OPS-01 · SEC. 03 Operations & DevOps

End-of-Session Git Checklist

Run before closing any coding session so nothing sits uncommitted overnight.

FORMAT: workflow
DIFFICULTY: beginner
TIME: 5 min
TOOLS: universal
MODELS: any
COPIES: 0 so far

When to use this

You're wrapping up for the day or handing off a session. You want a clean git state, not a pile of uncommitted work waiting to get lost or conflict with tomorrow's changes.

The pattern

Pastes as plain text

Before we end this session, run the end-of-session checklist:

1. Run `git status` and list every modified, staged, and untracked file.
2. For each change, decide: commit it, stash it, or discard it. Do not leave anything unstaged.
3. Group related changes into logical commits with clear messages. Do not bundle unrelated changes into one commit.
4. Run the project's test or build command if one exists. Report the result before committing.
5. Commit everything decided in step 2.
6. Push to the remote branch. If the branch is new, set upstream tracking.
7. Run `git status` again and confirm it reports "working tree clean" and "up to date with origin".
8. Write a one-line session note: what got done this session, and what the very next step is. Output it as plain text, do not save it to a file unless I ask.

Do not skip a step because it seems obvious. If something can't be completed (tests fail, push is rejected, merge conflict), stop and tell me instead of working around it silently.

Real example output

git status: 4 modified, 1 untracked
- src/auth/session.ts (modified) -> commit: "fix session token refresh race"
- src/auth/session.test.ts (modified) -> same commit
- README.md (modified) -> separate commit: "docs: note new SESSION_TTL env var"
- .env.local.example (untracked) -> add to same docs commit
- debug.log (untracked) -> discarded, added to .gitignore

Tests: 42 passed, 0 failed.
Commits created: 2. Pushed to origin/feature/session-refresh.
git status: working tree clean, up to date with origin/feature/session-refresh.

Session note: Fixed session token refresh race condition and documented
SESSION_TTL. Next: add integration test for concurrent refresh requests.

Why it works

A fixed checklist run every time removes the judgment call of "is this worth committing" at the exact moment you're most likely to skip it, right before closing the laptop. The final `git status` check is the actual proof, not a guess.