Agent skill · writing content · github
desk-journal
Write, append, or read desk journal entries. The journal is persistent memory — what survives session boundaries. A good entry has: what was done, current state, next step.
Why this skill is useful
Codifies a structured approach to writing journal entries that the AI could infer but now doesn't have to guess.
What it needs
About 2k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 37,534 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Desk Journal Manage a desk's journal — the persistent memory that survives session boundaries. When to use End of session: Write what was done, current state, next step Start of session: Read the journal to pick up where you left off Mid-session checkpoint: Note significant progress or decisions Desk wind-down: Write a final summary when a desk is being closed How to write a journal entry Append to desks/<desk-name>/journal.md. Each entry is a section: Guidelines Be specific. "Worked on security scanning" is useless to the next session. "Scanned repos A, B, C for CWE-502; found 3 findings in A, 0 in B and C; findings triaged to bench" — that's a trail. Include what didn't work. Dead ends are valuable — they prevent the next session from walking the same path. Keep it short. The journal is a trail marker, not a diary. 3-5 lines per entry. If you need more, the important context should go on the bench as a separate artifact. Always include next step. The next session starts from zero. Without a next step, it has to re-derive everything. End-of-desk entry When a desk is being wound down (not just a session ending, but the desk itself closing): Reading the journal At session start, read the desk's journal to pick up context. The most recent entry is the most important — it has the current state and next step. Earlier entries provide history if needed. Principles The journal is a cairn — stones left so the next traveler finds the way. Every entry is a stone. Honesty over completeness. "I got stuck on X and don't know why" is more useful than silence. The journal is for the next session, not for the current one. Write for someone who knows nothing about what you just did.
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills github/desk-journal