pausing-work

name	pausing-work
description	Use this skill when creating a context handoff file, pausing work mid-phase, stopping work temporarily, or creating a checkpoint for session resumption. Triggers include "pause work", "stop work", "create handoff", "save progress", and "pause session".
metadata	{"version":"0.1.0"}
user-invocable	false
disable-model-invocation	false
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Bash"]

<user_command>/kata:pause-work</user_command>

Create `.continue-here.md` handoff file to preserve complete work state across sessions.

Enables seamless resumption in fresh session with full context restoration.

@.planning/STATE.md Find current phase directory from most recently modified files. **Collect complete state for handoff:**

1. Current position: Which phase, which plan, which task
2. Work completed: What got done this session
3. Work remaining: What's left in current plan/phase
4. Decisions made: Key decisions and rationale
5. Blockers/issues: Anything stuck
6. Mental context: The approach, next steps, "vibe"
7. Files modified: What's changed but not committed

Ask user for clarifications if needed.

**Write handoff to `.planning/phases/XX-name/.continue-here.md`:**

---
phase: XX-name
task: 3
total_tasks: 7
status: in_progress
last_updated: [timestamp]
---

<current_state>
[Where exactly are we? Immediate context]
</current_state>

<completed_work>

- Task 1: [name] - Done
- Task 2: [name] - Done
- Task 3: [name] - In progress, [what's done]
  </completed_work>

<remaining_work>

- Task 3: [what's left]
- Task 4: Not started
- Task 5: Not started
  </remaining_work>

<decisions_made>

- Decided to use [X] because [reason]
- Chose [approach] over [alternative] because [reason]
  </decisions_made>

<blockers>
- [Blocker 1]: [status/workaround]
</blockers>

<context>
[Mental state, what were you thinking, the plan]
</context>

<next_action>
Start with: [specific first action when resuming]
</next_action>

Be specific enough for a fresh Claude to understand immediately.

**Check planning config:**

COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=$(cat .planning/config.json 2>/dev/null | grep -o '"commit_docs"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*[^,}]*' | grep -o 'true\|false' || echo "true")
git check-ignore -q .planning 2>/dev/null && COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=false

If COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=false: Skip git operations

If COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=true (default):

git add .planning/phases/*/.continue-here.md
git commit -m "wip: [phase-name] paused at task [X]/[Y]"

``` ✓ Handoff created: .planning/phases/[XX-name]/.continue-here.md

Current state:

• Phase: [XX-name]
• Task: [X] of [Y]
• Status: [in_progress/blocked]
• Committed as WIP

To resume: /kata:resume-work

</step>

</process>

<success_criteria>
- [ ] .continue-here.md created in correct phase directory
- [ ] All sections filled with specific content
- [ ] Committed as WIP
- [ ] User knows location and how to resume
</success_criteria>