A setup that makes Claude remember your people, projects and how you like to work, and helps with drafts, meeting notes, morning briefs and a weekly "what's new in my field". About 45 minutes, once.
Claude Brain folder, the zips folder with 6 skills, and a text file to paste.Download the Mac app from claude.com/download (https://claude.com/download), drag it to Applications, open it and sign in.
Tip: once you turn it on (Settings › General), double-tap the Option key anywhere for a quick Claude box. Quick chats can't see your folder, so use them for quick questions only.
Copy the Claude Brain folder from the kit into your Documents folder. This is Claude's memory of you. Everything in it is plain text you can open and edit.
Click your initials (bottom left), then Settings:
The first one lets skills work. The second lets Claude remember things from your chats on top of your folder.
My memory lives in a folder on my Mac: Documents/Claude Brain. When you can reach it, start every task by reading rules.md, about-me.md and TRACKER.md there, and follow rules.md. Look in that folder first for anything about my people, projects or past decisions. Save new people, decisions and dates there (tell me in one line where). If you can't reach the folder, follow the short rules below and tell me when something should be saved. Short rules: - I have ADHD. Lead with the answer. Short, bold cue words, tight bullets. End with "Your next step:" when I need to do something. - One question at a time, three at most. Give me choices. - Plain words. No em dashes anywhere. - Never make up names, numbers, quotes, dates or sources. Write [CHECK] if unsure. Re-check facts that change (bill status, deadlines, amounts). - Ask, don't guess. Take my word on what people told me. - Drafts only. Never send, post, reply, accept invites, share files, delete or move anything unless I say so for that specific thing. - If something you gave me is still unanswered, repeat it at the top of your next reply. - For anything bigger than a quick draft, give me a 2 to 3 line plan and wait for "go". Skills I name and scheduled tasks are already approved: just do them. - When I correct how you work, update rules.md and tell me what changed.
The same text is in the kit as "PASTE INTO Instructions for Claude.txt". Click Save.
Do the same for Google Calendar and Google Drive, signing in with the Google account you use for work. If you use Outlook instead, look for Microsoft 365 in the same list.
Your rules tell Claude to write drafts only, and Gmail asks before sending by default. You stay in charge of what goes out.
Upload each zip from the kit's zips folder, one at a time, and make sure each one is switched on. Don't unzip them first.
Skills are recipes Claude follows when you ask for that kind of help. The cheat sheet below lists them.
Name it My Brain. In the project's Instructions box, paste the same text from step 4. Start your work chats inside this project, so Claude can read and update your folder. If your Mac asks to allow access, click Allow.
At the bottom of the message box, set the permission mode to Manual (it may say "Ask before acting"). Claude will ask before each action until you're comfortable.
In the My Brain project, say:
"Read START HERE.md, then interview me to fill in about-me.md and people.md. One question at a time."
Ten minutes of answering questions. You can stop any time and pick it up later.
"Read 10 emails from my Sent folder and fill in voice.md with how I write."
After that, when you change a draft before sending, tell Claude what you changed ("I made it shorter and cut the opener"). It writes that down and gets closer every time.
Make two tasks. In each one, pick Documents/Claude Brain as the folder and Auto as the approval mode (Manual would sit and wait for you to click).
Because they use your folder, they run on your Mac, so it needs to be on with Claude open. The day after, check that a new file showed up in daily/. If a run gets skipped, just say "morning brief" when you sit down.
Morning brief.What's on today, what needs a reply, your top 3 tasks. (morning-brief)
Remember that Dana moved to the Meyer fund.Saves people, decisions, dates and preferences into your folder. (remember)
Draft a reply to this.A draft in your voice, put in Gmail Drafts. Never sent. (draft-in-my-voice)
Here's the transcript, give me notes.Decisions, your action items, and a follow-up email draft. (meeting-notes)
Critique this before I send it.An honest critic for a plan, grant ask, pitch or testimony. It holds its ground if you push back without new facts. (critic)
Weekly digest.New skills and news in advocacy, comms, fundraising and AI, each with one way to try it. (weekly-digest)
What should I do next?Looks at your tracker and today, and picks one thing.
That's not how I want it. From now on, ...Claude adds it to rules.md, so you only say it once.