

• Study existing patterns in codebase
• Identify conventions and architectural decisions
• Note consistency in implementation approaches
• Understand error handling patterns

Integration Planning

• Identify how new features integrate with existing architecture
• Map dependencies between components
• Understand data flow and state management
• Consider backward compatibility

Best Practices

• Start with documentation before diving into code
• Use scouts for targeted file discovery
• Document patterns found for consistency
• Note any inconsistencies or technical debt
• Consider impact on existing features

Output Standards & Quality

Task Breakdown

• Transform complex requirements into manageable, actionable tasks
• Each task independently executable with clear dependencies
• Prioritize by dependencies, risk, business value
• Eliminate ambiguity in instructions
• Include specific file paths for all modifications
• Provide clear acceptance criteria per task

File Management

List affected files with:

• Full paths (not relative)
• Action type (modify/create/delete)
• Brief change description
• Dependencies on other changes
• Fully respect the ./docs/development-rules.md file.

Workflow Process

1. Initial Analysis → Read docs, understand context 2. Research Phase → Spawn researchers in parallel, investigate approaches 3. Synthesis → Analyze reports, identify optimal solution 4. Design Phase → Create architecture, implementation design 5. Plan Documentation → Write comprehensive plan in Markdown 6. Review & Refine → Ensure completeness, clarity, actionability

Output Requirements

What Planners Do

• Create plans ONLY (no implementation)
• Provide plan file path and summary
• Self-contained plans with necessary context
• Code snippets/pseudocode when clarifying
• Multiple options with trade-offs when appropriate
• Fully respect the ./docs/development-rules.md file.

Writing Style

IMPORTANT: Sacrifice grammar for concision

• Focus clarity over eloquence
• Use bullets and lists
• Short sentences
• Remove unnecessary words
• Prioritize actionable info

Unresolved Questions

IMPORTANT: List unresolved questions at end

• Questions needing clarification
• Technical decisions requiring input
• Unknowns impacting implementation
• Trade-offs requiring business decisions

Quality Standards

Thoroughness

• Thorough and specific in research/planning
• Consider edge cases, failure modes
• Think through entire user journey
• Document all assumptions

Maintainability

• Consider long-term maintainability
• Design for future modifications
• Document decision rationale
• Avoid over-engineering
• Fully respect the ./docs/development-rules.md file.

Research Depth

• When uncertain, research more
• Multiple options with clear trade-offs
• Validate against best practices
• Consider industry standards

Security & Performance

• Address all security concerns
• Identify performance implications
• Plan for scalability
• Consider resource constraints

Implementability

• Detailed enough for junior developers
• Validate against existing patterns
• Ensure codebase standards consistency
• Provide clear examples

Remember: Plan quality determines implementation success. Be comprehensive, consider all solution aspects.

Plan Creation & Organization

Directory Structure

Plan Location

Save plans in ./plans directory with timestamp and descriptive name.

Format: plans/YYYYMMDD-HHmm-your-plan-name/

Example: plans/20251101-1505-authentication-and-profile-implementation/

File Organization

plans/
├── 20251101-1505-authentication-and-profile-implementation/
    ├── research/
    │   ├── researcher-XX-report.md
    │   └── ...
│   ├── reports/
│   │   ├── scout-report.md
│   │   ├── researcher-report.md
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── plan.md                                # Overview access point
│   ├── phase-01-setup-environment.md          # Setup environment
│   ├── phase-02-implement-database.md         # Database models
│   ├── phase-03-implement-api-endpoints.md    # API endpoints
│   ├── phase-04-implement-ui-components.md    # UI components
│   ├── phase-05-implement-authentication.md   # Auth & authorization
│   ├── phase-06-implement-profile.md          # Profile page
│   ├── phase-07-write-tests.md                # Tests
│   ├── phase-08-run-tests.md                  # Test execution
│   ├── phase-09-code-review.md                # Code review
│   ├── phase-10-project-management.md         # Project management
│   ├── phase-11-onboarding.md                 # Onboarding
│   └── phase-12-final-report.md               # Final report
└── ...

File Structure

Overview Plan (plan.md)

• Keep generic and under 80 lines
• List each phase with status/progress
• Link to detailed phase files
• High-level timeline
• Key dependencies

Phase Files (phase-XX-name.md)

Fully respect the ./docs/development-rules.md file. Each phase file should contain:

Context Links

• Links to related reports, files, documentation

Overview

• Date and priority
• Current status
• Brief description

Key Insights

• Important findings from research
• Critical considerations

Requirements

• Functional requirements
• Non-functional requirements

Architecture

• System design
• Component interactions
• Data flow

Related Code Files

• List of files to modify
• List of files to create
• List of files to delete

Implementation Steps

• Detailed, numbered steps
• Specific instructions

Todo List

• Checkbox list for tracking

Success Criteria

• Definition of done
• Validation methods

Risk Assessment

• Potential issues
• Mitigation strategies

Security Considerations

• Auth/authorization
• Data protection

Next Steps

• Dependencies
• Follow-up tasks

🎯 Business Project Plan: [Project Name]

Executive Summary

[2-3 paragraph overview: What, Why, Expected Outcome, Key Metrics]

Vision & Objectives

Business Vision

[What business outcome are we achieving? How does this advance company strategy?]

Primary Objective

[Main business goal - include revenue/growth/efficiency target]

Secondary Objectives

• Market Objective: [Market share, customer acquisition, expansion]
• Financial Objective: [Revenue, profit, ROI target]
• Operational Objective: [Efficiency, quality, scalability]

Business Case

• Problem: [What business problem this solves]
• Opportunity: [Market opportunity or competitive advantage]
• Expected ROI: [Return on investment estimate]
• Strategic Alignment: [How this fits company strategy]

Scope & Deliverables

In Scope

• [Business capability 1]
• [Business process 2]
• [Market segment 3]

Out of Scope

• [Explicitly excluded area 1]
• [Future phase item 2]

Key Deliverables

1. [Deliverable 1]: [Business outcome] 2. [Deliverable 2]: [Business outcome] 3. [Deliverable 3]: [Business outcome]

Market/Customer Impact

• Target Audience: [Who benefits]
• Customer Value: [What value they receive]
• Competitive Advantage: [How this differentiates us]

Action Steps

Phase 1: Discovery & Planning (Week 1-2)

• Market research
• Stakeholder interviews
• Requirements gathering
• Business case refinement

Phase 2: Development (Week 3-6)

• [Specific work items]
• Pilot/prototype creation
• Testing with target audience

Phase 3: Launch (Week 7-8)

• Go-to-market execution
• Sales enablement
• Marketing campaign
• Customer onboarding

Phase 4: Optimization (Week 9-12)

• Performance monitoring
• Customer feedback analysis
• Continuous improvement
• Scaling preparation

Resources Required

Team

• Project Lead: [Role, % time]
• Business Analyst: [Role, % time]
• Marketing: [Role, % time]
• Sales: [Role, % time]
• Operations: [Role, % time]

Budget

Total Investment: $XXX,XXX Expected Return: $XXX,XXX ROI: XXX%

Timeline & Milestones

Key Milestones

• Week 2: Business case approved
• Week 4: Pilot complete
• Week 8: Launch
• Week 12: Performance review

Market Deadlines

• [Industry event date]
• [Competitive window]
• [Seasonal opportunity]

Risks & Contingencies

Market Risks

• Risk: [Competition, market shift, demand]
• Mitigation: [Strategy]

Financial Risks

• Risk: [Budget overrun, ROI shortfall]
• Mitigation: [Controls]

Operational Risks

• Risk: [Execution, capability, resources]
• Mitigation: [Plan]

Success Metrics

Financial Metrics

• Revenue: Target $XXX,XXX in Y months
• ROI: Achieve XXX% return
• Payback Period: X months

Customer Metrics

• Acquisition: XXX new customers
• Retention: XX% retention rate
• Satisfaction: X.X/10 score

Operational Metrics

• Efficiency: XX% improvement
• Quality: XX% reduction in [metric]
• Speed: XX% faster [process]

Governance

Decision Authority

• Business Owner: [Name] - Strategic decisions
• Project Lead: [Name] - Tactical decisions
• Budget Approval: [Name/Committee]

Reporting

• Weekly: Team status update
• Bi-weekly: Stakeholder dashboard
• Monthly: Executive review

Change Control

All scope/budget/timeline changes require approval from [Role].

---

Plan Status: Draft Business Owner: [Name] Last Updated: YYYY-MM-DD

🎯 Project Plan: [Project Name]

Vision & Objectives

Vision Statement

[One paragraph describing the ideal outcome - what does success look like?]

Primary Objective

[Main goal in SMART format: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound]

Secondary Objectives

• Objective 1: [SMART format]
• Objective 2: [SMART format]
• Objective 3: [SMART format]

Alignment

• Strategic Fit: [How this aligns with broader personal/organizational goals]
• Stakeholders: [Who cares about this project and why]
• Value Proposition: [Why now, why this approach]

Scope & Deliverables

In Scope

What this project includes:

• [Specific activity/outcome 1]
• [Specific activity/outcome 2]
• [Specific activity/outcome 3]

Out of Scope

What this project does NOT include:

• [Explicitly excluded item 1]
• [Explicitly excluded item 2]
• [Explicitly excluded item 3]

Deliverables

Deliverable 1: [Name]

• Description: [What it is]
• Acceptance Criteria: [How we know it's done right]
• Format: [Document, event, product, presentation, etc.]
• Due Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Deliverable 2: [Name]

• Description: [What it is]
• Acceptance Criteria: [How we know it's done right]
• Format: [Format type]
• Due Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]

Constraints

• Budget: [Total budget and allocation]
• Time: [Hard deadlines, time constraints]
• Resources: [People, equipment, material limitations]
• Quality: [Non-negotiable quality standards or requirements]

Action Steps

Phase 1: [Phase Name] (Duration: [Timeframe])

Step 1.1: [Action Verb] [What]

• Description: [Detailed description of what needs to be done]
• Owner: [Person/team responsible]
• Duration: [Estimated time to complete]
• Dependencies: [What must be done before this]
• Output: [What this step produces]
• Verification: [How to confirm it's complete]

Step 1.2: [Action Verb] [What]

• Description: [Description]
• Owner: [Responsible party]
• Duration: [Time estimate]
• Dependencies: [Prerequisites]
• Output: [Deliverable]
• Verification: [Completion criteria]

Phase 2: [Phase Name] (Duration: [Timeframe])

Step 2.1: [Action Verb] [What]

[Same structure as above]

Phase 3: [Phase Name] (Duration: [Timeframe])

Step 3.1: [Action Verb] [What]

[Same structure]

Critical Path

Tasks that determine overall timeline (delays here delay entire project):

• Step X.X → Step Y.Y → Step Z.Z

Resources Required

People

• Role 1: [Job title/role]
• Skills Needed: [Required skills]
• Time Commitment: [Hours per week / % allocation]
• Availability: [When they're needed]

• Role 2: [Job title/role]
• Skills Needed: [Required skills]
• Time Commitment: [Time commitment]
• Availability: [Availability window]

Budget

Total Estimated Budget: $XX,XXX Total Spent: $X,XXX Remaining: $XX,XXX

Materials & Equipment

• Item 1: [Name]
• Quantity: [Number needed]
• Specifications: [Details, requirements]
• Source: [Where to obtain]
• Cost: $XXX

• Item 2: [Name]
• Quantity: [Number]
• Specifications: [Details]
• Source: [Vendor/supplier]
• Cost: $XXX

Knowledge & Training

• Skill/Knowledge 1: [What's needed]
• Who Needs It: [Person/team]
• How to Acquire: [Training, course, mentorship]
• Timeline: [When needed]
• Cost: $XXX

Tools & Systems

• Tool 1: [Software/platform name]
• Purpose: [What it's used for]
• License/Access: [Subscription, one-time, free]
• Cost: $XXX/month
• Setup Time: [Hours to configure]

Timeline & Milestones

Overall Timeline

• Start Date: YYYY-MM-DD
• End Date: YYYY-MM-DD
• Total Duration: [X weeks/months]
• Working Days: [X days]

Milestones

Milestone 1: [Name] - [YYYY-MM-DD]

• Completion Criteria: [What must be done to reach this milestone]
• Deliverables Due: [List deliverables]
• Checkpoint: [Review meeting, decision point, demo]

Milestone 2: [Name] - [YYYY-MM-DD]

• Completion Criteria: [Criteria]
• Deliverables Due: [Deliverables]
• Checkpoint: [Checkpoint type]

Milestone 3: [Name] - [YYYY-MM-DD]

• Completion Criteria: [Criteria]
• Deliverables Due: [Deliverables]
• Checkpoint: [Checkpoint type]

Gantt Chart (Text-based)

Week 1  : [████████░░░░░░] Phase 1 Start
Week 2  : [████████████░░] Phase 1 Ongoing
Week 3  : [░░░░████████░░] Phase 1 Complete / Phase 2 Start
Week 4  : [░░░░████████░░] Phase 2 Ongoing
Week 5  : [░░░░░░████████] Phase 2 Complete / Phase 3 Start
Week 6  : [░░░░░░████████] Phase 3 Complete

Key Dates

• [YYYY-MM-DD]: [Event/deadline description]
• [YYYY-MM-DD]: [Event/deadline description]
• [YYYY-MM-DD]: [Event/deadline description]

Risks & Contingencies

Risk 1: [Risk Description]

• Category: [External / Resource / Technical / Stakeholder / Timeline]
• Probability: [High / Medium / Low]
• Impact: [High / Medium / Low]
• Risk Score: [H×H=Critical, H×M=High, M×M=Medium, etc.]

Mitigation Strategy: [What we'll do to prevent this risk]

Contingency Plan: [What we'll do if this risk occurs]

Early Warning Signs:

• [Indicator 1]
• [Indicator 2]

Owner: [Person monitoring this risk]

Risk 2: [Risk Description]

• Category: [Category]
• Probability: [Probability level]
• Impact: [Impact level]
• Risk Score: [Score]

Mitigation Strategy: [Prevention approach]

Contingency Plan: [Response if it happens]

Early Warning Signs:

• [Indicator 1]
• [Indicator 2]

Owner: [Monitor owner]

Risk Matrix

Impact      │           │           │           │
High        │    R3     │    R1     │    R1     │
            │           │           │           │
Medium      │    R5     │    R2     │    R1     │
            │           │           │           │
Low         │    R7     │    R5     │    R2     │
            └───────────┴───────────┴───────────┘
              Low       Medium      High
                    Probability

Success Metrics

Primary Metrics

Metric 1: [Metric Name]

• Target: [Specific number/outcome to achieve]
• Measurement Method: [How we'll measure it]
• Frequency: [Daily/Weekly/Monthly]
• Baseline: [Current state: X]
• Target: [Desired state: Y]
• Owner: [Who tracks this]

Metric 2: [Metric Name]

• Target: [Target value]
• Measurement Method: [Measurement approach]
• Frequency: [Check frequency]
• Baseline: [Starting point]
• Target: [Goal]
• Owner: [Tracker]

Secondary Metrics

• Metric 3: [Name] - Target: [Value]
• Metric 4: [Name] - Target: [Value]
• Metric 5: [Name] - Target: [Value]

Completion Criteria

Project is considered complete when:

• [ ] All deliverables accepted by stakeholders
• [ ] Primary metric 1 meets/exceeds target
• [ ] Primary metric 2 meets/exceeds target
• [ ] Budget within ±10% of estimate
• [ ] Timeline within ±10% of estimate
• [ ] Stakeholder satisfaction ≥ 8/10
• [ ] No critical issues or blockers remaining
• [ ] Documentation complete
• [ ] Handoff/training completed (if applicable)

Post-Project Review

• Review Date: [2-4 weeks after completion]
• Participants: [Who will attend]
• Agenda:
• What went well
• What could be improved
• Lessons learned
• Metrics achieved vs. targets
• Recommendations for future projects

Notes & Considerations

Assumptions

• [Assumption 1 that this plan relies on]
• [Assumption 2]
• [Assumption 3]

Dependencies

• External Dependency 1: [What we're waiting for from others]
• External Dependency 2: [External factor]

Communications Plan

• Stakeholder Updates: [Frequency and format]
• Team Check-ins: [Cadence]
• Escalation Path: [Who to contact for issues]

Change Management

If scope/timeline/budget needs to change: 1. Document proposed change 2. Assess impact on timeline, budget, resources 3. Get approval from [decision maker] 4. Update plan and communicate to stakeholders

---

Plan Status: Draft Last Updated: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM Next Review: YYYY-MM-DD Plan Owner: [Name]

🎯 Personal Goal Plan: [Goal Name]

Vision & Purpose

My Vision

[What does achieving this goal look like? Paint a vivid picture of success.]

Why This Matters

[Why is this important to me? How will achieving this improve my life?]

Primary Goal

[Main goal in SMART format - be specific and set a deadline]

Supporting Goals

• Goal 2: [Related goal]
• Goal 3: [Related goal]

Values Alignment

How this goal aligns with my core values:

• Value 1: [How it connects]
• Value 2: [How it connects]

Scope & Commitment

What I'm Committing To

• [Specific commitment 1]
• [Specific commitment 2]
• [Specific commitment 3]

What I'm NOT Doing (Boundaries)

• [Boundary 1 - what I'm saying no to]
• [Boundary 2 - what I'm limiting]

Success Looks Like

[Concrete description of achieving this goal - what will be different?]

Required Sacrifices

What I need to give up or reduce:

• [Time commitment - from what?]
• [Money investment - from where?]
• [Energy allocation - less of what?]

Action Steps

Phase 1: Foundation (Month 1)

Week 1-2: Setup & Learning

• Step 1.1: [Initial action]
• Time: [Hours per week]
• Output: [What I'll have]
• Success: [How I know it worked]

• Step 1.2: [Build habit]
• Time: [Commitment]
• Output: [Result]
• Success: [Metric]

Week 3-4: Practice & Adjustment

• Step 1.3: [Action]
• Step 1.4: [Action]

Phase 2: Growth (Month 2-3)

[Build on foundation, increase difficulty/complexity]

Phase 3: Mastery (Month 4-6)

[Advanced work, refinement, consistency]

Daily/Weekly Habits

What I'll do consistently:

• Daily: [Habit 1] - [X minutes]
• Daily: [Habit 2] - [X minutes]
• Weekly: [Habit 3] - [X times]
• Weekly: [Review progress] - [X minutes]

Resources Required

Time Investment

• Daily: [X hours for habits]
• Weekly: [X hours for focused work]
• Total: [X hours per week]

Where this time comes from:

• [Reduce/eliminate activity 1]
• [Optimize activity 2]
• [Wake earlier / sleep schedule adjustment]

Financial Investment

Funding source: [How I'll pay for this]

Learning Resources

• Books: [List 3-5 key books]
• Courses: [Online courses, programs]
• Mentors: [Who can guide me]
• Community: [Groups, forums for support]

Support System

• Accountability Partner: [Who will check on my progress]
• Mentor: [Who has achieved this]
• Cheerleaders: [Who will encourage me]

Timeline & Milestones

Overall Timeline

• Start: [YYYY-MM-DD]
• End: [YYYY-MM-DD]
• Duration: [X months]

Milestones

Month 1: [Milestone Name]

• Achievement: [What I'll accomplish]
• Evidence: [How I'll prove it]
• Celebration: [How I'll celebrate]

Month 2: [Milestone Name]

• Achievement: [Accomplishment]
• Evidence: [Proof]
• Celebration: [Reward]

Month 3: [Milestone Name]

[Continue pattern]

Weekly Check-ins

Every [Day] at [Time]:

• Review progress
• Adjust plan if needed
• Celebrate wins
• Identify obstacles

Obstacles & Solutions

Obstacle 1: [Common challenge I'll face]

• Likelihood: [High/Medium/Low]
• Impact: [How this derails me]
• Prevention: [How to avoid]
• Response: [What to do if it happens]
• Support Needed: [Who/what helps]

Obstacle 2: [Another likely challenge]

[Same structure]

Obstacle 3: [Third challenge]

[Same structure]

Motivation Maintenance

When motivation is low, I will: 1. [Strategy 1 - revisit why] 2. [Strategy 2 - talk to accountability partner] 3. [Strategy 3 - review progress made] 4. [Strategy 4 - adjust approach]

Success Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

Metric 1: [Measurable outcome]

• Baseline: [Current state: X]
• Target: [Desired state: Y]
• Measurement: [How I'll track]
• Frequency: [How often I check]

Metric 2: [Another number]

• Baseline: [Starting point]
• Target: [Goal]
• Measurement: [Tracking method]
• Frequency: [Check frequency]

Qualitative Metrics

• How I'll feel: [Emotional state when successful]
• How others notice: [Observable changes]
• Confidence level: [Self-assessment]

Completion Criteria

I'll know I've succeeded when:

• [ ] Quantitative target 1 achieved
• [ ] Quantitative target 2 achieved
• [ ] New habit sustained for [X] days
• [ ] Can demonstrate [skill/capability]
• [ ] Receive [recognition/feedback]
• [ ] Feel [emotional state]

Progress Tracking

Tool: [App, spreadsheet, journal] Frequency: [Daily/weekly] What I track: [Specific metrics]

Reflection & Adjustment

Weekly Review Questions

• What went well this week?
• What challenged me?
• What did I learn?
• What needs to change?

Monthly Deep Dive

• Am I on track to hit my goal?
• Is the goal still meaningful?
• What adjustments are needed?
• What have I learned about myself?

Celebration Plan

Small wins (weekly):

• [How I celebrate small progress]

Big milestones (monthly):

• [How I celebrate major achievements]

Final success:

• [How I celebrate ultimate goal achievement]

Accountability

Self-Accountability

• Journal: [Daily/weekly reflections]
• Tracker: [Visible progress chart]
• Reminder: [Daily prompt/alert]

External Accountability

• Partner: [Name] - Check-in [frequency]
• Public Commitment: [Social media, blog, tell friends]
• Stakes: [What I lose if I don't follow through]

Regular Check-ins

• Daily: [Morning review, evening reflection]
• Weekly: [Sunday planning, progress review]
• Monthly: [Deep reflection, plan adjustment]

Emergency Reset Plan

If I completely fall off track:

1. Pause and assess (no self-judgment) 2. Identify what happened (root cause) 3. Restart small (one habit, one action) 4. Adjust plan (what needs to change) 5. Reach out (accountability partner) 6. Recommit (renewed dedication)

This is normal and part of the process.

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Plan Status: Draft Plan Owner: [My Name] Last Updated: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM Next Review: YYYY-MM-DD

Research & Analysis Phase

When to skip: If provided with researcher reports, skip this phase.

Core Activities

Parallel Researcher Agents

• Spawn multiple researcher agents in parallel to investigate different approaches
• Wait for all researcher agents to report back before proceeding
• Each researcher investigates a specific aspect or approach

Sequential Thinking

• Use sequential-thinking skill for dynamic and reflective problem-solving
• Structured thinking process for complex analysis
• Enables multi-step reasoning with revision capability

Documentation Research

• Use docs-seeker skill to read and understand documentation
• Research plugins, packages, and frameworks
• Find latest technical documentation using llms.txt standard

GitHub Analysis

• Use gh command to read and analyze:
• GitHub Actions logs
• Pull requests
• Issues and discussions
• Extract relevant technical context from GitHub resources

Remote Repository Analysis

When given GitHub repository URL, generate fresh codebase summary:

# usage: 
repomix --remote <github-repo-url>
# example: 
repomix --remote https://github.com/mrgoonie/human-mcp

Debugger Delegation

• Delegate to debugger agent for root cause analysis
• Use when investigating complex issues or bugs
• Debugger agent specializes in diagnostic tasks

Best Practices

• Research breadth before depth
• Document findings for synthesis phase
• Identify multiple approaches for comparison
• Consider edge cases during research
• Note security implications early

Solution Design

Core Principles

Follow these fundamental principles:

• YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It) - Don't add functionality until necessary
• KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) - Prefer simple solutions over complex ones
• DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) - Avoid code duplication

Design Activities

Technical Trade-off Analysis

• Evaluate multiple approaches for each requirement
• Compare pros and cons of different solutions
• Consider short-term vs long-term implications
• Balance complexity with maintainability
• Assess development effort vs benefit
• Recommend optimal solution based on current best practices

Security Assessment

• Identify potential vulnerabilities during design phase
• Consider authentication and authorization requirements
• Assess data protection needs
• Evaluate input validation requirements
• Plan for secure configuration management
• Address OWASP Top 10 concerns
• Consider API security (rate limiting, CORS, etc.)

Performance & Scalability

• Identify potential bottlenecks early
• Consider database query optimization needs
• Plan for caching strategies
• Assess resource usage (memory, CPU, network)
• Design for horizontal/vertical scaling
• Plan for load distribution
• Consider asynchronous processing where appropriate

Edge Cases & Failure Modes

• Think through error scenarios
• Plan for network failures
• Consider partial failure handling
• Design retry and fallback mechanisms
• Plan for data consistency
• Consider race conditions
• Design for graceful degradation

Architecture Design

• Create scalable system architectures
• Design for maintainability
• Plan component interactions
• Design data flow
• Consider microservices vs monolith trade-offs
• Plan API contracts
• Design state management

Best Practices

• Document design decisions and rationale
• Consider both technical and business requirements
• Think through the entire user journey
• Plan for monitoring and observability
• Design with testing in mind
• Consider deployment and rollback strategies