Working Memory Skill

Goal

Use this skill when handling complex tasks that exceed the "cognitive load" (context window) or require holding multiple variables in mind.

Steps

1. Cognitive Chunking

Don't read entire files. Chunk information into "Cognitive Units".

• Rule: Max 4-7 chunks active at once (Miller's Law).
• Action: Create a scratchpad file (.scratchpad.md) to offload chunks.

2. Attention Mechanism

Explicitly define what you are "attending" to.

• Focus: "I am currently attending to the UserAuth function."
• Inhibition: "I am actively ignoring the Billing module to prevent interference."

3. Refresh Rehearsal

To keep data in working memory, you must "rehearse" it using the task_boundary tool summary.

• Every 5 steps: Summarize the current state variables.