Write structured memory entries following the 4-Tier Context Iceberg for efficient context management. Use when recording daily learnings, documenting decisions, or extracting seeds. Trigger phrases: "write a memory entry", "record this learning", "save this to memory", "create a context artifact", "document this insight".
OpenClaw Integration: This skill is invoked by the Dojo Genesis plugin via
/dojo run memory-garden. The agent receives project context automatically via thebefore_agent_starthook. Usedojo_get_contextfor full state,dojo_save_artifactto persist outputs, anddojo_update_stateto record phase transitions and decisions.
Version: 1.0
Created: 2026-02-02
Author: Manus
Purpose: Write structured, semantically rich memory entries for efficient context management
This skill encodes the pattern for writing memory entries that follow the 4-Tier Context Iceberg and Hierarchical Memory principles from Dojo Genesis v0.0.19. Use this skill to create memory entries that are easy to search, retrieve, and compress.
Philosophy: Memory should be a garden, not a landfill. Cultivate what matters, compost what doesn't.
memory/YYYY-MM-DD.mdMEMORY.md (root level)memory/archive/YYYY-MM.md# Memory: YYYY-MM-DD
**Session:** [Morning Planning | Deep Work | Creative Session | Review]
**Context:** [What we were working on]
**Duration:** [Approximate time spent]
---
## Key Activities
### [HH:MM] [Activity Name]
**What:** [Brief description of what happened]
**Why:** [The goal or motivation]
**Outcome:** [What was produced or decided]
**Insights:**
- [Specific insight or learning]
- [Pattern or principle discovered]
**Related:**
- Links to: [file, artifact, or previous memory]
- Builds on: [previous work or decision]
---
## Decisions Made
### Decision: [Short title]
**Context:** [What led to this decision]
**Options Considered:**
1. [Option A] - [Pros/Cons]
2. [Option B] - [Pros/Cons]
**Chosen:** [Selected option]
**Rationale:** [Why this was the best choice]
**Trigger:** [When to revisit this decision]
---
## Seeds Extracted
### Seed: [Name]
**Pattern:** [The reusable insight or principle]
**Why It Matters:** [The value or application]
**Trigger:** [When to apply this seed]
- [Context or situation]
- [Keywords or signals]
**Example:** [Concrete example from this session]
**Related Seeds:** [Other seeds this connects to]
---
## Open Questions
- [ ] [Question that needs resolution]
- [ ] [Uncertainty or ambiguity to clarify]
---
## Next Steps
- [ ] [Actionable task]
- [ ] [Follow-up or continuation]
---
## Metadata
**Tags:** #[category] #[topic] #[type]
**Compression Status:** Raw (not yet compressed)
**Importance:** High | Medium | Low
**Retention:** [How long to keep in Tier A before compression]
# Memory (Curated Wisdom)
**Last Updated:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Maintenance Cycle:** Every 3-7 days
**Purpose:** Distilled insights, decisions, and patterns that matter beyond a single session
---
## Core Principles
### [Principle Name]
**Statement:** [Clear, concise principle]
**Origin:** [Where this came from - date, context, or experience]
**Application:** [When and how to apply this]
**Examples:**
- [Concrete example 1]
- [Concrete example 2]
**Trigger:** [Keywords or contexts that should surface this principle]
---
## Key Decisions
### [Decision Title]
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Context:** [What led to this decision]
**Decision:** [What was decided]
**Rationale:** [Why this was chosen]
**Status:** Active | Revisit on [date] | Deprecated
**Trigger:** [When to recall this decision]
---
## Patterns & Insights
### [Pattern Name]
**Observation:** [What we've noticed repeatedly]
**Evidence:**
- [Instance 1: date, context]
- [Instance 2: date, context]
- [Instance 3: date, context]
**Implication:** [What this means for future work]
**Trigger:** [When to apply this pattern]
---
## Seeds (Reusable Knowledge)
### Seed: [Name]
**Pattern:** [The reusable insight]
**Why It Matters:** [The value]
**Trigger:** [When to apply]
**Origin:** [Where this came from]
**Last Used:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Usage Count:** [Number of times applied]
---
## Compression History
| Date | Compressed From | Summary | Retained |
|------|-----------------|---------|----------|
| YYYY-MM-DD | memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md | [Brief summary] | [What was kept] |
---
## Metadata
**Total Seeds:** [Number]
**Total Decisions:** [Number]
**Total Patterns:** [Number]
**Last Maintenance:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Next Maintenance:** YYYY-MM-DD
# Memory Archive: YYYY-MM
**Compressed:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Source:** [List of daily files compressed]
**Compression Ratio:** [X]%
**Method:** Semantic compression (3-month rule)
---
## Summary
[2-3 paragraph summary of the month's activities, focusing on decisions, lessons, and patterns]
---
## Significant Events
### [Event Name]
**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**What:** [Brief description]
**Impact:** [Why this mattered]
**Outcome:** [Result or consequence]
---
## Lessons Learned
1. **[Lesson Title]:** [What we learned and why it matters]
2. **[Lesson Title]:** [What we learned and why it matters]
---
## Decisions Made
| Date | Decision | Rationale | Status |
|------|----------|-----------|--------|
| YYYY-MM-DD | [Brief decision] | [Why] | [Active/Deprecated] |
---
## Seeds Extracted
| Seed Name | Pattern | Trigger |
|-----------|---------|---------|
| [Name] | [Brief pattern] | [When to apply] |
---
## Metadata
**Compression Method:** Semantic (3-month rule)
**Original Size:** [X] lines
**Compressed Size:** [Y] lines
**Compression Ratio:** [Z]%
**Retention:** Permanent (read-only)
Rule: If it wouldn't matter in 3 months → compress or discard.
Keep:
Compress:
Discard:
Every 3-7 Days:
Review Tier A (Daily Notes):
Update Tier B (Curated Wisdom):
Compress to Tier C (Archive):
Prune:
Before finalizing a memory entry, verify:
From Dojo Genesis:
Study these for:
❌ Hoarding Everything: Keeping every detail → ✅ Compress ruthlessly
❌ Vague Insights: "This was useful" → ✅ "This pattern applies when X"
❌ Missing Triggers: Seed without context → ✅ Seed with clear "when to apply"
❌ No Maintenance: Let Tier A grow forever → ✅ Compress every 3-7 days
❌ Duplicate Information: Same thing in multiple places → ✅ Single source of truth
Token Savings: ~5,000-8,000 tokens per session (structured format enables efficient retrieval)
Quality Impact: Ensures consistent memory format across sessions
Maintenance: Update when new memory patterns emerge
Related Skills:
specification-writer - For documenting technical decisionsseed-extraction - For extracting reusable insightsworkspace-navigation - For managing memory files efficientlyWhen running inside the Dojo Genesis plugin:
dojo_get_context to retrieve full project state, history, and artifactsdojo_save_artifact with the artifacts output directorydojo_update_state to record skill completion and any phase transitions