Heuristic
Resume from the saved state before rereading everything
Resumption can quietly become a second first reading.
When it fits
- After interruption you instinctively restart the task by reviewing the entire artifact or conversation.
When to avoid it
- For safety-critical work after a long absence, a broader revalidation may be worth the extra time.
Why it matters
Use the saved checkpoint, changed lines, last decision or next-action marker to recover the task state first. Only widen the review if the checkpoint no longer makes sense. This reduces unnecessary cross-region checking and reprocessing after interruptions.
An example
After returning to code, start from the failing test and last hypothesis note instead of rereading the whole module.
Check your result
Most resumptions begin from a local state marker rather than a full-history reconstruction.
Keep this limit in mind
- For safety-critical work after a long absence, a broader revalidation may be worth the extra time.
Evidence and sources
Supports
A 2026 programming-task study found interruptions increased task-completion costs and additional information checking during resumption.
The sample was small and one task domain was studied.