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.

Use the vault's specific rollup workflow instead when one covers the requested scale. This skill supplies the general parent-period procedure; set-note-description handles a note's own content. Read the target vault's instructions before accessing or changing notes.

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