tomevault-io Directions Workflow Skill
A methodology for AI-assisted development that maintains context across sessions.
Core Concepts
Project Phases
Projects move through phases: discovery → planning → implementation → polish → shipping
Each phase has different focus areas and relevant documentation.
Session Management
- Every session should check PROJECT_STATE.md for current focus
- Sessions are logged in
docs/sessions/with date-based filenames - Handoff documents capture state for future sessions
Decision Logging
Architectural and design decisions are logged to docs/decisions.md with:
- Date
- What was decided
- Why (reasoning/trade-offs)
- Alternatives considered
Blocker Tracking
Blockers are tracked in PROJECT_STATE.md with:
- What's blocked
- What was tried
- What would unblock
File Structure
docs/
├── 00_base.md # System overview (read first)
├── PROJECT_STATE.md # Current phase, focus, blockers
├── decisions.md # Decision log
├── sessions/
│ ├── _index.md # Session index
│ └── YYYY-MM-DD-*.md # Individual session logs
└── [numbered docs] # Reference documentation
Available Commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/setup |
Initialize or detect Directions |
/status |
Show current project state |
/log |
Create/update session log |
/decide |
Record a decision |
/interview |
Run discovery interview |
/learned |
Add glossary term |
/reorg |
Reorganize folder structure |
/update-directions |
Pull latest updates |
/execute |
Wave-based parallel execution |
Workflow Principles
- Context First - Always read PROJECT_STATE.md before starting work
- Log As You Go - Don't wait until end of session to log
- Decisions Are Permanent - Log decisions when made, not retroactively
- Blockers Are Signals - Track blockers to identify patterns
- Handoffs Enable Continuity - Write handoffs as if for another person
Context Management
Prevent quality degradation during long sessions:
- File Size Limits - PROJECT_STATE.md <80 lines, session logs ~200 lines
- Temporary Files - PLAN.md and RESUME.md delete after use
- Orchestrator Pattern - Keep main context <40%, spawn subagents for heavy work
- Wave Execution - Group tasks by dependency, run parallel waves with fresh contexts
- Atomic Commits - One task = one commit for easy revert/bisect
See 52_context-management.md for full details.
Source: Xpycode/syncthingStatus — distributed by TomeVault.