Para Method

PARA Method

Organize information by actionability. Not by topic.

Goal

Put each item where future you will look for it. Keep active work easy to find. Move inactive work out of the way.

Rules

• Use four top-level folders.
• Number folders: 1-Projects, 2-Areas, 3-Resources, 4-Archives.
• Do not overbuild subfolders early.
• Move items when actionability changes.
• Link instead of duplicate.
• Archive completed or inactive work quickly.

Categories

• Projects: active effort with outcome and deadline.
• Areas: ongoing responsibility with standard to maintain.
• Resources: reference material or topic of interest.
• Archives: inactive items worth keeping.

Examples:

• Project: launch website by March 1.
• Area: health, finances, career.
• Resource: programming notes, recipes, market research.
• Archive: completed project, old job, past reference.

Decision Flow

Ask in order:

1. Active now?
2. Has deadline and done state? → Project.
3. Ongoing responsibility? → Area.
4. Useful reference? → Resource.
5. Inactive but worth keeping? → Archive.
6. No value? → Delete.

When unsure, choose where you will look first.

Setup Flow

1. Create four numbered folders.
2. Create temporary To Sort.
3. Move unsorted items there.
4. Sort one item at a time.
5. Add subfolders only when repeated need appears.
6. Review weekly.

Review Flow

• Move completed projects to archives.
• Check stalled projects.
• Update active project list.
• Merge duplicate resources.
• Delete useless items.

Resources

For detailed implementation guides, platform-specific setups, and advanced techniques, see REFERENCE.md.

• Building a Second Brain - Tiago Forte
• The PARA Method - Tiago Forte
• Official PARA Method Book (2023)
• BASB Course by Tiago Forte

Output

## PARA Sorting

Item: [name]
Current use: [active / reference / inactive]
Category: [Project / Area / Resource / Archive]
Reason: [why]
Move to: [folder]
Review date: [optional]