Summary: Undoing things

The recovery map

Six commands. Each maps to a different scenario:

Scenario	Command
Discard working-directory changes	git restore <file>
Unstage a staged file	git restore --staged <file>
Fix the last commit (local only)	git commit --amend
Undo a local-only commit	git reset (with —soft / —mixed / —hard)
Undo a pushed commit	git revert <commit>
Recover from destructive operations	git reflog + git reset --hard <hash>

The four reset modes (memorize)

Mode	Commit pointer	Staging area	Working directory
--soft	Moves back	KEPT	KEPT
--mixed (default)	Moves back	CLEARED	KEPT
--hard	Moves back	CLEARED	CLEARED (destructive)

The reset vs revert distinction

• Reset rewrites history. Use only for local-only commits.
• Revert adds new history (an inverse commit). Use for anything pushed.
• Wrong choice: running git reset on pushed history. Wrong because it forces other team members into ugly merge resolution.

The reflog is your safety net

• Records every HEAD movement for ~90 days.
• Lets you recover from git reset --hard, lost branches, bad force-pushes, etc.
• Only exists on your machine. Cannot recover what was never on your machine.
• The discipline: before you panic, run git reflog.

Phase 1 is closed

You have:

• Mental model (L1)
• Commands and discipline (L2 + L3)
• Recovery (L4)

That is confident solo git workflow. Phase 2 adds collaboration.

What you carry into Phase 2

The recovery toolkit. Every time you experiment in Phase 2 (branches, merges, conflicts), the safety net from L4 is what lets you experiment without fear.

Voice anchor

Git stores snapshots. Every other command is just navigating those snapshots.

Undoing is just navigating to a different snapshot. Recovery is just remembering which snapshot you wanted. Almost nothing is truly lost.