Daily Standup & Journal
What It Does
Generate a structured check-in for a solo workday, team sync, reflection, or retrospective. Keep the result proportional to the user's requested depth.
Default to an in-session response only. Do not save, retrieve, or share journal content unless the user explicitly requests it and identifies the destination. Never claim to remember earlier entries that are not present in the current authorized context.
Session Types
1. Daily Solo Standup (5-Minute Check-In)
Best for: Freelancers, solopreneurs, remote workers
| Prompt | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What am I committed to finishing today? | Clarifies intention |
| What will distract me, and how do I prevent it? | Anticipates friction |
| What is one thing I can defer or delete? | Reduces scope creep |
| What energy level am I at? (1-10) | Captures the user's self-reported capacity without diagnosing it |
| What is the one metric that tells me today was a win? | Creates a finish line |
Format: Invite brief answers unless the user asks for a deeper reflection.
2. Daily Team Standup (Async)
Best for: Small remote teams, freelance collaborators
| Question | Focus |
|---|---|
| What did I accomplish yesterday? | Progress visibility |
| What will I work on today? | Intentionality |
| What blockers do I need help with? | Surface roadblocks |
| What one thing would make today productive? | Proactive planning |
Pro tip: Keep responses under 3 sentences each. Use a shared doc or channel. Read everyone's before starting your day.
3. Evening Reflection (Gratitude + Growth)
Best for: Personal development, habit tracking
| Prompt | Purpose |
|---|---|
| What went well today? | Reinforce positive patterns |
| What challenged me? | Identify growth edges |
| What did I learn? | Consolidate insights |
| What would I do differently? | Meta-learning |
| What am I grateful for? | Emotional resilience |
4. Weekly Retrospective
Best for: Solopreneurs, small teams, end-of-week review
Section A: Wins & Losses
| Win | Why It Mattered | |-----|----------------| | [event] | [impact] | | Loss / Miss | Lesson Learned | |-------------|----------------| | [event] | [takeaway] |
Section B: Energy Map
If the user wants an energy map, ask them to rate each day using their own scale:
Mon: [rating] — [user observation] Tue: [rating] — [user observation] Wed: [rating] — [user observation] Thu: [rating] — [user observation] Fri: [rating] — [user observation]
Section C: Metrics Check
| Metric | This Week | Last Week | Δ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue/Bookings | ||||
| Hours Worked | ||||
| Deep Work Hours | ||||
| Clients/Projects Moved |
Section D: Next Week Commitments
- Start: What new habit or project begins?
- Stop: What drained energy or produced no value?
- Continue: What's working well?
5. Monthly Theme Generator
Best for: Setting direction, building momentum
| Prompt | Reflection |
|---|---|
| What word describes this month? | Identify the emotional tone |
| What was the biggest shift? | Track trajectory |
| What surprised me? | Surface unexpected lessons |
| What am I most proud of? | Celebrate progress |
| What needs more attention next month? | Forward focus |
| One sentence to capture this month: | Narrative summary |
Trigger Phrases
| Phrase | Action |
|---|---|
| "Run my daily standup" | Generates the solo standup prompts |
| "Quick check-in" | Abbreviated standup (1-2 questions) |
| "Evening journal" | Generates reflection prompts |
| "Weekly retro" | Full weekly retrospective structure |
| "Month in review" | Monthly theme and reflection prompts |
| "I feel stuck today" | Adaptive standup focused on blockers + clarity |
| "End of day review" | Evening reflection with gratitude |
| "Morning pages" | Stream-of-consciousness vs structured hybrid |
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Identify the Session Type
Infer solo/team, planning/reflection, and time horizon from the request. Ask one short question only when the missing choice would materially change the output; otherwise use the standard daily check-in and state the assumption.
Step 2: Generate the Prompts
Based on type, serve the relevant prompt set. Allow customization:
- "Skip the gratitude part today"
- "Add a question about client outreach"
- "Make it shorter — I'm in a hurry"
Step 3: Process the Responses
Summarize what the user actually supplied and distinguish observations from hypotheses:
- Patterns: If the user supplied several entries, note repeated language and cite the relevant days.
- Blockers: "You've had the same blocker for 2 days. Want to brainstorm a fix?"
- Trends: Describe a possible trend only when the supplied entries support it; ask the user whether the interpretation fits.
Do not infer mood, health, sleep quality, burnout, or causes from an energy score or sparse journal entry.
Step 4: Offer Optional Export
By default, return the entry in the conversation and do not persist it. If the user asks for a rolling log, confirm the file or service, show the exact content to be written, and obtain confirmation before writing or sharing it. Do not overwrite an existing log without explicit approval.
Step 5: Surface Action Items
When the user's response supports action and they want planning help, suggest one or two concrete actions:
- "Reserve a focus block during the user's stated high-energy period"
- "Consider moving the Friday call if the user says that time repeatedly causes problems"
Present these as suggestions. Do not change a calendar, cancel a meeting, send a message, or share a journal without explicit authorization.
Sample Sessions
Solo Freelancer Standup
Morning Input: "Run my standup"
Output:
DAILY STANDUP 1. What are you committed to finishing today? 2. What might distract or block you? 3. What can you defer or remove? 4. What is your current energy level (optional, 1-10)? 5. What observable outcome would make today a win?
Weekly Retro
Input: "Weekly retro"
Output:
WEEKLY RETROSPECTIVE WINS • [Add outcomes from this week's supplied entries] MISSES OR LESSONS • [Add only what the user reported] POSSIBLE PATTERNS • [Evidence-backed pattern, or "Not enough information"] NEXT WEEK Start: [User choice] Stop: [User choice] Continue: [User choice]
Quality checks
- Use only entries supplied in the current authorized context.
- Keep observations separate from interpretations.
- Do not infer health, mood, motivation, or performance from sparse entries.
- Offer a share-ready draft only when useful; never send or expose journal content without explicit authorization.
- Do not create a recurring review or reminder unless the user asks.
