protracted-strategy

Original：🇨🇳 Chinese

Translated

Trigger: Invoked when the target is long-term, the task is complex, resources are temporarily at a disadvantage, or a quick win cannot be achieved in the short term but the task cannot be abandoned; common signals include long-term effort, phased plan, endurance, strategic patience, and the need for phased advancement. English: Trigger when the work is long-horizon, difficult, and unlikely to be won quickly. Use this skill to divide the effort into stages, keep strategic confidence, and accumulate small wins into overall victory.

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Sourcehughyau/qiushi-skill

Added on2026-04-08

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npx skill4agent add hughyau/qiushi-skill protracted-strategy

SKILL.md Content (Chinese)

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Protracted Strategy

"In strategy we must despise all enemies, in tactics we must take all enemies seriously. That is to say, we must despise it as a whole, and we must take it seriously on every specific issue." —— Mao Zedong (1958)

Core Principles

When facing complex long-term tasks, neither be eager for quick success (theory of quick victory) nor give up out of fear of difficulty (pessimism), but divide the work into stages and advance steadily. Maintain confidence at the strategic level, and treat every step rigorously at the tactical level.

For detailed original work references, see original-texts.md

Inapplicable Scenarios

You do not need to invoke this skill in the following scenarios:

The task can be completed within the current session — no phased strategy is required, finish it directly
The user only needs the execution result of a specific step
The problem already has a clear solution, only execution is missing — use
```
concentrate-forces
```
to complete it centrally
You are in the specific execution phase of a certain stage, no need to re-evaluate the strategy

When to Use

You should invoke this skill in the following situations:

Facing a complex task that obviously requires a long time to complete
Currently at a disadvantage (insufficient resources, insufficient information, temporary lack of capacity)
Encountered a bottleneck during task execution, feel anxious or want to give up
Need to plan a phased promotion strategy
Others urge quick completion, but you judge that it cannot be achieved rapidly
Need to continue advancing while preserving strength

Method Process

Step 1: Objectively Assess the Situation

"Whether the subjective guidance is correct or not... affects the victory or defeat of the war."—— On Protracted War

Conduct a comprehensive and objective assessment of the task:

Our conditions:

Currently available resources, capabilities, information
Achieved results and progress
Existing weaknesses and deficiencies

Task conditions:

Overall scale and difficulty of the task
Foreseeable difficulties and obstacles
Favorable conditions and opportunities

Key point: Neither exaggerate difficulties (leading to pessimism) nor underestimate difficulties (leading to reckless advance). Seek truth from facts.

Step 2: Reject the Theory of Quick Victory and Pessimism

Oppose both the "theory of national subjugation" and the "theory of quick victory"—— On Protracted War

Make a sober judgment:

Performance of quick victory theory: "This is very simple, it can be done right away" "Work harder and finish it in one go"
Performance of pessimism: "This is too complicated, it can't be done" "This is beyond the scope of ability"
Correct attitude: "This requires persistent effort, but it can be completed in the end. The key is to advance in stages."

Step 3: Divide Into Stages

Strategic defense → Strategic stalemate → Strategic counteroffensive—— On Protracted War

Divide long-term tasks into three stages:

Stage 1 · Strategic Defense (Exploration and Accumulation):

Goal: Gain a firm foothold, preserve strength, accumulate knowledge
Method: Investigation and research (
```
investigation-first
```
), establish basic cognition
Mentality: Do not be eager for quick success, allow "concession" to preserve strength
Key action: Do small feasible tasks, accumulate first-hand experience

Stage 2 · Strategic Stalemate (Most Difficult and Most Critical):

Goal: Gradually accumulate advantages, wait for the turning point
Method: Accumulate small wins into big victories, concentrate forces on each specific issue (
```
concentrate-forces
```
)
Mentality: Be patient, this is "the most difficult period, yet it is the hub of transformation"
Key action: Continue advancing, do not be discouraged by slow progress

Stage 3 · Strategic Counteroffensive (Breakthrough and Harvest):

Goal: Leverage accumulated advantages to advance comprehensively
Method: Attack decisively when conditions are ripe
Mentality: Confident but not careless
Key action: Identify turning points and seize opportunities

Step 4: Seek Offense in Defense

"Seek tactical offense in strategic defense"—— On Protracted War

Even when you are in a difficult stage overall, you should take the initiative on specific, local issues:

It is a protracted war at the strategic level, seek quick decisions at the tactical level
Concentrate forces to complete each specific small task quickly
Accumulate confidence and advantages with one small victory after another

Step 5: Identify Turning Points

"The second stage... is the hub of transformation"—— On Protracted War

Continuously observe changes in conditions, identify the timing of transition from stalemate to counteroffensive:

Is the accumulated knowledge sufficient?
Are resources and capabilities already in place?
Are external conditions already ripe?
Have the main obstacles been eliminated?

When conditions are ripe, decisively switch to full-scale advancement.

Step 6: Maintain Subjective Initiative

"The decisive factor is man, not material things"—— On Protracted War

Throughout the whole process:

Maintain a positive attitude and active spirit
Do not be overwhelmed by temporary difficulties
Take advantage of all favorable conditions
Create favorable situations from adversity

Common Mistakes

Error	Mao Zedong's Criticism	Correct Practice
Eager for quick success	"Theory of quick victory"—— blind optimism	Admit that time is needed, advance in stages
Give up when encountering difficulties	"Theory of national subjugation"—— pessimistic surrender	Difficulties are temporary, persistence leads to victory
Passive waiting in difficult stages	"Seek tactical offense in strategic defense"	Take the initiative to attack even in difficult stages
Fail to identify stage transition	Need to identify the "hub of transformation"	Continuously evaluate, seize the turning point
Act recklessly without making concessions	"A smart boxer often takes a step back"	Make strategic retreat when necessary to preserve strength

Operating Procedures

When this skill is triggered, output a stage assessment form and action plan:

Determine the current stage (must explicitly choose one):
- ```
Strategic Defense Period
```
  : The goal is clear but capacity/resources are temporarily insufficient, need to accumulate first
- ```
Strategic Stalemate Period
```
  : Already have a certain foundation, accumulating advantages, waiting for the turning point
- ```
Strategic Counteroffensive Period
```
  : Conditions are ripe, can advance comprehensively

Fill in the stage assessment form:

Current Stage: [Strategic Defense/Stalemate/Counteroffensive]
Judgment Basis: ……

Our Advantages: ……
Our Disadvantages: ……
Key Obstacles: ……

Core Task of This Stage (1 item): ……
Prohibited Items in This Stage: …… (Prevent the theory of quick victory or pessimism)

Conditions for Transition to the Next Stage: When [specific conditions] are met, transition to [next stage]

During the defense/stalemate period, a "local attack point" must be provided at the same time: That is, when the whole is in the accumulation stage, which specific small problem can be solved immediately by concentrating forces (invoke
```
concentrate-forces
```
).
Set stage checkpoints: Clearly state "After completing [specific milestone], re-invoke this skill to evaluate the stage".

Relationship With Other Skills

Contradiction analysis method: Need to analyze the main contradiction when assessing the situation
Concentrate forces: Concentrate on solving the main problem in each stage
A single spark can start a prairie fire: The "establish base areas" action in the first stage echoes this skill
Practice epistemology: Each stage is a cycle of practice-cognition
Overall planning: Resource allocation among the three stages needs overall planning