Periodic Rollup

Periodic rollup

Roll up periodic vault notes by synthesizing child descriptions into a parent note's description. If $ARGUMENTS is provided, use it to identify the periodic note to target.

History rollup — When asked to roll up history for a project or topic, or to compile periodic mentions into a Histories note, follow references/history-rollup.md instead of this workflow.

Workflow

1. Gather — Search for source notes using obsidian CLI or MCP vault search
2. Synthesize — Process gathered content according to the steps below
3. Write — Produce or update the output note

Principles

• Preserve source wikilinks back to origin notes for traceability
• Respect the hierarchy: daily → weekly → quarterly → yearly
• Preserve detail in archives; don't summarize what should be kept verbatim
• Update related properties bidirectionally when creating new notes

Process

When generating a summary for a periodic note (weekly, quarterly, or yearly):

1. Identify the note hierarchy

   • Determine which periodic level you're summarizing (e.g., quarterly from weeklies, weekly from dailies)
   • Locate all related child notes referenced in the related frontmatter property

2. Extract child descriptions

   • Read the description property from each child note's frontmatter
   • These summaries usually crystallize the period's essence. However, if a description is missing, feels too vague, or if a specific day/week seems particularly significant, you are encouraged to read the original note content or sub-referenced notes to gain a more complete understanding.

3. Scan parent note content

   • Check if the parent note has any "Notes" or remarks sections that add context the children don't capture
   • Look for emergent patterns, meta-reflections, or threads that span multiple children
   • Don't treat these as equally weighted to the children—they're supplementary unless particularly revealing

4. Synthesize without imposing narrative

   • Combine child descriptions to surface what actually happened across the period, not what makes a good story
   • Identify real tensions, recurring patterns, or unresolved threads
   • Avoid artificial arcs, redemption narratives, or forced thematic coherence
   • Keep it concise: aim for 2-4 sentences for weekly rollups, 3-5 for quarterly/yearly

5. Update frontmatter

   • Add or update the description property in the parent note's YAML
   • Use double quotes; preserve all other formatting
   • Only modify the description property

Style guidelines

• Use semicolons and dashes to separate ideas rather than connective adverbs
• Prioritize concrete details and specific proper nouns that help memory recall
• Include ambiguity or unresolved tensions if they characterize the period
• Don't hedge or soften—be direct about what the period actually contained