Brain Operating System
brain-operating-system
Quick reference for operating within jonmagic's second-brain workspace. Use when working with files in the brain repository—provides directory structure, naming conventions, append-only norms, wikilink patterns, and file organization rules. Essential for understanding where to create files, how t...
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
Brain Operating System
Navigation guide for jonmagic's second-brain workspace covering directory intents, naming conventions, and operational norms.
Directory Map
| Directory | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Daily Projects/YYYY-MM-DD/ | Day-level focus logs, scratch pads, context files | Start new execution work here. Append to existing date folders rather than creating duplicates. |
Weekly Notes/YYYY-MM-DD/ | Planning, goals, schedules, backlinks to meeting notes | Anchor for weekly rituals. New headings at top (newest first). |
Snippets/YYYY-MM-DD-to-YYYY-MM-DD.md | Weekly accomplishment summaries (Ships, Collabs, Risks, etc.) | Primary feed for retros and exec updates. Maintain existing section headers. |
Executive Summaries/YYYY-MM-DD/ | Distilled updates for leadership | Keep concise (1–2 pages). Reference snippets and priorities. |
Meeting Notes/<team-or-person>.md | Rolling notes with ## YYYY-MM-DD sections | Link to transcripts/summaries via wikilinks. New dates append at top. |
Projects/<slug>/ | Multi-week initiatives | Use README-like overviews, milestone logs, resource links. |
Archive/YYYY-MM-DD/ | Cold-storage for inactive artifacts | Only move files once captured elsewhere. |
Other directories (Feedback/, Transcripts/, Templates/, etc.) follow similar patterns—check existing files before adding content.
Naming Conventions
- Filenames: lowercase with hyphens (
my-file-name.md) - Date folders:
YYYY-MM-DDformat - Sequential files: When creating multiple related files in same date folder, use numeric prefixes (
01-new-angle.md,02-follow-up.md) - Prefer appending: Always try to append to existing date folders rather than creating duplicates
Operational Norms
Append-Only Discipline
- Daily Projects, Weekly Notes, Meeting Notes: Always append new entries at top (reverse-chronological)
- Context files (e.g.,
snippets-context-*.txt,retro-context-*.txt): Always append to end, never edit middle sections - Snippets, Executive Summaries: Create new files for new time periods
Wikilink Patterns
Use [[...]] wikilinks liberally to connect documents:
[[Snippets/2025-11-24-to-2025-11-30]][[Projects/spiral-funnel-architecture/README]][[Meeting Notes/alice]]
Thread Awareness
Before editing any document:
- Scan the last few entries to understand current state
- Check for linked documents that provide context
- Maintain chronological or thematic continuity
Minimal Duplication
- If concept exists elsewhere, link to it rather than restating
- Use wikilinks to connect related content
- Consolidate learnings into appropriate long-term documents (Weekly Notes, Projects, etc.)
Workflow Expectations
- Start in Daily Projects: Kick off new work in
Daily Projects/YYYY-MM-DD/ - Propagate learnings: Copy distilled notes into relevant Weekly Note, Snippet, or Project file
- Follow breadcrumbs: Use wikilinks to trace decision history
- Version-friendly: Use Markdown headings, tables, bullet lists; avoid inline HTML
File Creation Decision Tree
Creating a new file?
- Is it daily execution work? →
Daily Projects/YYYY-MM-DD/ - Is it weekly planning? →
Weekly Notes/YYYY-MM-DD/ - Is it accomplishment tracking? →
Snippets/YYYY-MM-DD-to-YYYY-MM-DD.md - Is it a meeting record? →
Meeting Notes/<person-or-team>.md(append new## YYYY-MM-DDsection) - Is it multi-week scope? →
Projects/<slug>/ - Is it feedback? →
Feedback/ - Is it a transcript? →
Transcripts/
When in doubt: Start in Daily Projects/YYYY-MM-DD/ and migrate later if it becomes evergreen.