Prerequisites
Make sure you have these installed:
- Claude Code — the AI coding tool from Anthropic
- Node.js 18+ — run
node -vto check - Git — run
git -vto check
Create your Life OS
Open your terminal and navigate to where you keep your GitHub projects, then run:
This creates a life-os/ folder with your system prompt, slash commands, and folder structure.
Open it in Claude Code
$ claude
Run setup
Once Claude Code is open, type:
This starts a guided conversation that walks you through:
- Who you are — name, location, what you do
- Your people — family, close friends
- Your life pillars — the big areas you want to invest in
- How you want Claude to talk to you
- Connecting your data sources (Gmail, Calendar, messaging)
- Writing your first journal entry
Connect your data
All data sources are optional. Skills work with whatever you have connected — even just weather and git activity is useful. Here's what's available:
Claude Connectors
Life OS works with Claude's connectors — including Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, and more. Go to Settings -> Connectors to see what's available and connect your accounts.
Messaging via Beeper
Download Beeper and connect your messaging apps — iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, Slack, and more. Beeper bridges all your messaging into one place that Claude can read.
Use it every day
Run any of these skills from Claude Code:
| /morning | Morning briefing. Schedule, weather, open loops, what needs your attention. |
| /digest | End-of-day recap. Conversations, open loops with checkboxes, journal, wins. |
| /journal | Jot something down anytime. No rules. |
| /goals | Set structured goals tied to your life pillars. |
| /sync | Pull from all connected sources and update your people files. |
| /reflect | Analyze a mistake Claude made and fix the skill so it doesn't happen again. |
| /remind | Add, check off, or review reminders. |
| /start | Start background loops for briefings, digests, and syncing while your session is open. |
| /automate | Set up headless macOS automation. Morning briefings at 7 AM, digests at 8 PM, even when Claude Code isn't open. |
Tips
- Start small. Just use
/journaland/morningfor the first week. - Don't over-organize. Resist the urge to add folders and categories. Simple is better than neat.
- If you skip days, that's fine. Running
/digestcatches up automatically. - Use Obsidian. A markdown editor for viewing and editing your data. Free and open source.
- Use Sumi. An app you can use to journal, add reminders, or chat about your data.
- Use Recall. An app that analyzes your data and asks you questions about what's missing to fill in the gaps.