Task Tracker

Skill: task-tracker

What I do

I track progress through structured task lists, maintaining momentum and providing complexity data for token-cost-estimation. I help visualise progress and identify tasks that may exceed estimated costs.

When to use me

• When managing multi-step work
• When tracking progress through a session
• When token-cost-estimation needs complexity per task
• When needing visibility into remaining work
• When tasks need priority ordering

Core principles

1. Break down immediately - Capture all tasks before starting
2. Track status religiously - Update as you complete
3. Score complexity - Every task gets a complexity rating
4. Monitor token usage - Track consumption per task
5. Maintain momentum - Visible progress motivates

Task Structure

Required Fields

Task:
  - ID: unique identifier
  - Description: clear, actionable
  - Status: pending | in_progress | completed | blocked
  - Complexity: simple | moderate | complex
  - Estimated tokens: from token-cost-estimation
  - Actual tokens: filled on completion

Complexity Scoring

Progress Tracking

Status Updates

• Update immediately when status changes
• Never batch updates
• One task in_progress at a time

Token Tracking

Task: Implement user validation
Estimated: 800 tokens
Actual: 950 tokens
Variance: +150 (investigation took longer)
→ Record in memory-keeper

Patterns & examples

Session task list:

Session Goal: Add user authentication
Estimated Total: 3500 tokens

[ ] Task 1: Research auth patterns (moderate, 600 est)
[→] Task 2: Implement JWT handler (complex, 1200 est)
[x] Task 3: Add middleware (simple, 400 est) - actual: 380
[ ] Task 4: Write tests (moderate, 800 est)
[ ] Task 5: Update docs (simple, 500 est)

Progress: 1/5 complete, ~380/3500 tokens used

Anti-patterns to avoid

• ❌ Starting without a task list
• ❌ Batching status updates
• ❌ Multiple tasks in_progress simultaneously
• ❌ Not scoring complexity upfront
• ❌ Ignoring token variance patterns

KB Reference

~/vaults/baphled/3. Resources/Knowledge Base/AI Development System/Skills/Workflow-Orchestration/Task Tracker.md

Related skills

• token-cost-estimation - Provides complexity and token data
• estimation - Complexity scoring methodology
• time-management - Time per task tracking
• scope-management - Task list reflects scope
• checklist-discipline - Rigorous status updates
• long-running-agent — Multi-session harness pattern (uses task-tracker per session)