Task Plan: [Brief Description]

<!-- WHAT: This is your roadmap for the entire task. Think of it as your "working memory on disk." WHY: After 50+ tool calls, your original goals can get forgotten. This file keeps them fresh. WHEN: Create this FIRST, before starting any work. Update after each phase completes. -->

Goal

<!-- WHAT: One clear sentence describing what you're trying to achieve. WHY: This is your north star. Re-reading this keeps you focused on the end state. EXAMPLE: "Create a Python CLI todo app with add, list, and delete functionality." -->

[One sentence describing the end state]

Current Phase

<!-- WHAT: Which phase you're currently working on (e.g., "Phase 1", "Phase 3"). WHY: Quick reference for where you are in the task. Update this as you progress. -->

Phase 1

Phases

<!-- WHAT: Break your task into 3-7 logical phases. Each phase should be completable. WHY: Breaking work into phases prevents overwhelm and makes progress visible. WHEN: Update status after completing each phase: pending → in_progress → complete -->

Phase 1: Requirements & Discovery

<!-- WHAT: Understand what needs to be done and gather initial information. WHY: Starting without understanding leads to wasted effort. This phase prevents that. -->

• Understand user intent
• Identify constraints and requirements
• Document findings in findings.md
• Status: in_progress

<!-- STATUS VALUES: - pending: Not started yet - in_progress: Currently working on this - complete: Finished this phase -->

Phase 2: Planning & Structure

<!-- WHAT: Decide how you'll approach the problem and what structure you'll use. WHY: Good planning prevents rework. Document decisions so you remember why you chose them. -->

• Define technical approach
• Create project structure if needed
• Document decisions with rationale
• Status: pending

Phase 3: Implementation

<!-- WHAT: Actually build/create/write the solution. WHY: This is where the work happens. Break into smaller sub-tasks if needed. -->

• Execute the plan step by step
• Write code to files before executing
• Test incrementally
• Status: pending

Phase 4: Testing & Verification

<!-- WHAT: Verify everything works and meets requirements. WHY: Catching issues early saves time. Document test results in progress.md. -->

• Verify all requirements met
• Document test results in progress.md
• Fix any issues found
• Status: pending

Phase 5: Delivery

<!-- WHAT: Final review and handoff to user. WHY: Ensures nothing is forgotten and deliverables are complete. -->

• Review all output files
• Ensure deliverables are complete
• Deliver to user
• Status: pending

Key Questions

<!-- WHAT: Important questions you need to answer during the task. WHY: These guide your research and decision-making. Answer them as you go. EXAMPLE: 1. Should tasks persist between sessions? (Yes - need file storage) 2. What format for storing tasks? (JSON file) -->

1. [Question to answer]
2. [Question to answer]

Decisions Made

<!-- WHAT: Technical and design decisions you've made, with the reasoning behind them. WHY: You'll forget why you made choices. This table helps you remember and justify decisions. WHEN: Update whenever you make a significant choice (technology, approach, structure). EXAMPLE: | Use JSON for storage | Simple, human-readable, built-in Python support | -->

Errors Encountered

<!-- WHAT: Every error you encounter, what attempt number it was, and how you resolved it. WHY: Logging errors prevents repeating the same mistakes. This is critical for learning. WHEN: Add immediately when an error occurs, even if you fix it quickly. EXAMPLE: | FileNotFoundError | 1 | Check if file exists, create empty list if not | | JSONDecodeError | 2 | Handle empty file case explicitly | -->

Notes

<!-- REMINDERS: - Update phase status as you progress: pending → in_progress → complete - Re-read this plan before major decisions (attention manipulation) - Log ALL errors - they help avoid repetition - Never repeat a failed action - mutate your approach instead -->

• Update phase status as you progress: pending → in_progress → complete
• Re-read this plan before major decisions (attention manipulation)
• Log ALL errors - they help avoid repetition