MY NEXT-STEP PLAN
My working notes. This plan does not confirm that an action is safe or approved.

Work out what you need first, what you can find out next, and what can wait.
A sentence or two is enough. It doesn't need to sound polished. Leave what you
don't know marked "Not yet recorded" and keep anything still to check visible.
Avoid names, confidential records and sensitive details.

1. WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
What are you hoping to make easier or possible? Who would it help?

What are you thinking of doing next?

2. WHAT YOU NEED FIRST
I know I need this first:
What makes it necessary now? Where have you checked, or who can confirm it?

I'm not sure yet:
How could you find out? Which action needs to wait for the answer?

This can wait until:
What would make it necessary later?

Do not treat an unknown obligation as optional. Check safety, legal, privacy,
contractual, funding and approval requirements with an appropriate source before
the affected action.

3. WHAT TO TRY OR CHECK
After checking what you need first, revise your next step above if needed.
It may now be a check or a pause. Keep one current next step, not two promises.

What do you want to find out?
You might talk to someone, watch the work, run an experiment or check whether
something is possible. What could you observe or measure that might change your mind?

What would this take, and who can support it?
Include time, money and help, what is available, and how much you can commit.
Remember setup, ongoing costs, maintenance, support and the cost of stopping.

Who or what could be affected? What would make you pause?
Check permissions, safety, privacy, effects on other people, and contractual or
funding conditions before the affected action.

When will you look at what happened and decide what comes next?
What would make you continue, change the plan, invest, pause or stop?

Some experiments need equipment, specialist work or a long funded runway first.
The goal is an adequately supported step, not the cheapest possible one.
A customer conversation does not replace a technical experiment.

4. COMING BACK? ADD WHAT HAPPENED
You can leave with your plan now. Use these questions after trying or checking it.

What did you see or measure? Include context and date without sensitive details.

What did others tell you? Record their report separately from your observation.

What do you think it means? What else might explain it?
Keep your interpretation separate from what you saw or heard. What could test it?

What happens next: continue / revise / invest / pause / stop / not yet decided.

Why that choice? What do you still need to check? When will you look again?

These notes may be private; choose carefully where to keep or share them.
Nothing needs to be sent to us. Save an updated copy when your plan changes.