monthly

Monthly

Generate the monthly file. Surface context from the year and the weeks.

Step 1: Parse Input

<user-input> may contain:

• A month (e.g., "monthly june", "monthly 2026-06") -- target that month
• A file path -- update an existing monthly file
• Nothing -- target the current month

Determine the month and file name: YYYY-MM-mon.md (e.g., 2026-05-may.md).

Locate the journal directory per the journal domain's discovery convention.

Check if the monthly file already exists. If it does, read it and update rather than overwrite.

Step 2: Read Context

Read these files from the journal directory:

• YYYY.md -- this year's goals (for pull-down)
• Previous month's file (if exists) -- check reflect section
• This month's weekly files (if any) -- for insights and theme detection
• occasions.md -- recurring events this month

Step 3: Build At a Glance

Compose the blockquote summary under the heading. Pull from:

• This year's goals (what's active)
• Last month's reflect (what went well, friction, what's next)

Keep it to 2-3 sentences. Factual, no editorialising.

Step 4: Pull Down Yearly Goals

Read the current yearly file's Goals section. Present them:

This year's goals:

• Goal 1
• Goal 2

Pull any into this month?

Add selected goals to the monthly Goals section. Don't pressure -- if they skip, that's fine.

Ask:

Any additional goals for this month?

Step 5: Assemble Events

Read occasions.md for recurring events falling within this month's date range. List them under the Events section.

Ask:

Any other events this month?

Step 6: Build Weekly Overview Table

Generate the Overview table with wikilinks for each week that falls within this month. If weekly files already exist, pull a short note from their goals or reflect. Otherwise leave Notes empty.

Step 7: Collect Insights

If weekly files from this month (or the previous month if early in the month) exist, scan their reflect sections for patterns:

• Recurring friction points
• Repeated wins or momentum areas
• Themes from "What is next" that keep appearing

Summarise findings in the Insights section. If nothing notable, leave it empty.

Step 8: Detect Recurring Themes

Scan weekly files for recurring ideas or themes that appear in 2+ weeks' reflect or goals.

If found, suggest:

These themes came up across multiple weeks:

• {theme}

Worth promoting any to a standalone note?

If nothing recurs, skip silently.

Step 9: Carry Forward

Check the previous month's file for incomplete goals. Present as multi-select:

These are still open from last month -- select which to keep this month:

• {item 1}
• {item 2}

Selected items go into this month's goals. Unselected items push up to the yearly file.

Step 10: Write the Monthly File

Create or update YYYY-MM-mon.md in the journal directory using the format in journal/templates/monthly.md.

If updating an existing file, preserve any content already written. Only update sections that need changes.

Step 11: Done

{Month YYYY} ready. {N} goals, {N} events, {N} weeks linked.