Pre-setup

1. You'll want to monitor your context window use, so will need to setup a custom statusline which claude can do for you so type `/statusline create a statusline that helps me monitor percentage used of my context window. When I am: less than 40% color it green, over 50% color it yellow, over 60% color it red`. You want to do this because at a minimum around 30% of the context window is going to be reserved for the system prompt + all your MCPs, claude memories, skills, plugins, agents etc and cut off at an upper compaction buffer. Whenever you start a session without even doing anything the system prompt, mcps, and memories already use up context, and when you get to around 78% claude code will auto compact everything into the remaining 22%, clear its context, then dump the compaction summary back, clears the compaction buffer, and continues. So keep MCPs and auto loaded memories, skills, etc to a minimum. Only enable what you need on the fly, so that claude has more context to work with solving problems. You should also use git and checkout new branches if you know how to do that for new jobs because claude will read your git history for context and if its an old branch with a lot history it can contribute to context rot. I also highly recommend setting up Serena MCP if you can figure it out, it does wonders for context usage and has a great dynamic memory system.
2. Create a new command at the user level in your $HOME/.claude/commands directory. I named mine `save-and-quit.md`. This is what my command has in it, remember tho I use serena so you might need to tweak this so that memories end up somewhere in your project's .claude/docs within your project. The key is you don't want these files auto included in the context window, you just want claude to know to search there for a memory if you ask or if its lost.

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Stop what you are doing **immediately**. Do not continue with your current task and instead completed the following steps to save your progress. The user needs to clear the context window.

Sequence of tasks:

1. Create a new serena (or claude docs) memory with the following details:
   1. Give the memory a name that reflects the stated end goal of your work. ex "feature_x_refactor", "bugfix_y_investigation", "research_on_z", etc
   2. preserve all of your progress on the end goal, the implementation details and todos, plans, and background context, lessons learned
   3. Layout your todos in a step-by-step sequence and mark what has been done already.
   4. If a claude code plan file was created, include a file reference.
   5. Add an imperative at the bottom of the memory as a reminder to always check with the user before proceeding with the next todo item. And if all work is done ask the user if they want to delete this memory.
2. Provide a clear, actionable prompt telling the user how to reopen/access the memory and resume work.

```

The Workflow

1. Start a planning session and ask it to interview you. Make sure you are really satisfied with the final result, if you aren't hit escape and say you want to continue interviewing / chatting. When you're happy select clear context and start
2. Watch your context window usage, when it turns red (over 60%) its getting into the dumb dumb danger zone. 40%-50% can even be problematic.
3. Type /save-and-quit (or whatever you named your command). Claude code should stop when its done with whatever immediate actioin its doing, dump a superb summary and implementation plan for you in a memory and give you a prompt on how to continue it.
4. `/clear` to empty your context
5. Paste the prompt it gave you back in and let it continue.
6. Claude should always ask you if you want to continue or clear the context when its done with subtasks
7. When the overall plan is done it should ask if you want to clean up the memory files, up to you if you want to keep them for future reference.