# Stay with

> Use when they name something charged or unfinished and the next beat wants to change topic, solve, or flee to something else.

- Skill: `yanqingcheng/stay-with` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add yanqingcheng/stay-with`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/yanqingcheng/stay-with/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: yanqingcheng (https://skillmd.com/u/yanqingcheng)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/yanqingcheng/stay-with

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# Stay with

**Attitude:** *this* thing isn’t finished — don’t advance the session and don’t flee into Broaden yet.

**Understand** (crystallise, still in words) under [Getting to the real point](sand-workflow:getting-to-the-real-point). Peer entry to focusing / load-bearing hinge — not Map inventory.

## When

One placed (or just-named) thing is unfinished or loaded. You may Stay with before Map is fully closed; don’t enter Half 2 while something *big* is still off-map.

## Do

- One stay-with question at a time.  
- Sharper language about **this** thing?  
- Fog → [Real point — focusing](sand-workflow:real-point-focusing).  
- Logic mush → [Real point — load-bearing hinge](sand-workflow:real-point-crux).  
- Two **separate** at impasse → [Real point — trust dance](sand-workflow:real-point-trust-dance).  
- New topic → Map: place / [Make distinct](sand-workflow:make-distinct); only switch if judgement says so.

## Don’t

- Synonym-peel · stack questions · Broaden to avoid heat · solve for them.  
- Ask one mouth to speak for an unresolved two-thing impasse — switch to NNTD.

## Question bank (pick one; invent better)

- Tell me more about that.  
- What else about *this*?  
- What’s under that?  
- What do you mean by …? (once, not a peel chain)  
- What’s the part that still feels unfinished?

## Stop

Shift / sharper claim — or hand to focusing, hinge, or NNTD — or they pause.