Single-Goal Lock and Idea Triage
Lock one measurable goal, judge new ideas against it, and choose what to pursue, shrink, defer, or drop.
Before & after
Same prompt, same agent — the only difference is the skill.
That depends on a lot of things. You'd want to think about whether it aligns with your other priorities, how much time it takes, and what the upside is. Different opportunities have different tradeoffs. What's your main goal right now?
GOAL-LOCK CHECK: YOUR PRIMARY GOAL: "Build a predictable 10K/month course business by end of Q3." OPPORTUNITY: Guest appearance on popular podcast (3 hours recording + prep), reaches 50K listeners, no direct revenue. ALIGNMENT ANALYSIS: PRO (+): → Reach 50K potential customers (expensive as ads) → 3-hour time cost = 0.5% of available time this quarter → Podcast mentions your course URL (direct top-of-funnel play) → Builds credibility (social proof for course sales page) CON (-): → No direct revenue from appearance (only if listeners convert) → Assumes 0.1% conversion (50K × 0.1% = 50 sales) to break even on time → Q3 ends in 8 weeks; podcast drops in 4 weeks → only 4 weeks for conversions → Diverts 3 hours from course creation (you need 20h more content)) REALIGNMENT: OPTION A (Recommended): Do the podcast + record 1 bonus module (3h content). Pitch: "Podcast listeners get exclusive lesson." Captures audience directly into funnel. OPTION B: Decline now, ask to revisit in Q4 (after 10K/month locked). Lower opportunity cost. OPTION C: Counter-offer: Podcast in 6 weeks instead (finish course core first). Host may or may not wait. FINAL CALL: Yes, if you commit to Option A (podcast + bonus module bundle). This compounds both brand + course revenue. Time commitment: 6 hours. Expected outcome: 15-25 course sales (1.5K-2.5K revenue) if conversion holds.
About this skill
Every new idea feels relevant until you look at what it pushes off the calendar. Lock one measurable goal, then get a direct verdict on whether an opportunity advances it, needs a smaller test, or belongs after the deadline.
What it does
- Turns a vague priority into a goal with a success measure, deadline, constraints, and review date.
- Checks how a proposed idea would affect the goal and whether it addresses the current bottleneck.
- Names the existing work an idea would displace, including ongoing maintenance and support.
- Shrinks uncertain opportunities into bounded tests with an observable result and stop rule.
- Separates distracting scope growth from necessary obligations and deliberate goal changes.
- Produces a reusable goal card without pretending to remember it across unrelated chats.
What you get
A compact goal card and an idea verdict: pursue, shrink/test, defer, or drop. Each verdict includes the reason, the capacity tradeoff, and the next concrete action.
Best for
Creators, solo operators, and small teams who keep starting new projects before their main priority reaches the finish line.
SKILL.md preview
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name: single-goal-lock-and-idea-triage
description: >-
Establish one measurable primary goal and evaluate incoming ideas through their causal link to that goal, the current bottleneck, and the work they would displace. Return a direct verdict and the smallest useful next action. Use when the user says "goal lock", "does this fit my goal?", "should I chase this opportunity?", "my priorities keep changing", "I keep starting things and finishing nothing", "help me stay focused", or "is this a distraction?".
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# Single-Goal Lock and Idea Triage
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