Daily Update

Daily Update

Generate a polished daily standup update by gathering context from multiple sources and formatting it according to a user-specified template.

Usage

When the user requests a daily update, follow this workflow:

1. Locate the template - Ask for or find the template file
2. Gather context from available sources
3. Draft the update following the template structure
4. Present for review and iterate if needed

Template Format

Templates are markdown files with section headers that define the update structure. The agent fills in each section based on gathered context.

Example Template (Agile Standup)

## Yesterday / Since Last Update
<!-- What was accomplished since the last standup -->

## Today / Next
<!-- What you plan to work on -->

## Blockers / Questions
<!-- Anything preventing progress, or questions for the team -->

Example Template (Weekly Summary)

## Highlights
<!-- Key accomplishments this week -->

## In Progress
<!-- Work that's ongoing -->

## Upcoming
<!-- What's planned for next week -->

## Risks & Blockers
<!-- Issues that need attention -->

Example Template (Async Update)

## Status: 🟢 On Track | 🟡 At Risk | 🔴 Blocked

## Progress
<!-- What moved forward -->

## Next Steps
<!-- Immediate priorities -->

## Need Input On
<!-- Decisions or feedback needed from others -->

Context Sources

Gather information from these sources when available:

1. Calendar Events

Look for recent and upcoming calendar entries:

• Meetings attended → Evidence of collaboration, decisions made
• Upcoming meetings → Context for "Today" plans
• Recurring syncs → Regular touchpoints to mention

How to use:

• Ask the user about their calendar or check integrated calendar tools
• Note key meetings and their outcomes
• Flag upcoming meetings that relate to current work

2. Task/Issue Trackers

Pull from project management tools (Jira, GitHub Issues, Linear, etc.):

• Recently closed/completed → "Yesterday" accomplishments
• In progress items → "Today" focus areas
• Blocked items → Blockers section
• Newly assigned → Upcoming work

How to use:

• Query for issues updated in the last 24-48 hours
• Check for status transitions (In Progress → Done, etc.)
• Note any issues marked as blocked

3. Free-form Notes

User-provided context:

• Bullet points of what they worked on
• Rough notes from the day
• Copy-pasted Slack messages or emails
• Mental notes they want to include

How to use:

• Accept raw input from the user
• Synthesize into coherent update items
• Preserve important details while improving clarity

4. Obsidian Daily Notes

Parse the user's PersonalLog daily notes for context:

• ## Notes section → Human-written reflections and logs
• ## Servitor section → Previous AI-generated summaries
• Linked entities → People involved, projects referenced
• Tasks/checkboxes → Completed and pending items

How to use:

• Read the current day's note and optionally yesterday's
• Extract completed tasks (checked boxes)
• Note meetings or events mentioned
• Identify blockers or questions raised

Drafting Process

Step 1: Gather Context

Collect information from available sources. Not all sources will be available for every update—use what's accessible.

Sources checked:
- [ ] Calendar events (past 24h, next 24h)
- [ ] Task tracker (recently updated issues)
- [ ] Free-form notes (user-provided)
- [ ] Obsidian daily notes

Step 2: Categorize Items

Map gathered items to template sections:

Step 3: Draft Each Section

For each template section:

1. Pull relevant items from categorized context
2. Write concise, action-oriented bullets
3. Include enough detail to be useful without being verbose
4. Link to issues/PRs/docs where helpful

Step 4: Review and Refine

Before presenting the draft:

• Ensure each section has content (or explicitly note "No blockers")
• Check for appropriate level of detail
• Verify nothing sensitive is included unintentionally
• Confirm the tone matches the intended audience

Writing Guidelines

Be Specific, Not Vague

# ❌ Vague
- Worked on the API

# ✅ Specific
- Implemented pagination for /api/users endpoint (PR #234)

Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Activity

# ❌ Activity-focused
- Had a meeting with the design team

# ✅ Outcome-focused
- Aligned with design on v2 dashboard layout; ready for implementation

Keep It Scannable

• Use bullet points, not paragraphs
• Lead with the most important information
• Keep bullets to 1-2 lines max
• Group related items together

Acknowledge Blockers Honestly

# ❌ Downplaying
- Waiting on some things

# ✅ Clear and actionable
- Blocked on API credentials from DevOps (requested 2 days ago, following up today)

Example Output

Given this context:

• Closed PR #456 for user auth refactor
• Attended sprint planning (assigned PROJ-123)
• Calendar shows 1:1 with manager tomorrow
• Obsidian note mentions "still waiting on design specs for dashboard"

Draft using Agile Standup template:

## Yesterday
- Merged user auth refactor (PR #456) - improves session handling
- Sprint planning: picked up PROJ-123 (notification system)

## Today
- Start implementation for PROJ-123
- 1:1 with manager at 2pm

## Blockers
- Waiting on design specs for dashboard redesign (following up with design team)

Customization

Template Location

Common locations for templates:

• ~/.config/daily-update/template.md
• <project>/.daily-update-template.md
• Obsidian vault: !meta/templates/daily_update_standup.md

Per-Project Templates

Different projects may need different formats. Support:

• Project-specific templates in repo root
• Team-specific templates for different audiences
• Multiple templates (standup vs. weekly vs. async)

Audience Adaptation

Adjust detail level based on audience:

• Team standup: Technical details, PR/issue numbers
• Manager update: Higher-level progress, strategic blockers
• Cross-functional: Less jargon, more context

Integration with Obsidian Vault

When working with the PersonalLog vault:

1. Read context from daily notes at Periodic/Daily/YYYY-MM-DD.md
2. Respect the note structure - distinguish ## Notes from ## Servitor
3. Optionally write the update to the Servitor section of the daily note
4. Link to relevant entities (people, projects, dates)

Example integration:

## Servitor

### Daily Update (generated YYYY-MM-DD)

[Generated standup content here]