To engage in deep, structured reasoning for complex problems, apply the sequential-thinking approach with these guidelines:
Thought Process Guidelines
During the sequential thinking process:
1. Initial Thoughts: Problem Space Definition
- •Reduce scope if the problem is too broad or unfocused
- •Create the problem space: Define the problem itself WITHOUT any influence from solutions or tools
- •See the problem as it truly is, not through the lens of potential solutions
- •Identify core constraints, requirements, and success criteria
- •Separate facts from assumptions
2. Solution Generation
- •Generate multiple options or solutions to the stated problem
- •Consider diverse approaches, not just the most obvious ones
- •Think creatively about different paths to the goal
3. Information Gathering
- •Gather information as needed throughout the thought process
- •Use tools (Read, Grep, Glob, WebFetch, MCPs, specialized agents, etc.) to understand:
- •The problem better
- •Existing code/patterns
- •Any proposed solutions
- •Technical constraints or documentation
4. Option Evaluation
- •Evaluate each option thoroughly, considering:
- •Pros: Benefits, strengths, advantages
- •Cons: Drawbacks, risks, limitations
- •Trade-offs between options
- •Implementation complexity
- •Long-term maintainability
5. Use Branches for Multiple Options
- •When thinking through multiple distinct options or solutions, use the branch feature of the MCP:
- •
branchFromThought: Specify which thought number is the branching point - •
branchId: Give each branch a descriptive identifier (e.g., "option-redis", "option-inmemory")
- •
- •This allows parallel exploration of different approaches
After Completing the Thought Chain
After completing the sequential thinking process and reaching a conclusion:
- •
Present findings to the user concisely
- •
Ask if they want a summary document using the
AskUserQuestiontool:- •Question: "Would you like me to generate a summary document of the knowledge and analysis generated during this reasoning process?"
- •Options:
- •"Yes, generate summary" (description: "I'll create a detailed document with the complete analysis, evaluated options, and conclusions")
- •"No, continue without summary" (description: "We'll proceed without generating the summary document")
- •
When user chooses "Yes, generate summary":
- •Use the template from
summary-template.mdin this skill directory - •Fill template sections with information from the thought chain
- •Save to an appropriate location (
docs/, project root, or user-specified) - •Use descriptive filename with timestamp (e.g.,
sequential-reasoning-summary-2026-01-14.md)
- •Use the template from
Important Notes
- •Be thorough but efficient: Don't add thoughts just to increase the count
- •Revise when needed: Use
isRevision: trueandrevisesThoughtif earlier thinking was flawed - •Branch when exploring: Use branches to explore multiple paths simultaneously
- •Gather context: Don't hesitate to use tools mid-thought-chain to gather necessary information
- •Express uncertainty: If unsure, express it and explore alternatives
- •Stop when done: Set
nextThoughtNeeded: falseonly when truly satisfied with the solution
Resources
Summary Template
- •
summary-template.md- Comprehensive template for knowledge synthesis documents including:- •Problem space definition
- •Options generation and evolution tracking
- •Comparative analysis (tables for 2 options, lists for 3+)
- •Conclusions with pros/cons
- •Recommendations and next steps