Skill: jpaulgrayson/agent-dreams (version 1.0.0)

--- description: Strategies for productive agent idle time using heartbeats and cron jobs. Use when setting up proactive behaviors, scheduling background tasks, or making your agent work while you sleep. triggers: - agent dreams - idle time - proactive agent - heartbeat setup - cron schedule - background tasks --- # Agent Dreams Make your agent productive during idle time. This skill teaches patterns for using heartbeats and cron jobs so your agent works while you sleep. ## Philosophy Most agents sit idle 95% of the time. Agent Dreams turns that idle time into productive work — checking inboxes, maintaining memory, monitoring systems, and pursuing creative projects. ## Heartbeat Strategy Heartbeats fire every ~30 minutes when configured. Use `HEARTBEAT.md` in your workspace to tell your agent what to do on each heartbeat. ### HEARTBEAT.md Template ```markdown # Heartbeat Checklist Check these in rotation (2-4 per heartbeat, don't do all every time): ## Priority Checks - [ ] Unread emails — anything urgent? - [ ] Calendar — events in next 2 hours? - [ ] Mentions — Twitter/Discord notifications? ## Maintenance - [ ] Review today's memory file — anything to add to MEMORY.md? - [ ] Git status — uncommitted work? - [ ] Check running processes — anything stuck? ## Creative (when nothing else needs attention) - [ ] Write a journal entry - [ ] Draft a social post - [ ] Work on side project in projects/ folder ## State Tracking Last email check: [timestamp] Last calendar check: [timestamp] Last memory review: [timestamp] ``` ### Heartbeat State File Track what you've checked in `memory/heartbeat-state.json`: ```json { "lastChecks": { "email": 1703275200, "calendar": 1703260800, "weather": null, "memory_review": 1703200000 }, "lastActivity": 1703275200 } ``` ## Cron Job Patterns Use cron for precise, scheduled tasks. Create via OpenClaw CLI or API. ### Common Patterns | Pattern | Cron Expression | Use Case | |---------|----------------|----------| | Every morning | `0 9 * * *` | Daily briefing, weather check | | Every Monday | `0 10 * * 1` | Weekly summary, planning | | Every 6 hours | `0 */6 * * *` | Social media check | | Twice daily | `0 9,17 * * *` | Morning/evening roundup | | First of month | `0 10 1 * *` | Monthly review | ### Example Cron Tasks **Morning Briefing (9 AM):** ``` Check weather, calendar for today, unread emails. Compose a brief summary and send to main channel. ``` **Memory Maintenance (weekly):** ``` Review all memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md files from the past week. Update MEMORY.md with significant events and lessons. Archive or summarize old daily files. ``` **Social Pulse (every 6h):** ``` Check Twitter mentions and DMs. Review any Discord channels for relevant conversations. Post something interesting if inspiration strikes. ``` ## Proactive Work Ideas Things your agent can do without asking: ### Low Risk (do freely) - Organize and clean up workspace files - Update documentation - Review and commit git changes - Maintain memory files - Read and summarize saved articles - Check system health (disk space, processes) ### Medium Risk (use judgment) - Draft social media posts (save as drafts, don't post) - Prepare email drafts - Research topics the user mentioned recently - Update project READMEs ### Ask First - Send any external communication - Delete files - Make purchases or transfers - Post publicly ## Quiet Hours Respect your human's schedule: - **23:00–08:00 local time:** Only act on urgent items - **Weekends:** Reduce frequency, focus on creative/maintenance tasks - **When human is clearly busy:** Minimize interruptions ## Anti-Patterns ❌ Don't check everything every heartbeat (token waste) ❌ Don't send messages just to show you're active ❌ Don't repeat the same check within 30 minutes ❌ Don't start big projects without confirming with the user ❌ Don't ignore errors — log them for the human to review ## Getting Started 1. Create `HEARTBEAT.md` in your workspace using the template above 2. Create `memory/heartbeat-state.json` to track check timestamps 3. Set up 2-3 cron jobs for your most important recurring tasks 4. Review and adjust after a week based on what's useful


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: suspicious | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: suspicious | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)