self-reflection - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: self-reflection description: Daily self-reflection and continuous improvement system. Use when the agent needs to generate daily reflection reports at 02:00 to review the previous day's events, identify issues (user-corrected or self-discovered), perform root cause analysis, propose keep/improve strategies, AND check consistency between behavior and core files (SOUL.md, AGENTS.md). Check for internal conflicts within AGENTS.md/SOUL.md, cross-file conflicts, and quality issues (redundancy, vagueness). Also use for weekly summary on Saturday. Triggers include automated cron job at 02:00 or explicit user request for reflection.

Self Reflection

Overview

This skill defines a structured self-reflection process for continuous improvement. The reflection analyzes daily interactions to identify successes, problems, root causes, and actionable strategies.

Core Rules:

Reflection outputs go to memory files only. Never directly modify SOUL.md, AGENTS.md, or SKILL.md during reflection.
Be specific and concise — vague reflections are useless. Target 5-10 minutes of writing.
Seek objective evidence — "Nick corrected me 3 times about X", not "I think I did okay."
Focus on actionable improvements — each issue needs a concrete fix.

When to Use This Skill:

Daily at 02:00 (automated via cron)
User explicitly requests reflection

Daily Reflection Schedule

Trigger: Daily at 02:00 via cron job Scope: Review previous day's memory files (memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md and memory/YYYY-MM-DD-{slug}.md) Output: Append "Self Reflection" section to memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (create if not exists; update existing section if present) Duration: 5-10 minutes of focused analysis

Data Sources

Read existing memory files for the target day:

memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md — standard daily memory (agent-curated notes)
memory/YYYY-MM-DD-{slug}.md — session summaries (if multiple sessions, read all)

Do NOT read raw session logs (.jsonl files) — too token-intensive.

Reflection Process

Step 1: Review Memory Files

Read the previous day's memory files:

memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (standard daily memory with agent-curated notes)
memory/YYYY-MM-DD-{slug}.md (session summaries, if they exist)

Extract from these files:

User interactions and requests
Explicit corrections or feedback from user
Decisions made and tasks completed
Any existing "Self Reflection" section (to avoid duplication)

Step 2: Identify Issues

Category A: User-Identified Issues

Direct corrections ("你错了", "应该这样做...")
Explicit feedback ("这样不对", "下次注意...")

Category B: Self-Discovered Issues

Misunderstandings that required clarification
Inefficient approaches
Missing context that led to poor responses
Overly verbose or unclear communication

Step 3: Analyze What Went Well

For each positive outcome:

What was the situation?
What action did I take?
What was the result?

Step 4: Root Cause Analysis

For each issue (positive or negative), analyze:

Contributing Factors:

Knowledge gap?
Process flaw?
Communication issue?
Context misunderstanding?
Time pressure?
Tool limitation?

Depth: Ask "why" 3-5 times to reach root cause

Example:

Issue: Provided incorrect file path
Why? Didn't verify path existence
Why? Assumed user's input was correct
Why? Didn't think to check
Root cause: Lack of verification habit

Step 5: Strategy Development

For Successes (Keep/Enhance):

What factors enabled this success?
How to ensure these factors persist?
How to amplify this strength?

For Issues (Improve):

What specific change would prevent this issue?
Is this a one-time fix or systemic change needed?
What barrier might prevent implementation?

Step 6: Consistency Check

Check alignment between behavior and core files:

A. Behavior vs Core Files

Did my actions contradict any principle in SOUL.md?
Did I follow all required procedures in AGENTS.md?
Was there a gap between stated values and actual behavior?

B. Internal Consistency of AGENTS.md

Any two principles suggesting opposite actions?
Conflicting procedures for the same scenario?
Contradictory advice in different sections?

C. Internal Consistency of SOUL.md

Any values that conflict with each other?
Contradictory behavioral guidance?
Inconsistent tone or stance?

D. Cross-File Consistency (AGENTS.md vs SOUL.md)

Do procedures align with stated values?
Does SOUL.md's "vibe" match AGENTS.md's rules?
Any principle in one file contradicting the other?

E. Quality Issues

Redundancy: Same point repeated in multiple places?
Repetition: Identical wording used unnecessarily?
Vagueness: Statements too ambiguous to guide action?
Outdated: Content no longer reflects current practices?

F. Cron Jobs Conflicts

Time Conflicts: Multiple jobs scheduled at same time?
Resource Competition: Jobs accessing same files simultaneously?
Frequency Overlap: Daily and weekly jobs creating redundant work?

G. Cron Definition vs Backup Consistency

cron-jobs.json (backup) matches actual running cron jobs?
Skill docs reference correct cron commands?
Cron message updated after skill changes?

H. Path Consistency

Paths in SKILL.md exist and are correct?
Cron job workdir settings valid?
Backup scripts reference correct paths?

I. Skill Trigger Conflicts

Descriptions overlapping (wrong skill triggered)?
Self-reflection triggers don't conflict with other skills?
Clear boundaries between similar skills?

J. Backup Scope Consistency

max/ directory includes all critical files?
Skills copied to all three layers (bundled/managed/workspace)?
.skill package files up to date?
Recent changes synced to backup?

Record specific inconsistencies with:

File and section reference
The conflicting statements
Suggested fix

Output Format

Write the reflection to memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md following these rules:

Create the file if it doesn't exist
Check for existing "Self Reflection" section
- If present: Replace/update the entire section
- If not present: Append to end of file
Ensure only ONE "Self Reflection" section exists per day

Section Format

## Self Reflection

Generated at: [timestamp]

### Events Review
[Summary of key interactions and tasks from the day's memory files]

### What Went Well

#### Event 1: [Brief description]
- **Situation:** [Context]
- **Action:** [What I did]
- **Result:** [Outcome]
- **Success Factors:** [What enabled this]
- **Keep Strategy:** [How to maintain/enhance]

### Issues Identified

#### Issue 1: [Brief description]
- **Category:** [User-identified / Self-discovered]
- **Related Event:** [Reference to specific interaction]
- **Root Cause Analysis:**
  - Why? [Answer]
  - Why? [Answer]
  - Root Cause: [Final factor]
- **Improvement Strategy:** [Specific action to take]

### Metrics
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|--------|-------|-------|
| Interactions | X | [Number of exchanges] |
| Corrections | Y | [Times user corrected me] |
| Clarifications | Z | [Times I asked for clarification] |
| Improvements | W | [Proactive suggestions adopted] |

### Key Learnings
- [Learning 1 with context]
- [Learning 2 with context]

### Consistency Check

#### Behavior vs Core Files
| Behavior Observed | Expected per File | Consistent? | Issue |
|-------------------|-------------------|-------------|-------|
| [What I did] | [SOUL.md/AGENTS.md says] | Yes/No | [If no, describe gap] |

#### Internal Consistency (AGENTS.md)
- **Conflicts Found:** [Yes/No]
  - [Details if any]

#### Internal Consistency (SOUL.md)
- **Conflicts Found:** [Yes/No]
  - [Details if any]

#### Cross-File Consistency
- **Conflicts Found:** [Yes/No]
  - [Details if any]

### Proposed Improvements (Pending Approval)
| Issue | Proposed Change | Target File |
|-------|-----------------|-------------|
| [Issue 1] | [Specific change] | [SOUL.md/AGENTS.md/etc] |


## After Receiving User Feedback

When Nick approves specific changes:

1. **Read** `SOUL.md` and `AGENTS.md` completely
2. **Check** if new content contradicts existing principles
3. **Maintain** coherence — all principles should work together
4. **Be concise** — remove redundancy during updates
5. **Ask** Nick if you find inconsistencies

**Red flags for inconsistency:**
- Two principles suggesting opposite actions in the same scenario
- New advice that contradicts established boundaries
- Values that can't coexist logically

**Never remove principles without explicit permission.**

## Memory Maintenance

Periodically (every few days), use a heartbeat or dedicated session to:

1. Read through recent `memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md` files
2. Look at the "Self Reflection" sections for patterns
3. Identify significant events, lessons, or insights worth keeping long-term
4. Extract enduring lessons that should inform core behavior
5. Update MEMORY.md with distilled wisdom
6. Remove outdated info from MEMORY.md that's no longer relevant

Think of it like a human reviewing their journal and updating their mental model. Daily files are raw notes; MEMORY.md is curated wisdom.

## Core File Change Policy

**Strict Rule:** During reflection, NEVER modify:
- SOUL.md
- AGENTS.md
- SKILL.md
- Any other core behavior files

**Allowed Actions:**
- Write to memory/ files only
- Propose changes in reflection output
- Wait for user approval

**After User Approval:**
1. User explicitly states which changes to implement
2. Make the specific changes
3. Verify consistency with existing principles
4. Confirm completion

## Quality Principles

### Be Specific
❌ Vague: "Did good today"  
✅ Specific: "Refactored the database layer reducing query time by 40%"

❌ Vague: "Made mistakes"  
✅ Specific: "Forgot to handle null values in the user input validation"

### Seek Objective Evidence
- Count actual corrections: "Nick corrected me 3 times about X"
- Note specific feedback quotes
- Track measurable metrics

### Focus on Actionable Improvements
Each issue should lead to a concrete change:
- "Communication was unclear" → "Next time, start with a summary before details"
- "Missed edge case" → "Add verification step for user inputs"

### Be Concise
- Target 5-10 minutes of focused writing
- Omit obvious observations
- Focus on high-impact insights

## Cron Job Configuration

Add to cron jobs for automated reflection:

```json
{
  "name": "Daily Self Reflection",
  "schedule": {"kind": "cron", "expr": "0 2 * * *", "tz": "Asia/Shanghai"},
  "payload": {
    "kind": "agentTurn",
    "message": "Use self-reflection skill. Generate daily reflection for yesterday. Read memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md and any memory/YYYY-MM-DD-{slug}.md files for yesterday's date. Analyze events, identify issues, perform root cause analysis, and append/update the 'Self Reflection' section in memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md. Do NOT modify core files.",
    "model": "kimi-coding/k2p5",
    "thinking": "low"
  },
  "sessionTarget": "isolated",
  "delivery": {"mode": "announce"}
}

References

See references/framework.md for detailed analysis frameworks, root cause methods, and quality checklists.