PARA Method
Introduction
PARA is a universal organisational system created by Tiago Forte. It applies to any digital storage system — notes, files, tasks — and organises information by actionability rather than topic. The principle: the most useful filing criterion is “how soon do I need to act on this?”
The Four Categories
| Category | Definition | Action Level |
|---|---|---|
| Projects | Specific outcomes with deadlines | Highest — active work now |
| Areas | Ongoing responsibilities with no end date | Ongoing — regular attention |
| Resources | Reference material on topics of interest | Passive — useful someday |
| Archives | Completed or inactive items | Inactive — storage only |
Projects
- Has a clear outcome and a deadline
- Examples: “Launch beta by March 15”, “Complete AWS cert exam”, “Finish blog post”
- When a project is done, move it to Archive
Areas
- Ongoing standard of maintenance rather than a goal
- Examples: Health, Finances, Career, Family, Skills
- Never “done” — continually tended
Resources
- Topics you’re interested in and might reference later
- Examples: Cloud architecture notes, Book highlights, Programming tutorials
- No action required — just organised for retrieval
Archives
- Inactive Projects, Areas, or Resources
- Keep for reference; don’t delete — context is valuable
- Search/retrieve as needed; don’t actively maintain
Application in This Vault
The vault’s folder structure is a fork of PARA:
1 Doing/ → Projects (active work with deadlines)
2 Areas/ → Areas (ongoing responsibilities)
3 Resources/ → Resources (reference materials)
4 Archive/ → Archives (completed/inactive)
The source/ directory stores immutable raw notes; the wiki/ directory is AI-maintained synthesis. These sit below the PARA structure, feeding into it.
Key Insight
“Where should I store this?” → “In which project or area will I need this next?”
The failure mode of most organisation systems is filing by topic (creating elaborate hierarchies). PARA files by when you’ll need it, which is how work actually operates.
Relationships
- Learning Methods & Growth — PARA is a knowledge management framework
- Feynman Technique — complementary learning/organisation framework
- Entrepreneurship & SaaS — used for managing side project work
References
- Tiago Forte — Building a Second Brain (book)