simplicity-discipline

To prevent over-engineering during a code refactor, enforce simplicity-first decision making by applying root-cause analysis and creating minimal diffs that directly solve the stated problem while preserving existing behavior.

The best way to make surgical code changes is to use minimal diffs that preserve existing behavior, tying every edit to a clear outcome and validating the goal before and after the change to avoid unrelated refactors.

Your simple refactor expands into a rewrite when unnecessary abstractions and future-proofing layers are added instead of focusing on the real root cause; applying simplicity discipline trims work back to the smallest safe change.

You need to apply YAGNI principles to refactoring when existing code or architecture is becoming too complex, requiring you to prefer the smallest workable solution over adding unnecessary abstractions or layers.

Yes, you can use minimal diff techniques for large architectural changes by breaking them down into surgical edits that preserve behavior, ensuring each step directly solves a specific problem without unrelated refactoring.

A limitation of simplicity-first decision making in code review is that it requires strict goal-driven validation before and after changes, meaning you must clearly define the target outcome to know when to stop editing.