the-day

<essential_principles>

Day CLI

All deterministic operations go through the day CLI. Run from repo root:

# Check current status
./skills/the-day/scripts/day

# Archive existing TODAY.md
./skills/the-day/scripts/day archive --force

# Format GTD tasks as markdown
./skills/the-day/scripts/day format-gtd

# Generate TODAY.md (deterministic parts only)
./skills/the-day/scripts/day generate --force

What's Deterministic vs AI-Driven

User Context

Read from AGENT.md:

• •Location for weather (Kiel, Germany)
• •Timezone (Europe/Berlin)
• •Email for Google Workspace

</essential_principles>

Phase 1: Archive & Status

1. •

   Check current status:

   bash

   ./skills/the-day/scripts/day
   

   Shows: TODAY.md status, GTD task count, next-step hints.

2. •

   Archive existing TODAY.md (if exists):

   bash

   ./skills/the-day/scripts/day archive --force
   

   Moves to logs/today/YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM.md.

Phase 2: Gather Context

1. •

   Fetch weather data (AI):

   • •Use WebSearch for current conditions in user's location
   • •Metric units only: °C, km/h
   • •AI interprets: "Bundle up! Cold morning..." or "Perfect day for outdoor work!"
2. •

   Retrieve calendar events (MCP + AI):

   • •Use mcp__google_workspace__get_events for today
   • •Format with day format-calendar or manually with emojis
   • •Time-ordered (all-day first, then chronological)
3. •

   Get GTD tasks (CLI):

   bash

   ./skills/the-day/scripts/day format-gtd
   

   Returns grouped markdown: Focus (High/Low Energy), Async, Meetings.

4. •

   Gather starred emails (MCP + AI):

   • •Search: mcp__google_workspace__search_gmail_messages query="is:starred"
   • •AI categorizes: ACTION REQUIRED, Conference, Compliance, Personal
   • •Fix URLs: replace u/0/ with u/1/
5. •

   Generate inspiration (AI):

   • •Use WebSearch for Wikipedia featured article of the day
   • •Create ASCII art banner
   • •Generate inspiring quote
   • •Summarize article with leadership lesson

Phase 3: Generate TODAY.md

1. •

   Generate base document (CLI):

   bash

   ./skills/the-day/scripts/day generate --force
   

   Fills: DATE_FULL, TIME, LOCATION, GTD_TASKS. Leaves placeholders: WEATHER_CONTENT, CALENDAR_EVENTS, STARRED_EMAILS, INSPIRATION, WIKIPEDIA_ARTICLE.

2. •

   Fill AI placeholders (AI):

   • •Read generated TODAY.md
   • •Replace remaining {{PLACEHOLDER}} with gathered content
   • •Write updated file

Phase 4: Interactive Planning

1. •

   Identify available time slots:

   • •Analyze calendar events
   • •Find free blocks between meetings
   • •Show: "09:00-10:30 (1.5h)", "14:00-16:00 (2h)"
2. •

   Review tasks for scheduling:

   • •Present high-priority GTD tasks
   • •Use AskUserQuestion: "Which tasks to schedule?"
   • •Suggest slots based on energy levels
3. •

   Create calendar entries (MCP):

   • •Use mcp__google_workspace__create_event
   • •Settings: transparency="transparent", visibility="private"
   • •Format: "🎯 #42 - Task Title" or "📧 Process Starred Emails"
4. •

   Update TODAY.md with final calendar:

   • •Re-fetch events (now includes work blocks)
   • •Update calendar section
   • •Mark work blocks with ⭐

<success_criteria>

• •TODAY.md created with all sections populated
• •Weather in metric units with interpretation
• •Calendar events formatted with emojis and links
• •GTD tasks grouped by energy/context (via CLI)
• •Starred emails categorized
• •Interactive planning completed with user approval
• •Calendar events created with privacy settings
• •Previous TODAY.md archived (if existed)

</success_criteria>

CLI-First Philosophy

day status        → Overview + hints
day archive       → Archive to logs/
day format-gtd    → GTD → markdown
day generate      → Template → TODAY.md (deterministic parts)
AI workflow       → Fill remaining placeholders

JSON Output

All CLI commands support --json for structured output:

./skills/the-day/scripts/day --json
./skills/the-day/scripts/day format-gtd --json

Gmail URL Fix

User has multiple Google accounts. MCP returns u/0/ in links. Always replace u/0/ with u/1/ for correct account access.

TODAY.md as Source of Truth

• •Read by /focus command to avoid redundant API calls
• •Updated by /focus to track progress: "✅ HH:MM - [Completed work]"