chain of thought

noun2

1. •
   A connected sequence of ideas, reasoning, or mental associations that someone experiences in thinking; the logical or associative progression of someone’s reasoning.

   • So reach into your chain of thought / Try to find something new / ('Cause what worked for you) / What worked so well for you before / For me just won't do — 1983
2. •
   A sequence of intermediate reasoning steps generated by a model to break down and solve a problem before producing its final answer or response.