# Ideas Generation ## Purpose Generate a comprehensive list of ideas across multiple domains to fuel exploration, break through bottlenecks, and improve life. This command surfaces both obvious high-impact opportunities and non-obvious insights from patterns in the vault. --- ## Step 1: Vault Relationship Exploration Start with structural analysis before reading individual files. This surfaces connections that aren't visible from reading files in isolation and primes the rest of the analysis. ```bash Obsidian orphans # Notes nothing links to (forgotten ideas, neglected projects) Obsidian deadends # Notes with no outgoing links (isolated thinking) Obsidian unresolved # Things referenced in [[brackets]] but never created Obsidian tags counts sort=count # Theme distribution across the vault ``` For each context file and key daily note theme, trace connections: ```bash Obsidian backlinks file="<note>" # What else links to this? Obsidian links file="<note>" # What does this link to? Obsidian search:context query="<key theme>" # Where else does this theme appear? ``` Follow backlink chains 2-3 hops deep from the most active themes. Look for: - Notes that share connections but aren't linked to each other (hidden relationships) - Orphaned notes that are surprisingly relevant to current priorities - Unresolved links that represent ideas worth creating notes for - Tag clusters that reveal where thinking is concentrated vs. sparse - Deadend notes that contain valuable thinking but were never connected to anything ### Cross-Domain Pattern Detection Look for the same problem, question, or theme appearing across multiple domains simultaneously. These convergences signal breakthrough opportunities, because when three separate areas of life point at the same thing, it's probably important. ```bash Obsidian search:context query="<pattern from domain A>" # does it appear in domain B? ``` --- ## Step 2: Deep Context Review ### Daily Notes (Past 30 Days) Use the Obsidian CLI to read daily notes from the past 30 days: ```bash Obsidian daily:read Obsidian read path="Daily Notes/YYYY-MM-DD.md" # for each past day ``` Extract: - Frustrations and friction points mentioned - Things that sparked energy or excitement - Recurring interests or curiosities - Problems mentioned but not solved - Wishes ("I wish I could...", "It would be nice if...") - Things tried and abandoned (why?) - Questions asked but not answered **Sparse data handling:** If daily notes are sparse for this period, expand to 45-60 days. ### Context Files Use the Obsidian CLI to read all active context files: ```bash Obsidian read file="<Context File A>" Obsidian read file="<Context File B>" Obsidian read file="<Context File C>" ``` Extract: - Open questions (explicitly listed) - Hypotheses marked as untested - Things marked `[questioning]` or `[evolving]` - Constraints that might be worth challenging - Goals without clear paths ### Calendar (Past 2 Weeks + Next 2 Weeks) Review calendar for: - Where time is actually going (meeting types, patterns) - What's crowding out exploration time - Recurring commitments worth questioning - Gaps that could be used differently ### Social Media Profile Review recent posts, threads, and engagement: - Topics you're publicly thinking about - Posts that got high engagement (what resonates with others) - Posts that underperformed (interesting to you but not others, or wrong framing?) - Threads you wrote (these are essays in disguise) - Ideas that performed well worth expanding into longer content ### Messages (Past 30 Days) Review recent messages for patterns: - Conversations that sparked energy or ideas - People you keep meaning to follow up with - Plans discussed but not acted on - Relationships worth deepening - Recurring topics across conversations ### Essays & Published Work ```bash Obsidian files folder="Essays" Obsidian search query="<relevant terms>" path="Essays" ``` Look for: - Topics written about (what's the throughline?) - Gaps in what's been explored - Old ideas worth revisiting - Things started but not finished --- ## Step 2.5: Temporal Tracking Before generating ideas, check if previous /ideas runs exist in the vault: ```bash Obsidian search query="ideas generation" path="Daily Notes" Obsidian search query="/ideas" path="Daily Notes" ``` If prior runs are found: - Which ideas from previous runs got traction? (Appeared in later daily notes, got calendar time, produced output) - Which were abandoned? (Never mentioned again) - Which keep recurring across runs? (These are persistent interests masquerading as ideas. They need commitment, not another suggestion.) Prevent redundant suggestions. If an idea was generated before and went nowhere, either drop it or frame it differently: "This was suggested on [date] and didn't get traction. What would need to change for it to happen this time?" --- ## Step 3: Pattern Analysis Before generating ideas, synthesize patterns: ### What's Working Things that consistently produce energy, output, or satisfaction. ### What's Frustrating Recurring friction, complaints, or energy drains. ### What's Missing Gaps between stated goals and current activities. Things desired but not pursued. ### Recurring Interests Topics, people, or activities that keep coming up across notes. ### Bottlenecks Places where progress is blocked, often by the same thing repeatedly. --- ## Step 4: Generate Ideas For each category below, generate 3-5 specific, actionable ideas. Prioritize ideas that are: - High impact (would meaningfully improve life/work) - Non-obvious (not the first thing that comes to mind) - Grounded in actual patterns from the vault (not generic advice) ### Tools to Build Custom tools, scripts, slash commands, or automations that would solve specific problems identified in the vault. ### Tools to Start Using Existing products, apps, or services that would address identified needs. ### Systems to Implement Workflows, processes, or routines that would create structure around recurring challenges. ### Products to Purchase Physical items, subscriptions, or one-time purchases that would improve daily life. ### Habits to Adopt Behavioral changes or practices to build. ### Subjects to Investigate Topics worth going deep on, based on recurring interests or open questions. ### Things to Write & Publish Essay ideas, threads, or content based on unique perspectives or experiences in the vault. ### Films to Watch Based on interests, themes in work, or creative fuel needs. ### Conversations to Have People to reach out to, relationships to deepen. ### Experiments to Run Low-cost tests of ideas, beliefs, or approaches. --- ## Step 5: Prioritize ### Top 5 High-Impact, Do Now The five ideas across all categories that would have the biggest positive impact and are actionable this week. ### Top 5 High-Impact, Requires Setup Ideas that need more preparation but are worth investing in. ### Top 5 Non-Obvious Insights Ideas that emerged from pattern recognition, not obvious from surface-level thinking. ### The One Thing If you could only act on one idea from this entire list, which one would create the most positive change? Why? --- ## Step 6: Connect to Exploration Based on this analysis, suggest: ### Tomorrow's Exploration One specific thing to explore tomorrow. ### This Week's Investigation A subject or project to go deeper on this week. ### This Month's Experiment A larger experiment to run over the coming weeks. --- ## Output Guidelines - Be specific, not generic. Every idea should connect to something actually in the vault or observed in activity. - Cite sources: "Based on your note from [date] about..." - Distinguish between obvious-but-important and genuinely non-obvious insights. - Include rough effort/cost estimates where relevant. - This should feel like talking to someone who deeply understands your situation, not reading a listicle.