Habit Tracker

When the skill triggers (user mentions habits, check-in, routines, or streaks):

Step 1: Find the Config

Search for habit-config.yaml in the user's workspace:

1. Scan the workspace — Look in the workspace root and one level deep for habit-config.yaml. Exclude the skill's own templates/ directory.

   • Found — Load it.
   • Not found — Ask: "Want to set up habit tracking? I'll walk you through defining your habits." Run the initialization flow (see First-Time Setup).

2. Find the log file — The config's log_file field points to the JSON log. If the file doesn't exist, create it as an empty JSON object {}.

Step 2: Determine Check-In Timing

Check the current time and determine what to ask about:

• Morning session (before noon): Ask about yesterday's habits (if not already logged).
• Evening session (after noon): Ask about today's habits.
• If already logged for the target date: Report streaks and skip the check-in, or ask if the user wants to update any entries.

The config's timezone field controls what "today" means. Always verify the current time: TZ='<timezone>' date.

Step 3: Run the Check-In

For each active habit on the target date:

1. Check the schedule. Only ask about habits that apply today (e.g., skip "Pack swim bag" on non-Saturdays, skip "Include kid in dinner prep" on non-Wed/Thu).
2. Ask individually. Never batch-assume. Never default to false. Say: "Did you [habit]?" for each one.
3. Accept three responses:
   • Done (true) — The user completed the habit.
   • Missed (false) — The user didn't do it. No guilt, no judgment. Just log it.
   • Covered ("covered") — Someone else handled it. Covered days don't break streaks but don't build them either.
4. Log immediately. Don't batch logging to session end. Write each response to the log file as it's given.

Step 4: Report Streaks

After logging, show a brief streak summary:

Streaks:
  Water in the morning: 5 days ■■■■■
  Oatmeal: 2 days ■■
  PT exercises: 0 (last: 3 days ago)
  Evening routine: 3 days ■■■

Celebrate streaks of 7+ days. Gently note broken streaks without guilt — the point is awareness, not shame. If the user has a values framework or motivational system, reference it when appropriate (e.g., "measure yourself by how you rise" for a broken streak).

The Check-In Protocol

Rules (Non-Negotiable)

1. Never assume false on unasked habits. If you didn't explicitly ask about a habit, don't log it. The user may have done it.

2. Ask about every active habit individually. Don't say "Did you do everything?" or "Anything else you did today?" Each habit gets its own question.

3. "Loaded" counts as done for threshold habits. Some habits have a threshold_note in the config (e.g., dishwasher: "loading it counts even if you don't run it"). Respect the user's definition of done.

4. Log immediately when data is collected. Don't defer or batch. The moment the user tells you about a habit, write it to the log.

5. Don't skip habits because the session is busy. Habit tracking is a gate, not an optional add-on. If the session is a coding sprint, a planning session, or an evening check-in, habits still get logged. Keep it quick (2-3 minutes), but do it.

6. Respect the user's energy. The check-in should feel like a quick inventory, not an interrogation. Group by category, move fast, don't editorialize on individual misses.

Handling Partial Check-Ins

If the user gives a batch response ("protein shake done, dishwasher done, no PT"), log what they mentioned and ask about the rest. Don't assume the unmentioned ones are false.

Handling Multi-Day Gaps

If there are unlogged days between the last log entry and today, ask: "I see [date] through [date] aren't logged. Want to go through those, or just log today?" Respect the answer. Don't guilt-trip about gaps.

Habit Configuration

Habits are defined in habit-config.yaml. The schema:

# Habit Tracker Configuration