Skill: clawdssen/agentledger-goal-tracker (version 1.0.1)

--- name: goal-tracker version: "1.0.0" description: OKR-style goal tracking for solopreneurs — quarterly goals, weekly check-ins, progress scoring, and an AI accountability partner that flags drift before it becomes failure. tags: [goals, okr, accountability, quarterly-review, weekly-checkin, progress-tracking, solopreneur, habits, milestones, focus] platforms: [openclaw, cursor, windsurf, generic] category: productivity author: The Agent Ledger license: CC-BY-NC-4.0 url: https://github.com/theagentledger/agent-skills --- # Goal Tracker Set goals that don't disappear. Get an agent that notices when you're drifting and says something. **by The Agent Ledger** — [theagentledger.com](https://theagentledger.com) --- ## The Problem Most goal systems fail the same way: you set goals in January, review them in December, and discover you drifted in February and never noticed. The solution isn't a better template — it's an agent that checks in weekly and flags drift before it compounds. This skill turns your agent into an accountability partner. Not motivational-poster accountability. Honest, data-driven accountability. --- ## Setup ### Step 1 — Create Your Goals Directory ```bash mkdir -p goals/ ``` ### Step 2 — Create Your Quarterly Goals File Create `goals/GOALS.md`: ```markdown # Goals **Current Quarter:** Q[N] [YEAR] **Quarter Dates:** [Start] → [End] **Last Updated:** [date] --- ## 🎯 This Quarter's Goals ### Goal 1: [Name] **Why it matters:** [One sentence — the real reason, not the polished reason] **Success looks like:** [Specific, observable outcome] **Deadline:** [date or end of quarter] **Status:** 🟢 On Track | 🟡 At Risk | 🔴 Off Track | ✅ Done | ⏸ Paused **Key Results:** - [ ] KR1: [measurable outcome] — current: [X] / target: [Y] - [ ] KR2: [measurable outcome] — current: [X] / target: [Y] - [ ] KR3: [measurable outcome] — current: [X] / target: [Y] **Weekly Progress:** | Week | Progress | Blocker | Score | |------|----------|---------|-------| | Wk1 | | | | --- ### Goal 2: [Name] <!-- Repeat structure above --> --- ## 📋 Goal Backlog Goals you want to pursue — not this quarter, but tracked so they don't get lost. | Goal | Why | Estimated Quarter | |------|-----|-------------------| | | | | --- ## ✅ Completed Goals | Goal | Quarter | Outcome | |------|---------|---------| | | | | ``` ### Step 3 — Tell the Agent Your Goals Simply tell the agent your goals in natural language: > "I want to hit $5k in monthly revenue by end of March. My key results are: launch the product by March 10, get 50 paying customers, and write 8 newsletter issues." The agent will structure them into `goals/GOALS.md` using the format above. --- ## Weekly Check-In Once per week (or when triggered), the agent runs a structured check-in: ### Trigger Any of: - "Weekly goal check-in" - "How are my goals looking?" - "Goal update" + progress description - Automatic via heartbeat or cron (see Advanced Patterns) ### Check-In Protocol The agent will: 1. **Read `goals/GOALS.md`** — load current quarter's goals and KRs 2. **Ask 3 targeted questions:** - What progress happened this week toward each goal? - Any new blockers or changed assumptions? - Do any goals need to be modified, paused, or killed? 3. **Update the weekly progress table** for each goal 4. **Recalculate progress scores** (see Scoring below) 5. **Flag any at-risk goals** with specific observations 6. **Output a Check-In Summary** (see format below) ### Check-In Summary Format ```markdown ## Weekly Check-In — [date] ### 📊 Goal Scores | Goal | Last Week | This Week | Trend | |------|-----------|-----------|-------| | [Goal 1] | [score]% | [score]% | ↑↓→ | | [Goal 2] | [score]% | [score]% | ↑↓→ | ### ✅ Progress This Week - [Goal 1]: [what happened] - [Goal 2]: [what happened] ### ⚠️ Flags - [Goal X is at risk because: specific observation] - [KR Y has not moved in 2 weeks — is this still a priority?] ### 🔜 Commitments for Next Week - [Specific action → [Goal]] - [Specific action → [Goal]] ### 💭 Agent Observation [One honest observation about goal trajectory this quarter] ``` --- ## Progress Scoring The agent scores each goal weekly using a simple formula: **Goal Score = (KRs completed + KRs in progress × 0.5) / Total KRs × 100** Example: 3 KRs total, 1 complete, 1 in progress, 1 not started → (1 + 0.5) / 3 × 100 = 50% **Status thresholds:** | Score | Status | Emoji | |-------|--------|-------| | 80–100% | On Track | 🟢 | | 50–79% | Slight Risk | 🟡 | | 20–49% | At Risk | 🔴 | | 0–19% | Off Track | 💀 | **Time-adjusted scoring:** The agent accounts for how far into the quarter you are. A 40% score in week 2 is fine; the same score in week 11 is a problem. Formula: `Expected Progress = (Current Week / 13) × 100` If `Goal Score < Expected Progress - 20%` → flag as At Risk regardless of threshold. --- ## Accountability Rules These are the behaviors that make this skill useful instead of just a fancy spreadsheet. ### 1. The Drift Flag If a goal's weekly progress entry is blank for 2+ consecutive weeks, the agent surfaces it: *"Goal X hasn't been updated in 2 weeks. Is this still active?"* ### 2. The Reality Check When a KR target hasn't moved in 3 weeks, the agent asks: *"KR [name] is at [X]/[Y] and hasn't changed in 3 weeks. What's the plan?"* ### 3. The Mid-Quarter Warning At week 6 (halfway through the quarter), the agent runs an automatic mid-quarter review and reports whether each goal is mathematically achievable given current pace. ### 4. The Kill Switch If you tell the agent a goal is no longer relevant, it moves it to the backlog or archives it — but records the reason. "I killed this because [reason]" is valuable data for future goal-setting. ### 5. The Commitment Loop At the end of every check-in, the agent asks for specific next-week commitments tied to each at-risk goal. These become the opening item for next week's check-in. --- ## Quarter Transition At the end of each quarter (or when triggered): 1. **Score final results** — mark each KR complete/incomplete with final numbers 2. **Write a quarter retrospective** → `goals/retro-Q[N]-[YEAR].md` 3. **Move goals to Completed table** with outcome notes 4. **Archive the quarter** → `goals/archive/Q[N]-[YEAR]-GOALS.md` 5. **Open next quarter's GOALS.md** with blank structure ### Retrospective Format ```markdown # Quarter Retrospective — Q[N] [YEAR] **Overall Score:** [X]% ([N]/[N] goals completed or mostly completed) ## What Worked - [specific thing] ## What Didn't - [specific thing] — [honest reason] ## What I'd Do Differently - [specific change] ## Carry-Over Goals - [goal] → moving to Q[N+1] because [reason] ## Lessons for Next Quarter - [lesson] ``` --- ## Customization ### Set Your Quarter Dates If your quarter doesn't follow Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct, tell the agent: *"My Q1 runs February through April."* It will adjust mid-quarter warnings and time-adjusted scoring accordingly. ### Adjust the Number of Goals Default: 3–5 goals per quarter. Research suggests 3 is the sweet spot. If you want more, tell the agent — it will track them but may flag cognitive overload. ### Weekly vs. Bi-Weekly Check-Ins If weekly feels like too much, tell the agent to default to bi-weekly check-ins. The drift detection threshold will adjust from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. ### Goal Categories Optionally tag each goal with a category to track balance: - `#revenue` — income-generating - `#product` — building something - `#audience` — growing reach - `#learning` — skill development - `#personal` — non-business If all your goals are in one category, the agent will note the imbalance. ### Integration with Other Skills This skill integrates cleanly with the rest of the Agent Ledger portfolio: - **project-tracker**: Link goals to specific projects. When a project milestone completes, it can update the corresponding goal KR. - **solopreneur-assistant**: The business dashboard can show goal scores alongside revenue metrics. - **weekly-review** (via daily-briefing): Include goal status in morning briefings. - **research-assistant**: When a goal requires research (e.g., entering a new market), spawn a research brief tied to that goal. --- ## Troubleshooting | Problem | Solution | |---------|----------| | Goals feel vague | Break down to KRs with numbers. "Grow newsletter" → "Reach 500 subscribers by March 31" | | Too many goals | Enforce the 3-goal limit. Ask: "If you could only accomplish one this quarter, which one?" | | Goals feel stressful | Add a "Why it matters" sentence. Reconnecting to purpose helps more than adjusting targets | | KRs keep changing | That's fine — log the change with a reason. Changing KRs = learning, not failure | | Agent not flagging drift | Manually run: "Check my goals for drift and give me an honest assessment" | | Quarter half-over, goals clearly won't happen | Don't hide it. Run the mid-quarter review early and reset targets based on reality | --- ## Advanced Patterns See `references/advanced-patterns.md` for: - Annual goals broken into quarterly milestones - Multi-area goal tracking (business, health, relationships) - Goal stacking (how goals support each other) - Automated check-in via heartbeat/cron - Public accountability (sharing goal scores in a newsletter or with an accountability partner) - Post-mortem templates for missed goals - Goal-to-project linking for tight integration with project-tracker --- *Part of the Agent Skills collection by [The Agent Ledger](https://theagentledger.com).* *Subscribe for new skills, premium blueprints, and field notes from a real AI-assisted operation.* > *DISCLAIMER: This skill was created by an AI agent. It is provided "as is" for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional, financial, legal, or technical advice. Review all generated files before use. The Agent Ledger assumes no liability for outcomes resulting from use. Use at your own risk.*

path: references/advanced-patterns.md
content: # Goal Tracker — Advanced Patterns

**by The Agent Ledger** — [theagentledger.com](https://theagentledger.com)

Advanced techniques for goal tracking at scale. Read the main `SKILL.md` first.

---

## Annual Goals with Quarterly Milestones

Most goals worth pursuing take longer than a quarter. The solution: set an annual goal, then break it into quarterly milestones that represent meaningful progress — not just 25% of the final number.

### Structure

`goals/ANNUAL-GOALS.md`:

```markdown
# Annual Goals — [YEAR]

## Annual Goal 1: [Name]

**Target:** [Specific outcome by December 31]
**Why:** [Real reason this matters]

| Quarter | Milestone | Status |
|---------|-----------|--------|
| Q1 | [specific milestone] | ⬜ |
| Q2 | [specific milestone] | ⬜ |
| Q3 | [specific milestone] | ⬜ |
| Q4 | [final push/buffer] | ⬜ |
```

Each quarter, the current milestone becomes a goal in `GOALS.md`. The annual file provides context and continuity when you're mid-quarter and wondering if individual tasks actually matter.

### Mid-Year Annual Review

At Q2 end (week 26), run:
> "Annual goals mid-year review — are we on track for the year?"

The agent assesses: given Q1+Q2 results, what's realistic for the year? If the annual goal needs adjusting, better to know in July than December.

---

## Multi-Area Goal Tracking

Beyond business goals, you may want to track goals in other life areas without mixing them into your professional dashboard.

### Separate Goal Files by Domain

```
goals/
  GOALS.md              ← business/revenue goals
  GOALS-HEALTH.md       ← health and fitness
  GOALS-LEARNING.md     ← skills, books, courses
  GOALS-PERSONAL.md     ← relationships, experiences
```

Tell the agent which file to update when you describe a goal: *"Add this to my learning goals."*

### Cross-Domain Dependency Tracking

Sometimes life areas affect each other. Note explicit dependencies:

```markdown
## Goal: [Launch Product]
**Dependency:** Requires consistent energy — linked to Health Goal #1 (sleep 7h/night).
**Risk:** If health goal drifts, this goal is likely to follow.
```

The agent can flag when a health or energy goal is off-track and proactively note the downstream risk to business goals.

---

## Goal Stacking

Goals that reinforce each other compound. Goals that compete drain energy.

### Identify Complementary Goals

When you set goals for a new quarter, ask the agent:
> "Do these goals reinforce each other or compete? What's the highest-leverage order?"

The agent will map dependencies and flag conflicts:

```markdown
## Goal Stack Analysis — Q[N] [YEAR]

**Reinforcing pairs:**
- Goal 1 (launch product) → feeds Goal 2 (reach 500 subscribers) — each new customer is a potential subscriber
- Goal 3 (write 8 newsletters) → builds credibility for Goal 1 — content supports launch

**Potential conflicts:**
- Goal 1 and Goal 2 both require ~15h/week. Combined = 30h/week which exceeds available bandwidth.
- **Recommendation:** Phase them — prioritize launch in weeks 1–8, shift focus to subscriber growth in weeks 9–13.
```

### The Keystone Goal

One goal often makes the others easier. Identify it and protect it. If the keystone goal falls behind, flag the downstream risk immediately.

---

## Automated Check-Ins via Heartbeat or Cron

### Heartbeat Integration (OpenClaw)

Add to your `HEARTBEAT.md`:

```markdown
## Weekly Goal Check-In
Every Monday: Ask for goal progress update if I haven't done one since last Monday.
Check goals/GOALS.md for last weekly entry date.
If more than 7 days since last update, prompt: "Time for your weekly goal check-in — what progress happened this week?"
```

### Cron-Based Weekly Prompt (OpenClaw)

```bash
openclaw cron add \
  --name "weekly-goal-checkin" \
  --cron "0 9 * * MON" \
  --model "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" \
  --session isolated \
  --message "Goal tracker check-in: Read goals/GOALS.md. Check when the last weekly entry was made. If it's been more than 6 days, prepare a check-in prompt and announce it." \
  --announce \
  --to "[your-chat-id]" \
  --tz "America/Chicago"
```

Adjust `--tz` to your timezone. The message will arrive every Monday morning — a nudge to do the check-in.

### Mid-Quarter Warning Cron

```bash
openclaw cron add \
  --name "mid-quarter-goals" \
  --cron "0 9 * * MON" \
  --model "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6" \
  --session isolated \
  --message "Goal tracker mid-quarter review: Read goals/GOALS.md. Calculate what week of the quarter we're in. If it's week 6 or 7, run a mid-quarter review and report: for each goal, is it mathematically on track given current pace?" \
  --announce \
  --to "[your-chat-id]" \
  --tz "America/Chicago"
```

---

## Public Accountability

Telling someone your goals increases follow-through. Publishing them amplifies that effect.

### Newsletter Goal Updates

If you run a newsletter, consider a brief "goal scorecard" section at the end of each issue:

```markdown
## This Quarter's Scorecard

| Goal | Progress |
|------|----------|
| 500 subscribers | 312/500 (62%) 🟡 |
| Launch product | In progress (week 2 of 4) 🟢 |
| 12 newsletter issues | 7/12 (58%) 🟢 |
```

The agent can generate this section from `goals/GOALS.md` on demand. Transparency builds audience trust — readers like following a real journey.

### Accountability Partner Check-Ins

If you have an accountability partner, use the Weekly Check-In Summary format (from the main SKILL.md) as your weekly update. The agent drafts it; you send it. Consistent format means less friction.

---

## Post-Mortem for Missed Goals

Missing a goal isn't failure — missing it *without learning* is.

### Post-Mortem Template

When a goal is marked incomplete at quarter end, the agent automatically creates `goals/postmortem-[goal-name]-Q[N]-[YEAR].md`:

```markdown
# Post-Mortem: [Goal Name] — Q[N] [YEAR]

**Final Score:** [X]% — [KRs completed] / [Total KRs]

## What Was the Goal?
[Goal description and original KRs]

## What Actually Happened?
[Honest account — week by week if useful]

## Root Causes
(Pick 1–3 that actually apply)
- [ ] Goal was too ambitious for the quarter
- [ ] Competing priorities consumed the bandwidth
- [ ] External blocker that couldn't be controlled
- [ ] Goal was vague — hard to make progress on the unclear
- [ ] Lost motivation — the "why" wasn't compelling enough
- [ ] Didn't build in accountability early enough
- [ ] Other: [describe]

## What Would I Do Differently?
- [Specific change]

## Carry Forward?
- [ ] Yes — adjusted goal for Q[N+1]: [new version]
- [ ] No — goal no longer relevant because [reason]
- [ ] Revisit in [timeframe]
```

Reviewing post-mortems before setting next quarter's goals is the fastest way to improve goal quality over time.

---

## Goal-to-Project Linking

For goals with significant execution complexity, create a corresponding project in `projects/` (via the project-tracker skill).

### Linking Convention

In `goals/GOALS.md`, add a `Project:` field to the goal:

```markdown
### Goal: Launch Product by March 31
**Project:** [product-launch](../projects/product-launch.md)
```

In `projects/product-launch.md`, add a `Goal:` backlink:

```markdown
**Goal:** [Q1 Goal 1 — Launch Product](../goals/GOALS.md#goal-launch-product-by-march-31)
```

### Benefits

- Milestone completions in the project file automatically trigger KR updates in the goal file
- When the project is blocked, the agent can proactively flag goal risk
- Quarter-end review can pull project outcomes directly into goal scoring

---

## Goal Quality Review (Before the Quarter Starts)

The most common goal-setting mistake: setting goals that are vague, unmeasurable, or outside your control.

### Pre-Quarter Goal Review Protocol

Before locking in your goals for the quarter, ask the agent:
> "Review my draft goals for this quarter and tell me where they're weak."

The agent checks each goal against these criteria:

| Criterion | Question | Fix |
|-----------|----------|-----|
| **Specific** | Could two people disagree on whether it's done? | Rewrite with observable outcome |
| **Measurable** | Is there a number? | Add a KR with a target number |
| **Yours to control** | Does achieving it depend mostly on others? | Reframe around your actions, not others' responses |
| **Time-bound** | Is there a deadline? | Add "by [date]" |
| **Meaningful** | Would you be genuinely excited to hit this? | If not, question whether to pursue it at all |

A goal that passes all five is ready to track. A goal that fails two or more will drain energy without producing results.

---

*Part of the Agent Skills collection by [The Agent Ledger](https://theagentledger.com).*
*Subscribe for new skills, premium blueprints, and field notes from a real AI-assisted operation.*

*CC-BY-NC-4.0 — Free for personal use. Credit The Agent Ledger. No commercial redistribution.*


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