Memory Garden

Memory Garden Writer Skill

Version: 1.0
Created: 2026-02-02
Author: Manus
Purpose: Write structured, semantically rich memory entries for efficient context management

Overview

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.

When to Use This Skill

• Creating daily memory notes after a session
• Writing compressed summaries of conversations
• Extracting "seeds" (reusable insights) from experiences
• Documenting decisions and their rationale
• Maintaining the memory hierarchy (Tier A → Tier B → Tier C)

Memory Hierarchy (From v0.0.19)

Tier A: Raw Daily Notes

• Location: memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md
• Purpose: Capture everything from today's session
• Lifespan: 1-3 days before compression
• Format: Timestamped entries with context

Tier B: Curated Wisdom

• Location: MEMORY.md (root level)
• Purpose: Distilled insights, decisions, patterns
• Lifespan: Permanent, but evolves
• Format: Structured sections with triggers

Tier C: Compressed Archive

• Location: memory/archive/YYYY-MM.md
• Purpose: Historical record, rarely accessed
• Lifespan: Permanent, read-only
• Format: Semantic summaries

Daily Memory Entry Template (Tier A)

# 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]

Curated Memory Template (Tier B)

# 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

Compressed Archive Template (Tier C)

# 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)

The "3-Month Rule" (From Cipher)

Rule: If it wouldn't matter in 3 months → compress or discard.

Keep:

• Decisions and their rationale
• Lessons learned and patterns discovered
• Seeds (reusable insights)
• Significant events and outcomes

Compress:

• Routine activities ("worked on X")
• Pleasantries and confirmations
• Detailed step-by-step logs (keep summary only)

Discard:

• Duplicate information
• Temporary notes that were resolved
• Irrelevant tangents

Semantic Compression Guidelines

What to Keep (Verbatim)

1. Decisions: The choice, rationale, and context
2. Insights: Novel patterns or principles
3. Seeds: Reusable knowledge with triggers
4. Failures: What didn't work and why
5. Breakthroughs: Moments of clarity or innovation

What to Summarize

1. Activities: "Worked on X, Y, Z" → "Implemented feature X"
2. Discussions: Long back-and-forth → Key points and outcome
3. Research: Detailed findings → Summary and conclusion
4. Iterations: Multiple attempts → Final approach and why

What to Discard

1. Pleasantries: "Great work!" "Thank you!" (unless significant)
2. Confirmations: "Got it" "Understood" "Proceeding"
3. Redundant logs: Repeated information
4. Resolved questions: Questions that were answered and no longer relevant

Memory Maintenance Cycle

Every 3-7 Days:

1. Review Tier A (Daily Notes):

   • Identify seeds to extract
   • Identify decisions to document
   • Identify patterns to record

2. Update Tier B (Curated Wisdom):

   • Add new seeds, decisions, patterns
   • Update existing entries if needed
   • Remove deprecated information

3. Compress to Tier C (Archive):

   • Apply 3-month rule
   • Create semantic summary
   • Move to archive folder

4. Prune:

   • Delete raw daily notes older than 7 days (after compression)
   • Keep only what matters

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing a memory entry, verify:

Daily Notes (Tier A)

• Timestamped entries with context
• Clear "What, Why, Outcome" structure
• Insights and learnings captured
• Decisions documented with rationale
• Seeds extracted with triggers
• Tags and metadata included

Curated Memory (Tier B)

• Principles are clear and actionable
• Decisions include context and rationale
• Patterns have evidence (3+ instances)
• Seeds have clear triggers
• Compression history is updated
• Maintenance date is set

Compressed Archive (Tier C)

• Summary captures key events
• Decisions and lessons are preserved
• Seeds are extracted
• Compression ratio is calculated
• Original files are deleted after compression

Examples

From Dojo Genesis:

• Daily notes from v0.0.17-v0.0.23 development
• Curated wisdom from Cipher collaboration
• Compressed archives from backend migration

Study these for:

• How to extract seeds from experiences
• How to document decisions with context
• How to apply the 3-month rule
• How to maintain the memory hierarchy

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ 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

Usage Instructions

1. Read this skill before writing memory entries
2. Choose the right template (Tier A, B, or C)
3. Fill in each section with specific, structured content
4. Apply the 3-month rule when compressing
5. Maintain the cycle every 3-7 days
6. Run the quality checklist before finalizing

Skill Metadata

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 decisions
• seed-extraction - For extracting reusable insights
• workspace-navigation - For managing memory files efficiently

Last Updated: 2026-02-02
Maintained By: Manus
Status: Active