second-brain

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Second Brain

第二大脑

A personal knowledge management and productivity system for Obsidian, combining:

GTD (Getting Things Done) - Task and project management
Zettelkasten - Atomic note-taking for knowledge building
PARA Method - Folder organization (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives)

一款为Obsidian打造的个人知识管理与生产力系统，融合了以下方法：

GTD (Getting Things Done) - 任务与项目管理
Zettelkasten - 用于知识构建的原子笔记法
PARA Method - 文件夹分类法（Projects、Areas、Resources、Archives）

Configuration (MEMORY-BASED)

配置（基于记忆功能）

CRITICAL FIRST STEP: Before any operation, check for configuration in Claude's Memory.

关键第一步： 在执行任何操作前，检查Claude记忆中是否存在配置信息。

How Configuration Works

配置工作原理

Configuration is stored in Claude's Memory feature and persists across all sessions automatically.

Why Memory? Skills in Claude Desktop run in a sandboxed environment with no file system access. Memory is the only way to persist configuration across sessions.

Once set up, Claude remembers:

Your vault path
Your name
Whether setup is complete
Your preferences

配置信息存储在Claude的记忆功能中，会自动在所有会话间持久化保存。

为什么使用记忆功能？ Claude桌面端的技能运行在沙箱环境中，无法访问文件系统。记忆功能是跨会话持久化配置的唯一方式。

完成设置后，Claude会记住：

你的库路径
你的姓名
设置是否完成
你的偏好设置

Configuration Check Flow

配置检查流程

Check Claude Memory for "Second Brain vault path"
If found in Memory: Use the remembered vault path for all operations
If NOT found in Memory: This is first-time setup - ask user for vault path

检查Claude记忆中是否存在“Second Brain vault path”
如果在记忆中找到：使用已保存的库路径执行所有操作
如果未在记忆中找到：这是首次设置 - 询问用户获取库路径

Checking Memory

检查记忆的方式

At the start of ANY Second Brain operation, check if you remember the vault path:

Do I have the user's Second Brain vault path in my memory?
- If YES: Use that path for all operations
- If NO: Ask the user and save to memory

在启动任何Second Brain操作前，检查是否已记住用户的库路径：

我是否在记忆中保存了用户的Second Brain库路径？
- 如果是：使用该路径执行所有操作
- 如果否：询问用户并保存至记忆

If No Configuration Found (First Time)

未找到配置（首次使用）

Ask the user for their vault path:

Welcome to Second Brain!

I need to know where your Obsidian vault is located so I can save and organize your notes.

Please provide the full path to your Obsidian vault folder.

Examples:
- macOS: /Users/yourname/Documents/MyVault
- Windows: C:\Users\yourname\Documents\MyVault
- Linux: /home/yourname/Documents/MyVault

What's the path to your vault?

Once you have the path:

Save to Claude Memory: Remember the vault path for future sessions
Run the full setup workflow to complete onboarding
Save setup completion status to Memory

Claude Memory persists across ALL sessions automatically.

向用户询问库路径：

欢迎使用Second Brain！

我需要了解你的Obsidian库所在位置，以便保存和整理你的笔记。

请提供Obsidian库文件夹的完整路径。

示例：
- macOS: /Users/yourname/Documents/MyVault
- Windows: C:\Users\yourname\Documents\MyVault
- Linux: /home/yourname/Documents/MyVault

你的库路径是什么？

获取路径后：

保存至Claude记忆：记住该库路径以便后续会话使用
运行完整的设置工作流完成初始化
将设置完成状态保存至记忆

Claude记忆会自动在所有会话间持久化保存。

What Gets Saved to Memory

保存至记忆的内容

After setup, Claude should remember:

Second Brain vault path: The absolute path to the user's Obsidian vault
Second Brain user name: The user's name
Second Brain setup complete: Whether full setup has been done
Second Brain preferences: User preferences (proactive capture, inbox threshold)

完成设置后，Claude应记住：

Second Brain vault path：用户Obsidian库的绝对路径
Second Brain user name：用户姓名
Second Brain setup complete：是否已完成完整设置
Second Brain preferences：用户偏好设置（主动捕获、收件箱阈值）

If Configuration Exists in Memory

记忆中已存在配置

Use the remembered

vault path

for ALL file operations.

使用已记住的

vault path

执行所有文件操作。

Claude Code Fallback

Claude Code备用方案

For Claude Code users only: If Memory is empty, you may also check for a legacy config file at

~/.second-brain/config.json

. If found, migrate that configuration to Memory for future use.

仅针对Claude Code用户： 如果记忆为空，你也可以检查传统配置文件

~/.second-brain/config.json

。如果找到，将该配置迁移至记忆中以便后续使用。

Environment Variable Override

环境变量覆盖

Environment variable

SECOND_BRAIN_VAULT_PATH

can override Memory (useful for testing).

环境变量

SECOND_BRAIN_VAULT_PATH

可覆盖记忆中的配置（适用于测试场景）。

Core Capabilities

核心功能

1. Quick Capture

1. 快速捕获

Trigger phrases: "capture this", "save this thought", "remember this", "note this down", "add to my inbox"

What it does: Instantly captures thoughts, tasks, or ideas to today's inbox without categorization.

GTD Principle: "Capture first, clarify later."

See: Capture Workflow

触发短语： "capture this"、"save this thought"、"remember this"、"note this down"、"add to my inbox"

功能说明： 立即将想法、任务或创意捕获至当日收件箱，无需预先分类。

GTD原则： "先捕获，后梳理。"

查看：捕获工作流

2. Daily Planning

2. 每日计划

Trigger phrases: "plan my day", "what should I work on", "daily planning", "morning planning"

What it does:

Checks inbox (prompts to process if 5+ items)
Scans all projects for next actions
Asks about energy, context, time available
Generates prioritized task list (must-do, should-do, quick-wins)

See: Daily Plan Workflow

触发短语： "plan my day"、"what should I work on"、"daily planning"、"morning planning"

功能说明：

检查收件箱（如果有5条以上事项，提示进行处理）
扫描所有项目以获取下一步行动
询问用户的精力状态、场景限制和可用时间
生成优先级任务列表（必须完成、应该完成、快速搞定）

查看：每日计划工作流

3. Inbox Processing

3. 收件箱处理

Trigger phrases: "process my inbox", "organize my captures", "clarify my tasks", "GTD processing"

What it does:

Asks clarifying questions for vague items (batched, not one-by-one)
Routes actionable items to Projects/Areas
Routes knowledge items to Permanent Notes
Reviews all active projects
Archives completed projects

See: Process Inbox Workflow

触发短语： "process my inbox"、"organize my captures"、"clarify my tasks"、"GTD processing"

功能说明：

针对模糊事项提出澄清问题（批量处理，而非逐个处理）
将可执行事项分配至Projects/Areas
将知识类事项分配至永久笔记
审核所有活跃项目
归档已完成项目

查看：收件箱处理工作流

4. Daily Closeout

4. 每日收尾

Trigger phrases: "daily closeout", "review my day", "end of day review", "evening reflection"

What it does:

Reads today's plan
Asks what was accomplished
Marks completed/partial/deferred items
Asks about tomorrow's priorities
Creates tomorrow's DRAFT plan

See: Daily Closeout Workflow

触发短语： "daily closeout"、"review my day"、"end of day review"、"evening reflection"

功能说明：

读取当日计划
询问用户完成情况
标记已完成/部分完成/延期的事项
询问次日优先级
创建次日的草稿计划

查看：每日收尾工作流

5. Setup & Configuration

5. 设置与配置

Trigger phrases: "set up my second brain", "configure my vault", "second brain setup", "reconfigure"

What it does:

First-time: Full interactive setup (goals, relationships, first project)
Re-run: Update existing configuration

See: Setup Workflow

触发短语： "set up my second brain"、"configure my vault"、"second brain setup"、"reconfigure"

功能说明：

首次使用：完整交互式设置（目标、人际关系、首个项目）
重新运行：更新现有配置

查看：设置工作流

6. Excalidraw Diagrams

6. Excalidraw绘图

Trigger phrases: "create a diagram", "draw a flowchart", "make an excalidraw", "visualize this", "sketch this out", "diagram showing"

What it does:

Creates
```
.excalidraw.md
```
files compatible with Obsidian Excalidraw plugin
Generates flowcharts, concept maps, system diagrams, mind maps
Supports shapes (rectangles, ellipses, diamonds), arrows, lines, and text
Full JSON structure with proper element properties

Output location:

{{vaultPath}}/

(user specifies location or defaults to appropriate folder)

See: Excalidraw Reference

触发短语： "create a diagram"、"draw a flowchart"、"make an excalidraw"、"visualize this"、"sketch this out"、"diagram showing"

功能说明：

创建与Obsidian Excalidraw插件兼容的
```
.excalidraw.md
```
文件
生成流程图、概念图、系统图、思维导图
支持形状（矩形、椭圆、菱形）、箭头、线条和文本
包含完整JSON结构与正确的元素属性

输出位置：

{{vaultPath}}/

（用户可指定位置，或默认保存至合适文件夹）

查看：Excalidraw参考文档

Proactive Capture

主动捕获

IMPORTANT: When you notice the user:

Discovering valuable information during research
Having insights or realizations
Discussing ideas worth preserving
Solving problems in interesting ways

Offer to capture:

That's an interesting insight about [topic]. Would you like me to capture this to your Second Brain?

If they agree:

Use the capture workflow
Add context about where the insight came from
Suggest relevant tags or connections

重要提示： 当你注意到用户：

在研究过程中发现有价值的信息
产生见解或领悟
讨论值得保存的想法
以有趣的方式解决问题

主动提议捕获：

这是关于[主题]的有趣见解，是否需要我将其捕获至你的Second Brain？

如果用户同意：

使用捕获工作流
添加该见解的来源上下文
建议相关标签或关联内容

Vault Structure

库结构

The system uses PARA + Zettelkasten organization:

{{vaultPath}}/
├── 00-Inbox/
│   ├── Daily/              # Captures go here (YYYY-MM-DD.md)
│   └── Fleeting-Notes/     # Knowledge items during processing
├── 01-Projects/            # Multi-step outcomes with deadlines
├── 02-Areas/               # Ongoing responsibilities
│   ├── Career-Development.md
│   ├── Health-Fitness.md
│   ├── Personal-Development.md
│   ├── Errands.md
│   ├── Personal-Todos.md
│   └── Relationships/      # Individual notes per person
├── 03-Resources/
│   └── Reference-Notes/    # Summaries of external sources
├── 04-Archives/            # Completed/inactive projects
├── Daily Plans/            # Generated daily plans
├── Meeting Notes/          # Meeting documentation
├── Permanent Notes/        # Zettelkasten - synthesized insights
│   └── Assisting-User-Context.md  # User's goals & context
└── Templates/              # Reusable templates

See: PARA + Zettelkasten Guide

本系统采用PARA + Zettelkasten的组织方式：

{{vaultPath}}/
├── 00-Inbox/
│   ├── Daily/              # 捕获内容保存至此（YYYY-MM-DD.md）
│   └── Fleeting-Notes/     # 处理过程中的知识类事项
├── 01-Projects/            # 有截止日期的多步骤任务
├── 02-Areas/               # 持续进行的责任事项
│   ├── Career-Development.md
│   ├── Health-Fitness.md
│   ├── Personal-Development.md
│   ├── Errands.md
│   ├── Personal-Todos.md
│   └── Relationships/      # 每个人的单独笔记
├── 03-Resources/
│   └── Reference-Notes/    # 外部资源的摘要
├── 04-Archives/            # 已完成/ inactive的项目
├── Daily Plans/            # 生成的每日计划
├── Meeting Notes/          # 会议记录
├── Permanent Notes/        # Zettelkasten - 整合后的见解
│   └── Assisting-User-Context.md  # 用户目标与上下文
└── Templates/              # 可复用模板

查看：PARA + Zettelkasten指南

Unified Task Structure

统一任务结构

ALL Projects, Areas, and Relationship notes use identical priority sections:

markdown

undefined

所有Projects、Areas和关系类笔记均使用相同的优先级分区：

markdown

undefined

High Priority / Critical

高优先级/关键

Urgent/important items (scanned FIRST by daily planning)

紧急/重要事项（每日计划优先扫描）

Next Actions / Current Tasks

下一步行动/当前任务

Regular priority items (scanned SECOND)

常规优先级事项（次要扫描）

Someday/Maybe

将来/可能

Lower priority/exploratory (SKIPPED by daily planning)

低优先级/探索性事项（每日计划跳过）

Waiting On

等待中

Blocked by external dependencies

受外部依赖阻塞的事项

Completed

已完成

Finished tasks with dates

---

带日期的已完成任务

---

Templates

模板

Use these templates when creating new notes:

Template	Use When
project.md	Creating a new project (multi-step outcome)
area.md	Creating a new area of responsibility
permanent-note.md	Creating a Zettelkasten permanent note
fleeting-note.md	Quick knowledge capture for later processing
relationship.md	Tracking an important person
meeting-note.md	Meeting documentation
daily-plan.md	Daily execution plan
daily-inbox.md	Daily capture file
user-context.md	User goals and preferences
excalidraw-diagram.md	Visual diagrams and flowcharts

创建新笔记时使用以下模板：

模板	使用场景
project.md	创建新项目（多步骤任务）
area.md	创建新的责任领域
permanent-note.md	创建Zettelkasten永久笔记
fleeting-note.md	快速捕获知识类内容以便后续处理
relationship.md	记录重要联系人
meeting-note.md	会议记录
daily-plan.md	每日执行计划
daily-inbox.md	每日捕获文件
user-context.md	用户目标与偏好
excalidraw-diagram.md	可视化图表与流程图

Key References

关键参考文档

GTD Methodology - David Allen's Getting Things Done
PARA + Zettelkasten - Folder organization
Obsidian Mastery - Obsidian conventions
Tagging Strategy - Tag taxonomy
Excalidraw Diagrams - Visual diagrams and flowcharts

GTD Methodology - David Allen的“搞定”方法论
PARA + Zettelkasten - 文件夹组织方式
Obsidian Mastery - Obsidian使用规范
Tagging Strategy - 标签分类策略
Excalidraw Diagrams - 可视化图表与流程图

ADHD-Friendly Principles

适配ADHD的设计原则

The system is designed for users who may have ADHD:

Read entire documents first - Understand existing structure
Make targeted edits - Update specific sections, don't append
Never just add to bottom - Unless explicitly asked
Keep it concise - Remove redundancy
One plan, not many - Replace old plans, don't add "revised" sections

Bad: Adding "REVISED PLAN" below "TODAY'S PLAN" Good: Replacing "TODAY'S PLAN" content with updated tasks

本系统专为可能患有ADHD的用户设计：

先通读整个文档 - 理解现有结构
进行针对性编辑 - 更新特定章节，而非追加内容
不要仅在末尾添加内容 - 除非用户明确要求
保持简洁 - 移除冗余内容
单一计划，避免重复 - 替换旧计划，不要添加“修订版”章节

错误示例： 在“今日计划”下方添加“修订计划” 正确示例： 用更新后的任务替换“今日计划”内容

Daily Workflow Summary

每日工作流摘要

The Complete Loop:

Throughout day: Capture thoughts (30 sec each)
3x per week: Process inbox - Clarify + Organize (15 min)
Every morning: Daily plan - Choose what to work on (5 min)
Every evening: Daily closeout - Reflect + Prep tomorrow (5 min)

Total time: ~20-25 min/day + 45 min/week processing = Sustainable!

完整循环：

全天： 捕获想法（每次30秒）
每周3次： 处理收件箱 - 梳理与分类（每次15分钟）
每天早晨： 制定每日计划 - 确定当日工作内容（5分钟）
每天晚上： 每日收尾 - 复盘与准备次日计划（5分钟）

总耗时： 每天约20-25分钟 + 每周45分钟处理时间 = 可持续的投入！

Examples

示例

Example 1: Quick Capture

示例1：快速捕获

User: "Capture: Need to call the dentist and also research new project management tools"

You:

Read config to get vault path

Find/create today's inbox file at

{{vaultPath}}/00-Inbox/Daily/YYYY-MM-DD.md

Append the capture with timestamp
Confirm: "Captured at 14:32. You have 3 captures today."

用户： “Capture: Need to call the dentist and also research new project management tools”

操作：

读取配置获取库路径

查找/创建当日收件箱文件

{{vaultPath}}/00-Inbox/Daily/YYYY-MM-DD.md

带时间戳追加捕获内容
确认：“已在14:32捕获。你今日已有3条捕获内容。”

Example 2: Daily Planning

示例2：每日计划

User: "What should I work on today?"

You:

Check inbox count (process if 5+ items)
Scan all projects in
```
01-Projects/
```
for next actions
Ask: "How's your energy today? Any context constraints?"
Generate prioritized list based on goals from user context
Create/update
```
Daily Plans/YYYY-MM-DD.md
```

用户： “What should I work on today?”

操作：

检查收件箱数量（超过5条则提示处理）
扫描
```
01-Projects/
```
中的所有项目以获取下一步行动
询问：“你今日的精力状态如何？是否有场景限制？”
根据用户上下文目标生成优先级列表
创建/更新
```
Daily Plans/YYYY-MM-DD.md
```

Example 3: Proactive Capture

示例3：主动捕获

During conversation about a topic:

You: "That insight about [topic] seems valuable. Would you like me to capture it to your Second Brain? I can add it to your inbox for later processing, or create a permanent note if it's already well-formed."

在关于某主题的对话中：

操作： “这是关于[主题]的有趣见解，是否需要我将其捕获至你的Second Brain？我可以将其添加至你的收件箱以便后续处理，若内容已成型也可直接创建永久笔记。”

Tool Usage

工具使用

Always use the vault path from Claude Memory for all operations.

始终使用Claude记忆中的库路径执行所有操作。

Claude Desktop (with Filesystem Extension)

Claude桌面端（需文件系统扩展）

Claude Desktop requires the Filesystem Desktop Extension to read/write files. Once installed, these tools are available:

Skill Operation	Filesystem Extension Tool
Read files	`read_file`
Write new files	`write_file`
Edit existing files	`edit_file`
Find files by pattern	`list_directory` + `search_files`
Create directories	`create_directory`

Prerequisites for Claude Desktop:

Install the Filesystem extension from the built-in extension store
Grant access to your Obsidian vault folder when prompted
Claude will then be able to read/write files in your vault

Claude桌面端需要Filesystem Desktop Extension才能读写文件。安装后，可使用以下工具：

技能操作	文件系统扩展工具
读取文件	`read_file`
写入新文件	`write_file`
编辑现有文件	`edit_file`
按模式查找文件	`list_directory` + `search_files`
创建目录	`create_directory`

Claude桌面端前置条件：

从内置扩展商店安装Filesystem扩展
提示时授予访问Obsidian库文件夹的权限
之后Claude即可在你的库中读写文件

Claude Code

Claude Code has built-in file system access. These tools are available:

Read - Check files, load context
Write - Create new files
Edit - Update existing files
Glob - Find files by pattern
Bash - Create directories, run commands

Claude Code内置文件系统访问权限，可使用以下工具：

读取 - 检查文件、加载上下文
写入 - 创建新文件
编辑 - 更新现有文件
Glob - 按模式查找文件
Bash - 创建目录、运行命令

Capability Comparison

功能对比

Capability	Claude Desktop	Claude Code
File operations in vault	✅ Yes (with extension)	✅ Yes (built-in)
Claude Memory	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Config file fallback	❌ No	✅ Yes
Bash commands	❌ No	✅ Yes

Important: The skill is designed to work in BOTH environments:

Configuration is stored in Claude Memory (works everywhere)
File operations use the filesystem extension (Desktop) or built-in tools (Code)

功能	Claude桌面端	Claude Code
库内文件操作	✅ 是（需扩展）	✅ 是（内置）
Claude记忆	✅ 是	✅ 是
传统配置文件备用方案	❌ 否	✅ 是
Bash命令	❌ 否	✅ 是

重要提示： 本技能设计为兼容两种环境：

配置存储在Claude记忆中（全环境可用）
文件操作 使用文件系统扩展（桌面端）或内置工具（Code）

Version History

版本历史

Version 4.1 (2025-12-11)

Switched to Claude Memory for configuration persistence
Added Claude Desktop compatibility (sandboxed skills)
Legacy config file fallback for Claude Code

Version 4.0 (2025-10-15)

Unified skill architecture (single skill replaces multiple commands)
Natural language triggers instead of slash commands
Intelligent handling of existing Obsidian vaults
Works in both Claude Code and Claude Desktop

版本4.1（2025-12-11）

切换为使用Claude记忆实现配置持久化
新增Claude桌面端兼容性（沙箱技能）
为Claude Code保留传统配置文件备用方案

版本4.0（2025-10-15）

统一技能架构（单一技能替代多个命令）
使用自然语言触发而非斜线命令
智能处理现有Obsidian库
兼容Claude Code与Claude桌面端