Executing Plans

Executing Plans Skill

Walks an approved tasks/todo.md plan step by step: pick the next task, execute it, verify it, commit it, mark it done. Does NOT freelance new scope mid-execution and does NOT skip the verification gate.

When to Use

• A plan in tasks/todo.md has been approved.
• Starting or resuming a multi-step implementation.
• User says "go", "start", "execute", or "begin".
• A sub-agent batch finishes and the next batch is ready.
• NOT before the design is approved (use brainstorming first).

Prerequisites

• Approved tasks/todo.md containing ordered steps with acceptance criteria.
• git configured for atomic commits.
• The view, edit, and powershell Copilot tools.
• A green baseline test run.
• The verify-before-done skill available for the verification step.

How to Run

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1. Read tasks/todo.md. Identify the next unchecked task.
2. Confirm its prerequisites are satisfied.
3. Execute the task.
4. Run the verify-before-done skill.
5. Append the Verification Results block.
6. Commit. Mark the checkbox `- [x]`.
7. Repeat. Post a short progress note every 2–3 tasks.

Quick Reference

Procedure

Step 1: Load the Plan

Open tasks/todo.md with view. Locate the next - [ ] step. If none exist, the plan is done — hand off to finishing-a-development-branch.

Step 2: Check Prerequisites

Read the task. Confirm any "depends on" notes are satisfied. If a prerequisite is missing, STOP — do not improvise around it; re-plan first.

Step 3: Execute Exactly One Task

Make the change. Resist the urge to bundle "while I'm here" cleanups. Scope discipline is the whole point of the plan.

Step 4: Verify

Invoke the verify-before-done skill. Do not consider the task complete until it has produced a Verification Results block:

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### Verification Results
- [x] Tests: 47 passed, 0 failed
- [x] Dojo gate: `verify.sh --check` PASS
- [x] Diff matches plan
- [x] Clean tree

Step 5: Commit and Mark Done

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git add -A
git commit -m "<type>: <task title>"

Then edit tasks/todo.md to flip - [ ] → - [x].

Step 6: Handle Blockers Explicitly

If a task cannot complete as planned:

1. Do not improvise around it.

2. Annotate the task in tasks/todo.md:

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   - [ ] Step 3: Implement API endpoints
     > ⚠️ BLOCKED: Schema does not support required query. Need index or restructure Step 1.
   

3. Re-plan. Update the plan. Resume from the revised version.

Step 7: Progress Updates

Every 2–3 completed tasks, post a short status:

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**Progress:** 3/5 tasks complete
- ✅ Schema, models, endpoints
- ⏳ Next: validation
- 🚫 No blockers

Pitfalls

• DO NOT skip the plan order without re-planning first.
• DO NOT batch 5 tasks then verify once. Verify after each.
• DO NOT add scope mid-execution ("while I'm here…"). Log it as a follow-up; stay on plan.
• DO NOT mark a task done without a Verification Results block.
• DO NOT silently work around blockers. Annotate and re-plan.

Verification

• Every flipped - [x] has a Verification Results block above it.
• One commit per completed task (or one logical unit).
• No scope was added to the plan without explicit user agreement.
• Progress updates were posted at least every 3 tasks.
• Blockers, if any, are documented in tasks/todo.md.