Resume Checklist

Resume Checklist

Follow this checklist when resuming work from a handoff document to ensure zero-ambiguity continuation.

Pre-Resume Verification

• Read the entire handoff document before taking any action
• Verify you are in the correct project directory
• Confirm the git branch matches (or understand why it might differ)
• Check the handoff timestamp - how stale is this context?

Context Validation

• Review "Important Context" section thoroughly
• Understand all assumptions listed - are they still valid?
• Check if any blockers have been resolved since handoff
• Review "Potential Gotchas" to avoid known pitfalls

State Verification

• Run git status to see current file state
• Compare modified files list in handoff vs current state
• Check if any environment variables need to be set
• Verify any required services/processes are running

Resume Execution

• Start with "Immediate Next Steps" item #1
• Reference "Files Modified" table for context on recent changes
• Apply patterns documented in "Key Patterns Discovered"
• Follow architectural insights from "Architecture Overview"

During Work

• Update handoff document if major new context is discovered
• Mark completed items in "Pending Work" as you finish them
• Add new blockers/questions as they arise
• Consider creating a new handoff if session becomes long

Red Flags - Stop and Verify

If you encounter any of these, pause and verify context before proceeding:

1. Files mentioned in handoff don't exist - codebase may have changed significantly
2. Branch has diverged substantially - check git log for recent commits
3. Assumptions are clearly invalid - reassess the approach
4. Blockers marked as unresolved are now blocking you - escalate to user
5. Architecture has changed - re-explore before continuing

Quick Start Commands

After reading the handoff, these commands help verify state:

# Check current branch and status
git branch --show-current
git status

# See recent commits (compare with handoff)
git log --oneline -10

# Check for any running processes mentioned
ps aux | grep [process-name]

# Verify environment
env | grep [relevant-var]

Handoff Quality Assessment

Rate the handoff quality to identify if more exploration is needed:

If multiple aspects "Need Exploration", spend time re-exploring the codebase before continuing implementation.