Catch me up

The user asks this a lot, often right after a compaction. The usual failure is a recap that is a session behind: another session moved the work, or this one did after the summary was written. So the summary is a starting point, not the answer. Check what is true now, then say it short.

1. Re-read live state (cheap, read-only)

Do these in parallel. Skip what doesn't exist. Don't fix or clean anything yet.

• The compaction summary, if there is one.
• Checkpoint files: checkpoints/ at the project root (the checkpoint skill's folder; also a legacy .checkpoints/ if present), plus COMPACTED.md, RESUME.md, HANDOFF.md, or CHECKPOINT.md at the root.
• Git: git status --short, git log --oneline -15 with dates, git branch -vv, git stash list, git worktree list.
• Files changed recently: find . -newer <last commit or checkpoint> -type f -not -path './.git/*' or similar, capped to a short list.

Assume other sessions may have worked here. When the summary or a checkpoint disagrees with git or the files, the files win. Say so in one line ("notes said X, repo shows Y").

Stop there. This is a few commands, not an audit.

2. Reply

First line: where we are, in one sentence. Then a short numbered list:

1. Where we are — the phase and what's working now.
2. In flight — uncommitted changes, open branches, running or half-done work.
3. Changed since last time — commits or edits newer than the summary or checkpoint, including ones from other sessions.
4. Next step — one concrete thing, small enough to start now.
5. Needs you — decisions or approvals only the user can give. Leave out if none.

Rules:

• Plain words. No commit hashes, task IDs, or internal labels unless you explain what they are.
• Length matches the ask. "Quick recap" is a few lines. "Long recap" or "full recap" can cover decisions, discards, and open questions.
• Skip empty items. Don't invent momentum or a next step the evidence doesn't support; "no recorded next step" is fine.
• Full absolute paths for any file you name.

3. Back after a long gap

If the user says they've been away for weeks, or the last commit or checkpoint is weeks old, also:

• List lingering branches, stashes, worktrees, and uncommitted work, each with a one-line guess at what it was. Don't delete or merge any of it.
• If it's an app, build and open it so they can see where it is (make run for Xcode projects, the project's dev command otherwise). Say if the build fails; that's part of the state.

After the recap

If the work continues and there is a checkpoint file, update it to match what you just found, so the next recap starts from the truth.