You just finished your tech plan. At this point, Claude usually gets excited and wants to immediately start building everything - setting up the project, creating components, configuring deployment, all at once.

I’ve learned to interrupt it here. Instead of letting Claude run ahead, I ask it to break everything down into todos first. That way I can actually see what needs to be done and pick what to work on.

Before we build anything, create a todo list based on our TECH-PLAN.md. 
I want to see everything broken down so I can decide what to work on.

This keeps you in control of the pace and direction.

THE TODOWRITE TOOL

Claude has a built-in todo system that automatically tracks what you’re working on. You’ll see it create and update todos as you build. When Claude breaks down your project, it might look like:

1. Set up Astro project
2. Create layout components
3. Set up content collections
4. Build homepage
5. Create post template
6. Add styling
7. Deploy to Vercel

The built-in tool is fine for a single session, but todos disappear when you start fresh. That’s why I also keep a TODO.md file.

KEEPING YOUR OWN TODO.MD

While not required, I create my own TODO.md file because it’s more reliable across sessions. Claude can read it every time you start, and you control what’s in it:

# TODO - Vibe Blog

## Current Sprint
- [x] Set up Astro project with blog template
- [x] Create Header component with navigation
- [ ] Set up content collections for posts
- [ ] Create homepage with recent posts

## Next Up
- [ ] Design tokens for consistent styling
- [ ] Post template with frontmatter
- [ ] Tag system for organization

## Backlog
- [ ] RSS feed
- [ ] Email signup
- [ ] Custom domain setup

WORKING ACROSS SESSIONS

The real power comes when you return to your project days later:

Session 1:

Read my STRATEGY.md and TECH-PLAN.md. 
Let's start building. First todo: Set up Astro project.

Session 2 (tomorrow):

Read my TODO.md. Continue where we left off.
I see we completed Astro setup. Let's do the header component.

Session 3 (weekend):

Check TODO.md. What's the next priority?
Let's tackle the content collections.

Each session builds on the last without having to re-explain everything.

HOW I ACTUALLY WORK

Honestly, I just pick whatever I feel like working on that day. Sometimes it’s the next logical todo, sometimes it’s something random from the backlog that sounds fun. The todos are there so I don’t forget what needs doing, not to dictate what I work on. The key is having everything written down so when you come back a week later, you know what’s done and what’s left - whether you work systematically through the list or jump around based on mood doesn’t really matter.

Next: Setting Claude Up for Success →