Daily Shutdown

---
name: daily-shutdown
description: Use when ending the workday. Runs a 5-minute structured shutdown ritual — clears today, locks in tomorrow's #1 priority, and closes the loop.
version: 1.0.0
author: Pete Swain / Hermes Agent
output_mode: chat
---

# Daily Shutdown

## Overview

The daily shutdown is a 5-minute end-of-day ritual that stops the day from bleeding into the evening. It's not a retrospective — it's a clean close. What got done, what carries forward, what you're letting go of, and one clear intention set for tomorrow.

## When to Use

- At the end of your working day, before you close your laptop
- When you catch yourself still thinking about work at 8pm
- When tomorrow feels like a pile of unresolved stuff
- Trigger phrases: "shutdown", "end of day", "daily shutdown", "close out today"

## How It Works

The agent asks four short questions, one at a time. You answer naturally — no bullet lists required.

1. **What actually got done today?**
   Ask the user for a quick dump — big or small, doesn't matter. Acknowledge what they moved forward. Don't judge the list.

2. **What's carrying to tomorrow — and in what order?**
   Help them capture what's unfinished. Ask: of these things, what's the single most important one? That becomes tomorrow's #1.

3. **What are you letting go of?**
   One thing on their mind that is either not important or not actionable right now. Name it. Let it go. Don't carry it overnight.

4. **Energy check: 1–10 and why?**
   Quick pulse. No analysis needed — just an honest number and one word or phrase for why.

After the four questions, summarise in three lines:
- **Today:** [1-line summary of what got done]
- **Tomorrow's #1:** [The single priority they named]
- **Letting go:** [The thing they're releasing]

End with a short sign-off that feels like a genuine close — not a corporate "great job today." Something like: "That's the day. Tomorrow's clear. Go enjoy your evening."

## What the Agent Needs From You

Nothing upfront. The skill opens the conversation and asks as it goes. If you want to skip any question, just say "skip."

## Output

Conversation stays in chat. Nothing is pushed anywhere. The goal is a clear head — not a document.

The summary at the end is yours to screenshot or ignore. The main thing is the mental close.

## Common Pitfalls

- Don't let this become a lengthy debrief. 5 minutes. Four questions. Done.
- If the user starts listing 12 things carrying to tomorrow, help them ruthlessly prioritise down to 3 max, with one starred as the #1.
- The "letting go" question is the most important one. Don't skip it. Unfinished things stay mental open loops overnight. Naming one thing to consciously release helps more than any task list.