Overcoming ADHD with Systemization #
- Traditional "Second Brain" systems often fail for individuals with ADHD due to the friction of manual maintenance and organization.
- The goal is to move from a system that requires manual upkeep to a system that "builds itself" through automation.
- Centralizing decision-making and folder management into CLI tools reduces cognitive load.
The Gemini CLI in Obsidian #
- The workflow utilizes a terminal integrated directly into Obsidian to interact with Google’s Gemini API.
- A custom CLI tool (written in Go) allows for piping text from the vault into the AI and receiving structured output.
- This approach favors "Unix philosophy" (small, modular tools) over monolithic AI plugins.
Centralized "Skills" via Dotfiles #
- Instead of scattered prompts, the creator uses a central "skills" directory within their dotfiles (
~/.config/genai/skills). - Each skill is a markdown file containing a specific System Prompt (e.g.,
structure.md,summarize.md). - This architecture allows the same AI prompts to be used across different projects, directories, and editors, not just within Obsidian.
- Versioning prompts in a git-controlled dotfile repo ensures consistency and portability.
Automated Folder Structure and Organization #
- The
structureskill analyzes a list of filenames or messy notes and suggests a logical folder hierarchy. - The CLI can take the output of an
lscommand and pipe it to Gemini to generatemkdirandmvcommands, automating the cleanup of a cluttered vault. - This solves the "blank page" problem and the "where do I put this" anxiety common in PKM (Personal Knowledge Management).
Managing Daily Notes and "Interstitials" #
- The workflow highlights the use of "Interstitial Journaling" throughout the day to track progress and context switches.
- At the end of the day, the AI processes these raw logs to extract key themes, achievements, and tasks for the next day.
- This transforms a chaotic stream of consciousness into a structured daily summary without manual effort.
Scalable Agent Workflow #
- By treating AI interactions as CLI commands, the user can chain operations together (e.g., fetch web content -> summarize -> file into Obsidian folder).
- The workflow supports a "Human-in-the-loop" model where the AI proposes a file structure or summary, and the user approves it before the file system is modified.
- This setup prepares the vault for future "agentic" workflows where the AI can autonomously maintain the knowledge base as it grows.
Summary #
The video outlines a high-efficiency Obsidian workflow designed for users who struggle with the manual overhead of personal knowledge management. By integrating a custom Gemini CLI tool and centralizing "AI Skills" in system dotfiles, the creator automates folder organization, daily note summarization, and metadata management. This "Unix-style" approach moves away from rigid plugins in favor of a modular, scriptable system that reduces friction, handles the heavy lifting of organization, and ensures the "Second Brain" evolves automatically with minimal human intervention.
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