diff --git a/skills/WORKFLOW.md b/skills/WORKFLOW.md
index 220498b..bae88b5 100644
--- a/skills/WORKFLOW.md
+++ b/skills/WORKFLOW.md
@@ -196,12 +196,16 @@ shared task state, so any environment reads it and continues an in-flight task.
 Workflow skills read and write Mind state via **workspace-root-relative** paths
 that resolve from any sibling repo:
 
-- `PyAutoMind/active.md`, `PyAutoMind/planned.md`, `PyAutoMind/complete.md`
+- `PyAutoMind/active.md`, `PyAutoMind/planned.md`, `PyAutoMind/complete.md` (ledgers)
+- Prompt **files** advance `draft/ → active/ → complete/<YYYY>/<MM>/` in lockstep
+  with the ledgers; `PyAutoMind/scripts/lifecycle.py` owns the moves (`move`) and
+  drift-checks them (`check`). See `PyAutoMind/complete/AGENTS.md` (issue #71).
 - `source PyAutoMind/scripts/prompt_sync.sh` → `prompt_sync_push "<msg>"` (commit+push registry)
 
 `active.md` task schema, `complete.md` schema, and the prompt taxonomy
-(`feature/<target>/`, `bug/<target>/`, …) are documented in `PyAutoMind/README.md`.
-**The first folder is the work type, the second is the target repo/domain.**
+(`draft/feature/<target>/`, `draft/bug/<target>/`, …) are documented in
+`PyAutoMind/README.md`. **Under `draft/`, the first folder is the work type, the
+second is the target repo/domain.**
 
 ## Worktree / branch model (local-dev)
 
diff --git a/skills/intake/intake.md b/skills/intake/intake.md
index 7844d21..28eefa3 100644
--- a/skills/intake/intake.md
+++ b/skills/intake/intake.md
@@ -38,11 +38,12 @@ dev workflow (issue, branch, plan). Do not bypass the Brain.
   fields, inserts them in place with all prose verbatim, reports re-home
   suggestions instead of ever moving files. Dry-run proposes; `--apply` writes
   (then regenerate the dashboard).
-- `bin/pyauto-brain intake reconcile [prefix]` — ranks backlog prompts that
-  look already-shipped (cross-referenced against `complete.md` and `issued/`;
-  a stale hand-set `Status:` is a signal, never proof). Always read-only:
-  verify each suspect against the target repo's git log / merged PRs, then
-  retire it to `issued/` by hand.
+- `bin/pyauto-brain intake reconcile [prefix]` — ranks backlog (`draft/`)
+  prompts that look already-shipped (cross-referenced against the `complete/`
+  archive — or the legacy `complete.md` until retired — and `active/`; a stale
+  hand-set `Status:` is a signal, never proof). Always read-only: verify each
+  suspect against the target repo's git log / merged PRs, then retire it to the
+  `complete/` archive by hand (it is already done).
 
 ## Boundary
 
diff --git a/skills/ship_library/reference.md b/skills/ship_library/reference.md
index dd50e55..72ca6fa 100644
--- a/skills/ship_library/reference.md
+++ b/skills/ship_library/reference.md
@@ -136,6 +136,14 @@ push Mind. Do **not** move to `complete.md`.
 
 **Shipped (option iii passed):** offer to merge the library PR
 (`gh pr merge <n> --merge --auto`), post a "Shipped" comment (PRs, summary,
-optional session notes), move the entry from `active.md` to `complete.md`
-(`issue`, `completed: <date>`, `library-pr:`), and push Mind with
+optional session notes), then record completion in **both** lifecycle layers
+(issue #71) — the ledger entry **and** the prompt file move in lockstep:
+- **Ledger:** move the entry from `active.md` to `complete.md` (`issue`,
+  `completed: <date>`, `library-pr:`).
+- **File:** advance the prompt from `active/` to `complete/<YYYY>/<MM>/` —
+  `python3 PyAutoMind/scripts/lifecycle.py move <name> --date <completed> --apply`
+  (writes the rich record there; the `active/` file no longer lingers as it did
+  under the old `issued/`).
+
+Then push Mind with
 `prompt_sync_push "prompt: ship <task-name> (#<issue>) → complete"`.
diff --git a/skills/ship_workspace/reference.md b/skills/ship_workspace/reference.md
index d893f57..8ea387e 100644
--- a/skills/ship_workspace/reference.md
+++ b/skills/ship_workspace/reference.md
@@ -97,7 +97,10 @@ SHIP_EOF
 )"
 ```
 
-4. Move the task from `active.md` to `complete.md`:
+4. Record completion in **both** lifecycle layers (issue #71): the ledger entry
+   **and** the prompt file, in lockstep.
+
+   **Ledger** — move the task from `active.md` to `complete.md`:
 
 ```markdown
 ## <task-name>
@@ -105,6 +108,12 @@ SHIP_EOF
 - completed: <YYYY-MM-DD>
 - library-pr: <library PR URL — if linked>
 - workspace-pr: <workspace PR URL(s)>
+```
+
+   **File** — advance the prompt from `active/` to `complete/<YYYY>/<MM>/`:
+
+```bash
+python3 PyAutoMind/scripts/lifecycle.py move <name> --date <YYYY-MM-DD> --apply
 ```
 
 Push Mind: `prompt_sync_push "prompt: ship <task-name> (#<issue>) → complete"`.
diff --git a/skills/start_dev/reference.md b/skills/start_dev/reference.md
index d17eb84..dde39c6 100644
--- a/skills/start_dev/reference.md
+++ b/skills/start_dev/reference.md
@@ -70,12 +70,15 @@ issue** — instead:
    parens; bare `<work-type>/<target>/<name>.md` or pre-migration
    `<target>/<name>.md` paths). Dedupe, resolve `../` relative to the tracker,
    skip self-references inside `z_features/`.
-2. **Status each sub-prompt:**
-   - exists at `PyAutoMind/<path>` → **not yet issued**;
-   - exists at `PyAutoMind/issued/<basename>` → **issued**; derive task-name
-     candidates from the filename stem (`_`→`-`) and from `## <task-name>`
-     headings, grep `PyAutoMind/complete.md` for `^## <candidate>$` → match =
-     **shipped** (record heading + PR URL); no match = **in flight**;
+2. **Status each sub-prompt** (lifecycle states, issue #71):
+   - exists at `PyAutoMind/draft/<path>` (or a legacy bare path) → **not yet
+     issued**;
+   - exists at `PyAutoMind/active/<basename>` (or legacy `issued/<basename>`
+     during the transition) → **issued**; derive task-name candidates from the
+     filename stem (`_`→`-`) and from `## <task-name>` headings, then check
+     shipped-ness: a `complete/<YYYY>/<MM>/<candidate>.md` record (or, until
+     `complete.md` is retired, `^## <candidate>$` in `PyAutoMind/complete.md`)
+     → **shipped** (record heading + PR URL); no match = **in flight**;
    - neither → **unknown** (link rot — warn).
 3. **Report** a table (Sub-prompt | Status | Notes) + summary line
    `N shipped / M in flight / K not yet issued / U unknown`.
diff --git a/skills/start_dev/start_dev.md b/skills/start_dev/start_dev.md
index 61e0e1e..afe7b61 100644
--- a/skills/start_dev/start_dev.md
+++ b/skills/start_dev/start_dev.md
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ Generate a concise title (<70 chars, conventional prefix where apt), then
 **delegate the issue write to `/create_issue`** (the PyAutoMind issue+registry
 primitive) — pass it the classified primary repo, title, two-level plan, and
 suggested branch. It assembles the body, creates the issue (after review), moves
-the prompt to `issued/`, and pushes Mind. Do **not** re-implement issue creation
+the prompt to `active/`, and pushes Mind. Do **not** re-implement issue creation
 here. Registration in `active.md` is conflict-dependent (next step), so tell
 `/create_issue` to **skip its active.md registration** — start_dev owns that
 routing decision.
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ classification.
 
 ### 7. Push Mind state
 
-`/create_issue` already pushed the issue + `issued/` move; push the routing
+`/create_issue` already pushed the issue + `active/` move; push the routing
 registration (active.md / planned.md) added in step 6:
 
 ```bash