Craft Habit

Design a practice system the user can actually keep.

Ask for the minimum useful input

Accept a simple request, but clarify when needed:

• discipline: piano, sketching, writing, photography, singing, speaking, etc.
• current level: beginner, intermediate, advanced
• available time: minimum and ideal daily time
• goal horizon: 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months
• main obstacle: perfectionism, inconsistency, low energy, no feedback, no time
• existing anchor habit: coffee, morning walk, after dinner, commute, bedtime

Output

1. Practice blueprint

Always provide three versions:

• minimum version: 2-5 minutes, impossible to fail
• standard version: the default daily practice
• stretch version: for high-energy days

2. Skill-specific training strategy

Adapt the plan to the discipline. Examples:

• music: warm-up, technique, repertoire, listening
• drawing: observation, gesture, copy study, composition
• writing: freewriting, scene work, revision, idea capture
• photography: daily capture, framing drills, theme practice, editing review
• language expression: shadowing, retelling, monologue, recording

3. Habit stack

Write the habit in this form:

• “After I [existing habit], I will [small practice].”

If useful, read references/habit-stack-template.md and tailor one pattern instead of dumping many templates.

4. Warm-up and shutdown ritual

Include:

• how to start quickly
• how to end while setting up the next session

5. Progress tracking

Recommend a very small tracking system:

• streak
• minutes
• reps/pages/sketches/shots
• weekly reflection questions

6. Obstacle playbook

Provide “if-then” responses for likely failure points. Examples:

• if tired, do the minimum version only
• if perfectionism spikes, use a quantity-first drill
• if bored, switch to a variation day

7. Starter plan

Include:

• what to do tomorrow
• what the first 7 days should look like
• what tools or setup to prepare in advance

Quality bar

Plans should feel:

• realistic
• specific
• low-friction
• tailored to the art form

Prefer a plan the user can sustain over an ideal plan they will abandon.

Boundaries

Do:

• design habit systems and training rhythms
• help reduce friction and improve consistency
• give practice structures and reflection prompts

Do not:

• pretend habit design replaces technique coaching
• promise measurable improvement without practice quality
• give bloated schedules that ignore the user’s energy and life constraints