swathidbhat Goal-Focused Folder Organization
Your folder structure should mirror your priorities. When files are organized by goals, not file types, your digital environment actively supports what you're trying to achieve.
Modes
| Mode | Trigger | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive | First run or no config file | Asks goals → proposes plan → gets approval → executes → offers automation |
| Autonomous | Config file exists + "auto" in prompt | Reads config → sorts new files → logs changes |
Interactive Mode (First Run)
Inputs Required
- Folder path to organize
- User's goals/projects (asked during session)
- Approval before executing
Outputs
- Goal-based folder structure created
- Files moved to appropriate folders
- Cleanup candidates in
_To-Review/ - Config file saved (
.goal-org-config.yaml) - Option to set up automation
Workflow
Step 1: Understand Goals
Ask 2-3 questions:
- "What are your main projects or goals right now?"
- "What do you use this folder for most often?"
Skip if goals are known from context.
Step 2: Analyze Files
ls -la "/path/to/folder"
For ambiguous files, inspect contents. Identify duplicates, installers, incomplete downloads.
Step 3: Propose Plan
Present folder structure organized by goals:
01-Goal-Name/
02-Another-Goal/
03-Admin/
04-Personal/
_To-Review/
Wait for user approval before proceeding.
Step 4: Execute
After approval:
- Create folders
- Move files to appropriate locations
- Move duplicates/installers to
_To-Review/ - Never hard delete
Step 5: Save Config
Create .goal-org-config.yaml in the folder:
goals:
- "Learning AI"
- "Building startup"
folders:
01-Learning-AI: "Courses, research, tutorials"
02-Building-Startup: "Product docs, code, data"
schedule:
enabled: false
Step 6: Offer Automation
Ask: "Want to automate this regularly?"
If yes:
- Ask: "How often? (daily, weekly, weekdays)"
- Ask: "What time?"
- Run:
scripts/setup-automation.sh <folder> <time> <frequency> - Update config with schedule settings
Autonomous Mode (Scheduled Runs)
Inputs Required
- Folder path with existing
.goal-org-config.yaml - Prompt containing "auto" (e.g., "auto-organize", "--auto")
Outputs
- New files sorted into existing goal folders
- Ambiguous files moved to
_To-Review/ - Log entry in
.goal-org.log
Workflow
Step 1: Read Config
cat .goal-org-config.yaml
If no config exists, switch to Interactive mode.
Step 2: Identify New Files
Find files not in any goal folder (sitting in root).
Step 3: Sort Files
For each new file:
- Match to existing goal folder based on content/name
- If confident match → move to that folder
- If ambiguous → move to
_To-Review/
Step 4: Log Results
Append to .goal-org.log:
[2025-02-02 23:30] Sorted 5 files: 3 to 01-Learning-AI, 1 to 02-Building, 1 to _To-Review
Safety Rules
- Never hard delete - always move to
_To-Review/ - Never create new top-level folders in autonomous mode
- Never modify existing files - only move
- Log all actions in autonomous mode
Scripts
setup-automation.sh
Sets up scheduled runs via cron.
./scripts/setup-automation.sh <folder_path> <time> <frequency>
# Example: ./scripts/setup-automation.sh ~/Downloads 23:30 daily
Frequencies: daily, weekly, weekdays
Examples
Interactive first run:
User: "Organize my Downloads folder"
Claude: Asks about goals → proposes structure → waits for approval
Autonomous scheduled run:
User: "Auto-organize my Downloads"
Claude: Reads config → sorts new files → logs results
Ambiguous file:
Found: mystery-file-abc123.pdf
Action: Move to _To-Review/ (user reviews later)