| name | update-focus |
| description | Use when you need to update current-focus.md with a structured session summary. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Edit, Bash(git log*), Bash(date*), Bash(ls*) |
Update Focus Skill
Structured end-of-session update to .context/current-focus.md that preserves the document's full structure.
Purpose
The stop hook nudges to update current-focus.md at session end, but ad-hoc edits risk flattening its rich structure. This skill handles session rotation, open loop management, and targeted questions — so the file stays useful as a working memory between sessions.
When to Use
- At the end of a work session (triggered by stop hook or manually)
- When the user says "update my focus", "save where I left off", "update current focus"
- After
/session-log if current-focus.md wasn't updated
Canonical Document Structure
current-focus.md follows this structure — always preserve it:
# Current Focus
> Update this file regularly...
## This Week's Focus (w/c YYYY-MM-DD)
### Primary Goal
[One sentence]
### Active Projects (Top 3)
1. **[Project]** - [Status/phase]
2. **[Project]** - [Status/phase]
3. **[Project]** - [Status/phase]
### Waiting On
- [ ] [Person] - [What] - [Since when]
### Upcoming Deadlines
| Deadline | What | Project |
|----------|------|---------|
## Recent Context
### Last Session Summary (YYYY-MM-DD — [Title])
- [Bullet points of what happened]
### Previous Session (YYYY-MM-DD — [Title])
- [Bullet points]
### Previous Session (YYYY-MM-DD — [Title])
- [Bullet points]
### Previous Session (YYYY-MM-DD — [Title])
- [Bullet points]
### Open Loops
Things I started but haven't finished:
- [ ] [Item]
- [x] [Completed item — remove on next update]
### Mental State
[Optional: How are you feeling about work?]
---
## Quick Reference
### Key Meetings This Week
- [Day]: [Meeting] with [Person] about [Topic]
### Papers in Active Revision
- [Paper title] - [Journal] - [Stage]
---
Workflow
Step 1: Read current state
Read these three sources to understand what happened:
.context/current-focus.md — current file contents- Latest file in
log/ — most recent session log (if one was created)
git log --oneline -10 — recent commits for concrete evidence of work done
Also note today's date for week rollover detection.
Step 2: Detect week rollover
Compare the w/c date in ## This Week's Focus (w/c YYYY-MM-DD) against today's date.
- If today is in a new week (Monday-based), flag that weekly sections need updating.
- If same week, skip weekly section updates.
Week rollover means: Primary Goal, Active Projects Top 3, Waiting On, Upcoming Deadlines, and Key Meetings may all need refreshing.
Step 3: Draft session summary
From the session context (conversation history, commits, log), draft a summary in the same bullet-point format as existing entries:
### Last Session Summary (YYYY-MM-DD — [Short Title])
- [What was done, in bullet points]
- [Key decisions or outputs]
- [Files/commits if relevant]
Keep it concise — 3-6 bullet points. Match the style of existing entries.
Step 4: Ask targeted questions (2-4 max)
Ask only what's needed. Skip questions where the answer is obvious from context.
Always ask:
- "Does this session summary look right?" (show the draft)
- "Any open loops to add or check off?" (show current list with proposed changes marked)
Ask only if relevant:
3. "How are you feeling about work?" — only if Mental State is still a placeholder ([Optional: ...])
4. "Has your primary goal or top 3 changed?" — only on week rollover
Present questions concisely with proposed answers. Let the user confirm or adjust.
Step 5: Apply the update
Use Edit to make targeted changes. Never rewrite the whole file.
Session rotation rules
- Rename the current
### Last Session Summary (...) to ### Previous Session (...)
- Insert the new
### Last Session Summary (...) in its place
- Keep a maximum of 4 session entries in Recent Context (1 Last + 3 Previous)
- If there are already 4 entries, delete the oldest Previous Session
- Preserve the exact header format:
### Last Session Summary (YYYY-MM-DD — Title) for the newest, ### Previous Session (YYYY-MM-DD — Title) for older ones
Open loop management
- Check off items that were completed this session (change
- [ ] to - [x])
- Remove items marked
[x] from previous sessions (they've been acknowledged)
- Add new open loops identified during the session
- Keep the intro line:
Things I started but haven't finished:
Other updates
- Update Mental State if the user provided one
- Update weekly sections if week rollover was detected and the user confirmed changes
- Update Quick Reference if meetings or paper revisions changed
- Update Waiting On if new blockers emerged or old ones resolved
Step 6: Confirm
Report what was changed:
Updated .context/current-focus.md:
- Session: [title] added to Recent Context
- Open loops: [N checked off, M added]
- [Any other changes]
If no session log was created this session, offer: "Want me to run /session-log too?"
Integration with Other Skills
| Skill | Relationship |
|---|
/session-log | Creates the detailed log; /update-focus updates the working memory. Often run together. |
/save-context | For ad-hoc saves to any context file. Defers to /update-focus for structured focus updates. |
vault sync (edit vault files directly) | Updates projects/_index.md and vault. For full session-level focus updates, defers to /update-focus. |
Example Interaction
Claude: Here's what I'd update in current-focus.md:
Session summary:
### Last Session Summary (2026-02-08 — Update Focus Skill)
- Created `/update-focus` skill for structured current-focus.md updates
- Updated stop hook, session-log, and update-context with cross-references
- Updated CLAUDE.md skills list (16 → 17)
Open loops — proposed changes:
Does this look right? Any open loops to add or change?
the user: Looks good, also check off the replication one, I decided to skip it.
Claude: Got it. [Applies edits] Updated .context/current-focus.md:
- Session: "Update Focus Skill" added to Recent Context
- Open loops: 2 checked off, 1 added
- Previous sessions rotated (oldest dropped)
Want me to run /session-log too?
