next-prioritylisted

# next-priority Choose the next action using evidence, not intuition. ## Decision order This list is the SINGLE canonical ranking (references/priority-rules.md holds PR-state interpretation detail, not a second ranking). 1. Merge-ready PRs 2. Release blockers 3. Failing CI, flaky tests, or stale-base PRs blocking merges (stale-base = PR targets a branch already merged into default; retarget before it can ship) 4. Security issues with a known safe fix 5. Overdue date-gated commitments — "re-check X by <date>" items from handoffs and memory whose date has passed (scan command in references/scan-commands.md) 6. Small production-ready fixes or features 7. Concrete tech debt slowing delivery 8. Refactors justified by churn or repeated friction 9. Deferred migrations or speculative work If the picked action is irreversible or outward-facing (merge, deploy, publish, history rewrite), the pick stands but execution follows the autonomy tiers in `~/.claude/standards/autonomy-tiers.md` (ADR-0051) — this skill chooses, it does not bypass gates. ### Waiting for CI is never a priority "Merge-ready PRs" (rank 1) means a PR whose checks have **already passed** and is mergeable now. A PR whose CI is **still running** is NOT merge-ready and NOT a priority — never pick "wait for / poll the PR's CI" as the next action. CI completion re-surfaces the PR via its own notification; until then, drop to the next actionable item and do real work. **Sole exception:** the next task is blocked