# Logseq Second Brain Template

A battle-tested [Logseq](https://logseq.com) knowledge base template built around the **PARA method** (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive). Designed for daily journaling, task management, and long-term knowledge organisation — all in plain text, synced via git.

---

## What's inside

```
logseq-second-brain-template/
├── journals/                  # Daily journal entries (auto-created by Logseq)
│   ├── 2024_01_15.md          # Demo: system overview & first tasks
│   ├── 2024_01_16.md          # Demo: task management workflow
│   └── 2024_01_17.md          # Demo: reflection, resources, and project tips
├── pages/
│   ├── Overview.md            # Dashboard — queries all your projects & areas
│   ├── Projects.md            # PARA root: lists all projects (active & archived)
│   ├── Areas.md               # PARA root: lists all areas of responsibility
│   ├── Resources.md           # PARA root: lists all reference topics
│   └── Templates.md           # Reusable query templates for new pages
├── assets/                    # Images, PDFs, and other attachments
├── logseq/
│   ├── config.edn             # Main Logseq configuration
│   └── custom.css             # CSS overrides (empty — ready for your theme)
├── .gitignore                 # Ignores macOS/Logseq cache files
└── README.md                  # This file
```

---

## Quick start

**1. Clone the repo**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/logseq-second-brain-template.git
```

**2. Open the folder in Logseq**
- Download [Logseq Desktop](https://logseq.com/#downloads) if you haven't already
- Click **Add a graph** → select this folder
- Logseq will index the files and you'll land on today's journal page

**3. Explore the demo entries**
- Open the journal entries in `journals/2024_01_15.md` through `2024_01_17.md`
- They walk through the full workflow with annotated examples

**4. Customise for yourself**
- Edit `pages/Overview.md` — replace the example projects and areas with your own
- Create your first project page: search for `Projects/MyProjectName` and press Enter
- Delete the three demo journal entries once you're comfortable

---

## The PARA method

PARA was coined by Tiago Forte in [*Building a Second Brain*](https://www.buildingasecondbrain.com). It organises everything by **actionability** rather than topic:

| Category | What goes here | Has a deadline? |
|---|---|---|
| **Projects** | Specific outcomes you're working toward | Yes |
| **Areas** | Ongoing responsibilities to maintain | No |
| **Resources** | Reference material on topics you care about | No |
| **Archive** | Completed projects, inactive areas | — |

The power of this template is that you never need to "file" things manually. You write in your daily journal, tag entries with `category:: #Projects/MyProject`, and the queries on each page surface everything automatically.

---

## Daily workflow

### 1. Open today's journal
Logseq opens on today's journal by default. Start writing here. Think of it as your inbox.

### 2. Tag your entries

**Important rule:** every `TODO`/`DOING` task needs its own `category::` property directly on the task block. Logseq's queries match on the task block itself — properties are **not** inherited from parent blocks. Write tasks as their own top-level blocks (or give them an explicit property), not just as children of a note block.

```markdown
- [[Morning Reflection]]
  category:: #Areas/Health
    - Went for a run, feeling energised
- TODO [#B] Book physio appointment
  category:: #Areas/Health

- [[Project Planning Session]]
  category:: #Projects/MyWebsite
    - Outlined the three main milestones
- TODO [#A] Write homepage copy (due Friday)
  category:: #Projects/MyWebsite
- DOING [#B] Set up hosting
  category:: #Projects/MyWebsite
- DONE [#C] Buy domain name
  category:: #Projects/MyWebsite
```

### 3. Check your dashboard
Open **Overview** from the sidebar. It shows all active TODO and DOING tasks grouped by project and area, updated in real time.

### 4. Review the bottom of your journal
Two default queries appear at the bottom of every journal page:
- **🔨 NOW** — any tasks currently DOING from the past 14 days (so nothing gets lost)
- **📅 NEXT** — any TODO tasks due in the next 7 days

---

## Task states and priorities

**Workflow:** `TODO` → `DOING` → `DONE` or `CANCELLED`

Activate the next state by clicking the task marker, or type the keyword directly.

**Priorities:**
- `[#A]` — High priority (appear first in Overview)
- `[#B]` — Medium priority
- `[#C]` — Low priority / nice to have

```markdown
- TODO [#A] Submit tax return by April 30
  category:: #Areas/Finance
- DOING [#B] Read chapter 3 of the book
  category:: #Areas/Learning
- DONE [#C] Clean out inbox
  category:: #Areas/Career
```

---

## Creating a new project

1. In any page or journal, type `[[Projects/MyProjectName]]` and press Enter to navigate there
2. Logseq saves the file as `pages/Projects___MyProjectName.md`
3. Add these properties at the top:
   ```markdown
   - status:: active
   - #+BEGIN_QUERY
     {:title "Notes:" ...}
     #+END_QUERY
   ```
   Or use the `CategorySubpage` template (type `/template` while editing a block)
4. Add a section for it in `Overview.md` — copy an existing `## [[Projects/...]]` block and update the page reference
5. Tag all related journal tasks with `category:: #Projects/MyProjectName`

**When a project is done:** change `status:: active` to `status:: archived` on the project page. It disappears from the Active Projects query but remains accessible.

---

## Creating a new area

Same process as projects, under the `Areas/` namespace:

1. Create `[[Areas/MyArea]]`
2. Add `status:: active`
3. Add a section to `Overview.md`
4. Tag tasks with `category:: #Areas/MyArea`

Areas don't have deadlines and rarely get archived — only if you genuinely no longer care about that aspect of your life.

---

## File naming convention

Logseq uses triple underscores (`___`) to represent `/` in page titles, because `/` is not valid in filenames on all operating systems.

| Page title in Logseq | Filename on disk |
|---|---|
| `Projects/MyWebsite` | `Projects___MyWebsite.md` |
| `Areas/Health` | `Areas___Health.md` |
| `Resources/Books` | `Resources___Books.md` |

This is handled automatically — just type `[[Projects/MyProject]]` in Logseq and the right file is created.

---

## Git sync

This template is designed to be synced via git. All data is plain text, so git works perfectly as version history and sync mechanism.

### Recommended plugin: logseq-plugin-git

Install [logseq-plugin-git](https://github.com/haydenull/logseq-plugin-git) from the Logseq Marketplace:

1. In Logseq: click the three dots (top right) → **Plugins** → search for "git"
2. Install **logseq-plugin-git**
3. Configure it to auto-commit every few minutes
4. Set up your GitHub remote and it will push automatically

### Manual git setup

```bash
cd logseq-second-brain-template
git init
git remote add origin git@github.com:YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO.git
git add .
git commit -m "Initial second brain setup"
git push -u origin main
```

### iOS sync with a-Shell

To sync from iPhone/iPad using [a-Shell](https://holzschu.github.io/a-Shell_iOS/):

1. Clone the repo: `lg2 clone git@github.com:YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO.git`
2. Open the cloned folder in Logseq iOS
3. Run this script to auto-commit after editing:

```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Note: a-Shell uses lg2 (libgit2) instead of standard git
if [ -n "$(lg2 status --porcelain)" ]; then
    lg2 add .
    lg2 commit -m "iOS sync"
    lg2 push
fi
```

---

## Advanced: Datalog queries

The power of this template comes from Logseq's built-in Datalog query language. Some patterns to build on:

**Show all TODO tasks for a specific area:**
```clojure
#+BEGIN_QUERY
{:title "Health todos:"
 :query [:find (pull ?b [*])
         :where
         [?b :block/marker "TODO"]
         [?b :block/refs ?r]
         [?r :block/name "areas/health"]]
 :breadcrumb-show? false}
#+END_QUERY
```

**Show all notes tagged with a page (non-tasks only), sorted by date:**
```clojure
#+BEGIN_QUERY
{:title "Notes:"
 :query [:find (pull ?b [*])
         :in $ ?pagename
         :where
         [?ref :block/name ?pagename]
         [?b :block/refs ?ref]
         (not [?b :block/marker ?m]
              [(contains? #{"TODO" "DOING" "DONE"} ?m)])
         [?b :block/page ?p]
         [?p :block/journal-day ?day]]
 :inputs [:current-page]
 :result-transform (fn [result]
                     (sort-by (fn [b]
                                (get-in b [:block/page :block/journal-day] 0)) > result))
 :query-properties [:block :page]
 :table-view? true}
#+END_QUERY
```

**Sort by priority** (defined in `config.edn` as a named transform):
```clojure
:result-transform :sort-by-priority
```

---

## Customisation tips

**Apply a theme** — edit `logseq/custom.css`:
```css
/* Dracula dark theme */
@import url('https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/dracula/logseq@master/custom.css');
```

**Change start-of-week** — edit `:start-of-week` in `config.edn` (0 = Monday, 6 = Sunday)

**Enable flashcards** — change `:feature/enable-flashcards? false` to `true` in `config.edn`

---

## Writing conventions

- Use **tabs** for block indentation (not spaces)
- Properties sit directly below their block: `category:: #Projects/Name`
- Use `**bold**` for section headings within a note block — never use `##` headings inside journal entries
- Use `->` for sub-actions or steps within a block
- Keep entries concise and outline-driven
- For AI-generated notes or research, add `source:: [[AI]]` as a property

---

## Recommended plugins

| Plugin | Purpose |
|---|---|
| **logseq-plugin-git** | Auto-commit and push to git on every save |
| **Readwise Official** | Import highlights from books and articles |
| **Logseq Kanban** | Kanban board view for project pages |
| **journals-calendar** | Calendar sidebar for navigating journal entries |

All available in the Logseq Marketplace (three dots → Plugins → Marketplace).

---

## Licence

MIT — use this however you like.

---

*Built with [Logseq](https://logseq.com) · Based on the [PARA method](https://www.buildingasecondbrain.com) by Tiago Forte*