memory-garden

name: memory-garden description: Write structured memory entries following the 4-Tier Context Iceberg for efficient context management. Use when recording daily learnings, documenting decisions, or extracting seeds. Trigger phrases: "write a memory entry", "record this learning", "save this to memory", "create a context artifact", "document this insight".

OpenClaw Integration: This skill is invoked by the Dojo Genesis plugin via /dojo run memory-garden. The agent receives project context automatically via the before_agent_start hook. Use dojo_get_context for full state, dojo_save_artifact to persist outputs, and dojo_update_state to record phase transitions and decisions.

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)

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

What to Summarize

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

What to Discard

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

Memory Maintenance Cycle

Every 3-7 Days:

Review Tier A (Daily Notes):
- Identify seeds to extract
- Identify decisions to document
- Identify patterns to record
Update Tier B (Curated Wisdom):
- Add new seeds, decisions, patterns
- Update existing entries if needed
- Remove deprecated information
Compress to Tier C (Archive):
- Apply 3-month rule
- Create semantic summary
- Move to archive folder
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

Read this skill before writing memory entries
Choose the right template (Tier A, B, or C)
Fill in each section with specific, structured content
Apply the 3-month rule when compressing
Maintain the cycle every 3-7 days
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

OpenClaw Tool Integration

When running inside the Dojo Genesis plugin:

Start by calling dojo_get_context to retrieve full project state, history, and artifacts
During the skill, follow the workflow steps documented above
Save outputs using dojo_save_artifact with the artifacts output directory
Update project state by calling dojo_update_state to record skill completion and any phase transitions