GTD Clarify

Reference: See things3 skill for task requirements, tag taxonomy, and MCP operations.

Review today's tasks and resolve any ambiguity or blockers.

Workflow

1. Get Today's Tasks

mcp__things__get_today

2. Quick Triage

Scan all tasks and categorize:

Already Clear - Tasks that meet all criteria:

• Verb-first, actionable title
• Time estimate present (2m, 5m, 15m, 25m, or 1h+)
• Next action is obvious
• No hidden blockers

Needs Clarification - Tasks missing any of the above

Present a brief overview to the user showing both categories before diving in.

3. One-by-One Clarification

Go through each unclear task individually using AskUserQuestion. This is the key workflow - don't batch questions, handle them one at a time.

For missing time estimates:

AskUserQuestion: "Task X is missing a time estimate. How long does this take?"
Options: 5m, 15m, 25m, 1h+

For vague tasks:

AskUserQuestion: "Task X seems vague. What's the actual next action here?"
Options: Rewrite title, Add details to notes, Convert to project, Delete task

For potential blockers:

AskUserQuestion: "Task X - can you actually do this today, or is something blocking it?"
Options: Ready to do, Blocked (waiting on someone), Needs more info, Move to later

For multi-step tasks:

AskUserQuestion: "Task X sounds like multiple steps. Should this be a project?"
Options: Convert to project, Keep as single task, Add checklist items

4. Apply Changes Immediately

After each answer, make the change right away:

• Update tags with mcp__things__update_todo
• Create projects with mcp__things__add_project
• Cancel old tasks when converting to projects
• Mark complete if user says it's done

Then move to the next unclear task.

5. Handle Projects on Today

For projects scheduled today, check if they have clear next actions:

• Get project tasks with mcp__things__get_todos
• If tasks are unclear or missing, clarify those too
• If project is stale (weeks old), ask about status

6. Report Summary

After all tasks are clarified:

Clarified X of Y tasks:

✓ "Task A" → added [25m]
✓ "Task B" → converted to project with 3 tasks
✓ "Task C" → marked complete
✓ "Task D" → confirmed ready

Your Today list is now clearer!

Guidelines

• One at a time - Use AskUserQuestion for each unclear task, don't batch
• Apply immediately - Make changes right after each answer
• Context matters - The user might have info that changes everything (e.g., "I'm at the shop right now")
• Projects vs tasks - If 3+ steps, probably a project
• Surface blockers early - Better to know now than when you start
• Keep it conversational - This is collaborative clarification, not interrogation