name: objective-complete description: Instructions for completing an objective and documenting the process. Use after all tasks for an objective are done.

Objective completion instructions

Follow these steps when all tasks for an objective are complete:

1. Create a completion log file for each completed objective.

   • Navigate to docs/process/completion-logs/.
   • Create a new file named YYYY-MM-DD-objective-name.md (e.g., 2025-10-04-project-documentation.md).
   • Use lowercase with hyphens for the objective name portion.

2. Document what was completed in the log.

   • Start with a heading using the full objective statement.
   • Include a "Tasks completed" section with the checkbox list from active-tasks.md.
   • Mark all checkboxes as complete to show the final state.
   • Add a "Date completed" field at the top for quick reference.

3. Capture learnings and reflections.

   • Add a "Learnings" section documenting key discoveries or insights.
   • Include technical decisions made, approaches that worked well, or challenges encountered.
   • Copy relevant content from the "Working notes" section of active-tasks.md.
   • Add a "Reflections" section for process observations, what to do differently, or improvements.
   • Keep both sections concise but substantive; future you will thank you.

4. Handle new work identified during completion.

   • Review working notes and reflections for newly identified work.
   • For well-defined new objectives:
     • Add them to the "To do" table in backlog.md.
     • Include objective statement, description, readiness, and priority.
   • For ideas needing more thought:
     • Add them to the "Parking lot" section in backlog.md.
     • Include open questions or concerns that need resolution.

5. Update the "Done" section in backlog.md.

   • Add a new row to the "Done" table for each completed objective.
   • Copy the objective statement to the first column.
   • Link to the completion log file in the second column using relative path.
   • Example: [2025-10-04](./completion-logs/2025-10-04-project-documentation.md)

6. Reset the "Doing" section in backlog.md.

   • Remove completed objective(s) from the "Doing" bullet list.
   • If no objectives remain active, leave the section with just the reference link.
   • Update the introductory sentence if needed to reflect current state.

7. Reset active-tasks.md for new work.

   • Remove all completed objective sections and their tasks.
   • Clear the "Working notes" section (content should now be in completion logs).
   • Keep the document structure and instructions at the top.
   • Leave the file ready for the next objective breakdown.

8. Review and reflect on the backlog.

   • After completion, take a moment to review the "To do" section.
   • Consider if priorities or readiness have changed based on what was learned.
   • Update the backlog table if needed to reflect new understanding.
   • This is a natural checkpoint to reassess direction.

9. Update any related documentation.

   • If the completed objective impacted project documentation, update those files.
   • If any of your learnings are broadly applicable, consider adding them to the Project brief.