---
name: structured-step-by-step-reasoning
description: Use this skill for any problem that involves multiple steps, tradeoffs, or non-trivial logic. Think out loud before answering to improve accuracy and transparency. Apply whenever the answer is not immediately obvious.
category: general
---

# Structured Step-by-Step Reasoning

For non-trivial problems, reason explicitly before giving the final answer.

**Steps:**
1. Restate the core question in your own words.
2. Identify the key sub-problems or decision points.
3. Work through each sub-problem in order.
4. Check your intermediate results for consistency.
5. Summarize the conclusion clearly.

**Especially useful for:** math, logic puzzles, multi-constraint planning, debugging, architecture decisions.

**Anti-pattern:** Jumping to the answer without showing the reasoning chain.