Student guide: Context Cleanup

Use an invented or safely redacted packet. You are preparing information for later work, not asking a tool to make a final decision.

1. Read once without fixing anything

Mark the task, audience, dates, commitments, and information that feels private or uncertain. Do not assume the newest-looking note is authoritative.

2. Name the source of truth

Write: “For this task, the current source of truth is ___ because ___.” If you cannot name one, write that down as an unresolved question.

3. Sort each item

Use words, not only colors: current, stale, conflicting, missing, excessive, or untrusted. An item can have more than one label.

4. Make a change log

For every item, choose one action: retain, add, correct, isolate, remove, or verify with a responsible person. Add a short reason. Isolating is different from deleting: it keeps a record without letting uncertain material drive the next task.

5. Write a clean context brief

Include the task, audience, current facts, active constraints, source hierarchy, excluded material, and unresolved questions. Do not write the invitation, memo, or recommendation yet.

6. Optional restatement check

With only safe material, ask a chat tool: “Restate the goal, source of truth, active constraints, excluded material, and unresolved questions. Flag conflicts before doing any work.” Correct anything it assumes.

Completion check

You are done when another person can identify the source of truth, follow at least three cleanup decisions, and see what remains uncertain. Keep the packet, change log, brief, and reflection together.

Recovery tips

If everything seems useful, ask what would change the later task. If two sources conflict, do not choose by instinct—record who must decide. If a private detail appears helpful, replace it with a fictional or generalized version when possible.

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Source: labs/context-cleanup/companions/student-step-by-step.md