self-enhance
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Translated
Review recent work, identify process gaps and repeated mistakes, and produce specific file edits to prevent them. Not a reflection exercise — outputs config and identity changes. Trigger manually after sprints, or automate weekly.
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Sourcebenbennitt/skills
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npx skill4agent add benbennitt/skills self-enhanceTags
Translated version includes tags in frontmatterSKILL.md Content
View Translation Comparison →Self-Enhance
Review recent work and produce specific, actionable file edits that improve agent performance over time. No reports, no reflections — only changes.
When to Use
- End of a sprint or work session
- Weekly on a schedule (cron)
- After a session with multiple mistakes or corrections from your human
- When explicitly triggered:
/self-enhance
Process
Step 1: Gather Context
Read these sources to understand what happened recently:
# Recent memory (last 7 days)
memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md files
# Recent git activity across active projects
git -C /path/to/project log --oneline --since="7 days ago"
# Current identity and process files
SOUL.md
AGENTS.md
HEARTBEAT.md
# Project configs for active projects
{project}/CLAUDE.md
{project}/.claude/skills/Step 2: Identify Patterns
Look for these specific signals — not vague "areas for improvement":
Repeated mistakes:
- Same type of error made more than once (e.g., guessing DB schema, wrong CLI flags)
- Corrections from your human that addressed the same root cause
- Tasks that failed or required redo
Process gaps:
- Steps that should be automatic but were skipped (e.g., checking schema before writing DB tasks)
- Tools used incorrectly multiple times
- Information that was assumed instead of verified
Missing configuration:
- Project CLAUDE.md missing critical context that caused agent errors
- Skills that should be installed but aren't
- Broken symlinks or stale config
Workflow inefficiencies:
- Tasks that took too long due to a fixable process issue
- Repeated manual steps that could be automated
- Communication patterns that wasted cycles (asking instead of doing, or doing instead of asking)
Step 3: Produce Changes
For each pattern identified, make a specific file edit. Not a note. Not a reminder. An actual change.
Target files and what to change:
| File | When to edit |
|---|---|
| New behavioral principle learned from mistakes |
| Process change (e.g., new pre-flight check) |
| New periodic check needed |
| Missing context that caused agent errors |
| New project skill needed |
| Capture the enhancement session itself |
Rules for changes:
- Every edit must trace back to a specific incident or pattern
- Don't add generic advice ("be more careful") — add specific checks ("verify table names against schema before writing DB tasks")
- Don't duplicate existing rules — check what's already there first
- Keep files concise — if adding a rule makes the file bloated, consolidate instead
- Remove outdated rules that no longer apply
Step 4: Output Summary
After making changes, produce a brief summary:
## Self-Enhance Summary — YYYY-MM-DD
### Patterns Found
- [pattern]: [evidence from recent work]
### Changes Made
- [file]: [what was added/changed and why]
### No Action Needed
- [areas reviewed that were already covered]Post this summary to the relevant channel (Discord sprint channel, or direct to your human).
What This Skill Does NOT Do
- Write reflection docs or journal entries
- Produce reports without file changes
- Add vague platitudes ("be more thorough")
- Run without recent context (needs at least a few days of memory)
- Override changes your human made to identity/config files
Automation
To run weekly via cron:
bash
openclaw cron add --label "self-enhance" --schedule "0 9 * * 1" --task "Run the self-enhance skill: review last 7 days of memory files and git activity, identify process gaps, and make specific file edits. Post summary to #sprint channel."Or trigger manually anytime: just say or "run self-enhance."
/self-enhance