Before you write any code
Start each session the same way:
cd ~/Developer/Personal/my-app # navigate to your project
git pull # get latest changes
git status # see where things stand
code . # open in VS Code
claude # start Claude Code
The core coding loop
This is the cycle you'll repeat constantly:
1. Write or ask Claude to write some code
2. git status — see what changed
3. git add . — stage the changes
4. git cm "message" — commit with a description
5. git push — back it up to GitHub
That's it. Repeat until the feature is done.
Working with Claude Code
Starting a session:
Read CLAUDE.md and summarize the project. Don't edit anything yet.
Implementing a feature:
Add a contact form to the homepage. Before editing, tell me which files you'll touch. Keep changes small and follow CLAUDE.md.
Reviewing before committing:
Review the current diff. Identify any risks or issues. Then suggest a conventional commit message. Don't commit until I approve.
Getting unstuck:
I'm getting this error: [paste error]. Here's the relevant code: [paste code]. What's causing it?
Conventional commit messages
A convention many teams follow — your commits will be much more useful later:
| Prefix | When to use |
|---|---|
feat: | New feature |
fix: | Bug fix |
chore: | Setup, config, maintenance |
docs: | Documentation only |
refactor: | Code change that doesn't fix a bug or add a feature |
style: | Formatting, no logic change |
Examples:
feat: add search bar to homepage
fix: correct broken navigation link
chore: update dependencies
docs: add setup instructions to README
When to start a new Claude session
- Context bar hits ~80% (you'll see it in the statusline)
- You've switched to a very different task
- Claude starts giving inconsistent answers
- After a long session (2+ hours)
To start fresh: press Ctrl+C to exit Claude, then run claude again.
Weekly habits
brew update && brew upgrade— keep tools current- Review
git lgin your projects — get a feel for your commit history - Clean up experiments — archive or delete projects you're not using
Quick reference
# Start of day
cd ~/Developer/Personal/my-app && git pull && code . && claude
# The commit loop
git s # see changes
git add . # stage
git cm "feat: ..." # commit
git push # push
# Claude Code
claude # start
/clear # reset context
/hooks # check hooks
/init # generate CLAUDE.md
# Utilities
dev # jump to ~/Developer
ghdev # jump to ~/Developer/GitHub
git lg # pretty commit graph