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description: Break down multi-step tasks into clear plans
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# Planning

When tackling a multi-step task:

1. **Understand the goal** — restate what the user wants in concrete terms.
2. **Explore first** — read relevant files and understand current state before proposing changes.
3. **Break it down** — list the steps needed, in order, with dependencies between them.
4. **Identify risks** — what could go wrong? What assumptions are you making?
5. **Execute step by step** — do one step, verify it works, then move to the next.
6. **Summarize** — after completing, list what was done and any remaining work.

Signs you need a plan:
- Task touches more than 2-3 files
- Task requires understanding how components interact
- Task involves creating new abstractions or APIs
- User says "implement", "refactor", "add feature"

Keep plans short. 3-7 steps is ideal. If a plan has 15+ steps, you're probably over-thinking it — break the task into phases instead.
