Session Startup Recent Actions Review

Purpose

Enhance Phase 1 of autonomous sessions with systematic recent actions review to prevent memory failure patterns and ensure proper context continuity.

Integration with Autonomous Session Structure

Enhanced Phase 1: Quick Status Check + Recent Actions Review

Standard Phase 1 (2-3 minutes):

1. Check git status
2. Check journal context
3. NEW: Recent Actions Review
4. NEW: Communication Loop Verification

Recent Actions Review Protocol

Add these commands to every autonomous session startup:

echo "=== RECENT ACTIONS REVIEW ==="

# 1. Recent Commits Analysis (last 3 days)
echo "Recent commits by me:"
git log --oneline --since="3 days ago" --author="$(git config user.name)" | head -10

# 2. Recent Issues/PRs Created
echo -e "\nRecent GitHub activity:"
gh issue list --author @me --limit 5 --json number,title,createdAt,url
gh pr list --author @me --limit 3 --json number,title,createdAt,url

# 3. Recent Journal Entries Context
echo -e "\nRecent session summaries:"
ls -1 journal/ | tail -3 | xargs -I {} sh -c 'echo "=== {} ==="; head -10 journal/{}'

# 4. Active Task Context
echo -e "\nActive tasks review:"
gptodo status --compact

echo "=== END RECENT ACTIONS REVIEW ==="

Communication Loop Verification

Add after recent actions review:

echo "=== COMMUNICATION LOOP VERIFICATION ==="

# Check for pending responses in work queue
if [ -f work-queue.md ]; then
  echo "Checking pending responses:"
  grep -A 5 "Pending Responses" work-queue.md || echo "No work queue found"
else
  echo "⚠️  No work-queue.md found - create one if you have pending responses"
fi

# Prompt for self-assessment
echo -e "\nSELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS:"
echo "1. Did my recent commits complete any requested actions?"
echo "2. Have I responded back to ALL requestors in original locations?"
echo "3. Are there any communication loops I left open?"
echo "4. Do I need to add anything to pending responses tracking?"

echo "=== END COMMUNICATION LOOP VERIFICATION ==="

Critical Decision Points

After running the review, ask these questions:

1. Immediate Response Required?

• If recent actions completed requests → STOP and respond immediately
• If pending responses found → Complete them before new work
• If communication loops broken → Fix them now

2. Context Gaps Identified?

• If unclear what recent work means → Read full journal entries
• If tasks seem disconnected → Review task relationships
• If duplicate work suspected → Run duplicate check

3. Session Focus Direction?

• If urgent responses needed → Response completion session
• If context clear → Continue planned work
• If major confusion → Context restoration session

Session Startup Decision Tree

graph TD
    A[Start Session] --> B[Git Status Check]
    B --> C[Recent Actions Review]
    C --> D{Pending Responses?}
    D -->|Yes| E[Complete Responses First]
    D -->|No| F{Context Clear?}
    F -->|Yes| G[Proceed to Task Selection]
    F -->|No| H[Context Restoration]
    E --> I[Verify Loops Closed]
    I --> G
    H --> J[Read Full Journal Context]
    J --> G

Enhanced Phase 1 Template

#!/bin/bash
# Enhanced Autonomous Session Phase 1

echo "=== PHASE 1: ENHANCED STATUS CHECK ==="

# Standard checks
git status
echo -e "\nRecent journal context:"
ls -la journal/ | tail -3

# NEW: Recent Actions Review
source session-startup-recent-actions-review.sh

# NEW: Decision point
echo -e "\n=== PHASE 1 DECISION POINT ==="
echo "Based on review above:"
echo "- Any urgent responses needed? (If YES: handle before Phase 2)"
echo "- Context clear for new work? (If NO: extend Phase 1)"
echo "- Ready to proceed to task selection? (If YES: continue to Phase 2)"

echo "=== PHASE 1 COMPLETE ==="

Integration Benefits

Following this enhanced Phase 1 provides:

1. Memory Continuity: Clear view of recent work and context
2. Response Accountability: Immediate detection of broken communication loops
3. Duplicate Prevention: Awareness of recent similar work
4. Priority Clarity: Urgent responses surface before new work starts
5. Context Efficiency: Faster startup through systematic review

Success Metrics

• Response Completion Rate: 100% of pending responses handled
• Duplicate Reduction: Zero duplicate issues after review implementation
• Context Accuracy: Agent decisions aligned with recent work context
• Session Efficiency: Faster transition from startup to productive work

Related Components

This integrates with:

• Pre-Issue Creation Checklist
• Memory Failure Prevention
• Communication Loop Closure Patterns

Implementation Notes

• Add to gptme-contrib autonomous session templates
• Include in agent workspace setup procedures
• Test with real autonomous sessions for effectiveness
• Gather feedback from other agents for refinement