| name | smart-resume |
| description | Reads STATUS.md, todo.md, and recent memory to identify what was in progress, then proposes and executes the specific next step. Use when resuming work after a break, or say "smart resume" / "pick up where we left off" / "what were we working on" / "what's next". |
| allowed-tools | Agent, Read, Grep, Bash |
| effort | low |
| keep-coding-instructions | true |
Skill: smart-resume
Description
Reads recent work context — STATUS.md, todo, open plans — to infer what's in progress and propose the single most useful next action. Executes on confirmation.
Trigger phrases:
- "smart resume"
- "pick up where we left off"
- "what were we working on"
- "what's next"
- "continue"
- "resume"
Steps
Step 1 — Read context (parallel reads)
Simultaneously read:
[MEM]/STATUS.md — session number + last change summary
[MEM]/todo.md — open items (High/Medium priority)
[MEM]/plans/ — glob for non-archived plan files; read the most recently modified
Step 2 — Check for in-flight work
If STATUS.md or todo references a specific file being edited, check its current state:
- Grep for
// TODO or // IN PROGRESS markers in the mentioned file (use offset+limit — never read whole large files)
Step 3 — Infer the single most important next action
Rank candidates by specificity:
- A plan file with
Status: In Progress that has an identified next step
- A High-priority todo item marked
[ ]
- The last change summary from STATUS.md — what's the natural follow-on?
- A Medium-priority todo
Step 4 — Propose with full context
## Smart Resume — Session [N]
**Last session:** [STATUS.md summary]
**Open work:** [specific todo or plan step]
**Proposed next step:**
[Specific action — e.g., "Add the routing line for appXxx in routes.js around line 200"]
**Files involved:** [list]
Go? (yes / skip / show me all open items)
Step 5 — Execute on confirmation
If user says yes / go / do it:
- Follow
plan-before-edit.md — show plan, wait for approval, then edit
- After edit: update STATUS.md + todo.md
If user says skip:
- Show next candidate from ranked list
If user says "show me all open items":
- Print the full todo.md High+Medium sections + all open plan files
Notes
- Always follow plan-before-edit.md before touching any code
- This skill reads context only in Steps 1-2 — no edits until Step 5 after explicit confirmation
- If no clear next step exists, say so: "No open work found — what should we work on?"