evaluate-day

name

evaluate-day

description

Use when the user says "/evaluate-day", "evaluate yesterday", or asks to turn a daily running log into an end-of-day reflection. Inputs - target date if not today, access to the daily note, existing Running Log entries, and user energy level/additions before writing. Do not use when the user wants to plan the day, log a new event, or write freeform journaling from scratch; use plan-my-day, record, or a writing skill instead. Produces grounded reflection answers written into the daily note. Escalate if the note is missing, the reflection already has answers, the log is too thin, or the user has not approved overwriting.

Evaluate Day — Reflection Synthesis

Evidence tier: P
Basis: Practitioner daily review and reflective journaling workflow adapted from Hilary Gridley's context directory guidance.
Source IDs: writerbuilder-howiai-context-directory, plan-my-day-skill, record-skill
Reviewed: 2026-05-12

Read a daily note's Running Log and fill in the End-of-Day Reflection section based on actual events. Ask the user for energy level and anything to add.

Expected layout

This skill reads from ~/context/admin/daily-notes/YYYY/MM-Month/YYYY-MM-DD.md — the "context directory" convention from Hilary Gridley's Context Directory and Daily Notes guide. Pair with plan-my-day (creates the notes) and record (populates the Running Log).

Invocation

• /evaluate-day — evaluate today
• /evaluate-day yesterday — evaluate yesterday
• /evaluate-day 2026-04-09 — evaluate specific date

Steps

1. Resolve target date

• Default: today (date '+%Y-%m-%d')
• yesterday: date -v-1d '+%Y-%m-%d' (macOS)
• Explicit date: use as-is, validate format YYYY-MM-DD

2. Locate the daily note

Path: ~/context/admin/daily-notes/YYYY/MM-Month/YYYY-MM-DD.md

Use the MM-Month folder name (e.g. 04-April). Derive month name from the date.

If the file doesn't exist, tell the user and stop — there's nothing to evaluate.

3. Read the full note

Read the file. Extract the ## Running Log section and check if ## End-of-Day Reflection is already answered (not just placeholder questions).

4. Handle already-answered case

If reflection answers already exist (non-placeholder content after each question), ask the user:

• Overwrite?
• Append additional thoughts?
• Abort?

Don't silently overwrite.

5. Synthesize answers from the log

Read every entry in the Running Log. For each reflection question, draft an answer grounded only in what the log actually contains. Do not invent events.

What went well today?

• Pull wins from the log: tasks completed, bugs fixed, PRs shipped, features delivered, deep-work blocks honored, decisions made, incidents recovered
• Cite specifics (PR numbers, project names, outcomes) where the log has them

What didn't go as planned?

• Pull friction from the log: meetings overran, blockers hit, plans abandoned, incidents, context switches, blocks that didn't happen
• Compare the Schedule section (if present) against Running Log — what was scheduled but not logged?

What will I do differently tomorrow?

• Translate the "didn't go as planned" items into concrete adjustments
• Keep it actionable, not vague ("defend calendar blocks" not "be better at time management")

6. Handle thin logs

If the log has 0-2 entries, don't fabricate a rich reflection. Write something honest like:

• "Thin log — not much captured. [brief note on the one thing logged]"
• "Day drifted — no structured log entries."

And suggest running /plan-my-day tomorrow for structure.

7. Ask the user two things

After drafting synthesized answers, ask the user (in one turn):

1. Energy level (/10)
2. Anything to add or correct? — wins the log missed, context the log didn't capture, mood, health, etc.

Wait for response. Don't write the file yet.

8. Merge and write

Integrate the user's energy level and additions into the draft. Write to the file by replacing the placeholder reflection section:

## End-of-Day Reflection

- What went well today? [synthesized + user additions]
- What didn't go as planned? [synthesized + user additions]
- What will I do differently tomorrow? [synthesized + user additions]
- Energy level: N/10 [optional short note from user]

Use the Edit tool on the existing placeholder block.

9. Confirm

Briefly confirm what was written. Don't re-summarize all the content — the user just answered.

Rules

• Never invent events not present in the log
• Preserve the user's voice — quote or paraphrase their additions, don't reword
• Thin logs → thin but honest reflections, not padded fabrications
• Always ask before overwriting existing answers
• Use the actual date from date, not a guess
• If invoked mid-day (before end-of-day), proceed anyway — it's the user's call

Related skills

• /record — the inverse: writes entries to the Running Log throughout the day
• /plan-my-day — creates the day's Schedule that this skill evaluates against