# The PARA Method ![rw-book-cover](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61+IVRc108L._SY160.jpg) ## Metadata - Author: Tiago Forte - Full Title: The PARA Method - Category: #knowledge-management #organization ## Highlights - the ultimate system for organizing your life is one that is actionable. ([Location 81](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=81)) - Note: If you are needing to implement an organizational system, it needs to be actionable. - You have projects you’re actively working on—short-term efforts (whether in your work or personal life) that you take on with a certain goal in mind. ([Location 94](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=94)) - Note: Projects need to be short term and actionable - You have areas of responsibility—important parts of your work and life that require ongoing attention more broadly. ([Location 98](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=98)) ^c3eb3a - Note: If you find something that is ongoing and does not have a defined end date, it should be an area. - Then you have resources on a range of topics you’re interested in and learning about, ([Location 100](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=100)) ^e7d311 - Note: Resources should be linked to things you are interested in learning in like fitness or history or learning a language. - archives, which include anything from the previous three categories that is no longer active but you might want to save for future reference: ([Location 104](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=104)) ^2d09fb - Note: Archived items are ones that are completed or inactive, stuff that you won’t touch any longer until it is needed again. - The system you use to organize information has to be so simple that it frees up your attention, instead of taking more of it. Your system must give you time, not take time. ([Location 113](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=113)) ^8eae52 - Note: Your organizational system needs to save you time, not take it up. - What you do have, both at work and in life, are outcomes you are trying to achieve. ([Location 121](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=121)) - Note: Whether it’s work or personal, you are always working towards goals big and small. - Instead of organizing information according to broad subjects like in school, I advise you to organize it according to the projects and goals you are committed to right now. ([Location 126](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=126)) ^e64776 - Note: It doesn’t make sense to organize by subject, but instead you need to organize by project or goal. - What does our motivation depend on? Mostly, on making consistent progress. We can endure quite a bit of stress and frustration in the short term if we know it’s leading somewhere. Which brings us to our second problem: without a list of individual projects, you can’t connect your current efforts to your long-term goals. ([Location 190](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=190)) ^2e492b - Note: Motivation comes from making consistent progress. If we have no projects we can’t connect our current efforts to our long term goals. - When you break down your responsibilities into bite-size projects, you ensure that your project list is constantly turning over. This turnover creates a cadence of regular victories that you get to celebrate every time you successfully complete a project. ([Location 197](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=197)) ^f9e81f - Note: Breaking responsibilities into shorter term projects gives you more turn which gives you consistent victories. - So much of what we call “organizing” is essentially procrastination in disguise. We tell ourselves we’re “getting ready” or “doing research,” pretending like that means progress. ([Location 213](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=213)) ^98f5d6 - Note: Procrastination can be sneaky and we can disguise it by calling efforts getting organized or doing research when really we are avoiding doing the real work - This experience led me to form a new rule: never create an empty folder (or tag, or directory, or other container) before you have something to put in it. ([Location 277](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=277)) ^c94b1a - Note: Creating folders before you have anything to put in can cause frustration and lead to empty doorways. It can also be another form of procrastination as mentioned earlier. - My definition of a project is any endeavor that has: A goal that will enable you to mark it “complete” A deadline or timeframe by which you’d like it done ([Location 434](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=434)) - Note: A project is a goal that can be completed or an objective with a deadline - There are facets of your work and life that don’t have a clear end goal or deadline. We call them “areas of responsibility.” An area of responsibility has: A standard to be maintained An indefinite end date ([Location 442](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=442)) - Note: Areas have standards that need to be maintained and indefinite end date. - The key here is to realize that there is a big difference between things you are directly responsible for and things you are merely interested in. ([Location 495](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=495)) ^86ae99 - Note: You are responsible for areas but only have an interest in resources. Generally areas will be more important. - The word “resources” calls to mind the utility of a piece of information. Instead of asking, “Is this interesting?” which always results in overcollecting, I ask myself, “Is this useful?” ([Location 515](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=515)) ^175bb7 - Note: Resources should contain your passions and hobbies, make sure the information you collect has utility and actually useful. - Taking into account the importance of utility, resources can also include “assets” ([Location 519](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=519)) - Note: Since resources is a utility folder it can also assets like code snippets or stock photos. - Areas of responsibility are inherently private. ([Location 523](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=523)) - Resources are quite different, since learning and exploring new things are inherently social activities. ([Location 528](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=528)) - Rather than forcing your life to fit into the opinions and preferences of whatever tool you happen to be using, I advise you to do the opposite: decide how you want to order your life and work, and then ask how your tools can support that. ([Location 572](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=572)) - Note: The tool to organize your PARA should fit your life, you shouldn’t fit your life to the tool. - And there are no rules about the internal organization of folders, which is where you can really waste a lot of time—each subfolder of PARA can have its contents sorted chronologically by date created if you want, but your computer can easily handle that without your involvement. So what is left for us to do? The answer is that you have to keep the information moving. ([Location 628](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=628)) - Note: There are no strict rules about how to organize sub folders, just keep information flowing - But when it comes to personal organization of digital information, there is no such “correct” place. PARA is a dynamic system: any given file or document can go in any number of places—what matters is your relationship to it. And that relationship is changing all the time. ([Location 636](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=636)) ^061bba - Note: There is no “correct” place to put an item in PARA what matters is your relationship to it, and this change so the time, Irene will move from folder to folder - The only action I recommend avoiding at all costs is duplication: you never want to have two versions of a file or document, because then you never know which one is the most current. ([Location 690](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=690)) - Note: Never duplicate a file because that causes confusion, either link, move, or tag it to reference it in a new project - Here are my top four recommendations for how to do that using PARA within teams: Get clear on your organization’s flavor of PARA Train people in how to use PARA Keep only shared projects on shared platforms Encourage a culture of writing ([Location 723](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=723)) - A high-quality piece of communication meets the following criteria: Is it interesting and attention-grabbing? (Does it make people want to read it?) Is it precise and clear? (Can people easily understand what it’s trying to say?) Is it empathetic? (Is it written to be understood from the reader’s point of view?) Does it help people solve a problem? (Is it clearly useful and effective?) Does it inspire people to take action? (Does it make it easy for others to apply it?) ([Location 766](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=766)) - Note: A good piece of communication is interesting, clear, empathetic, helps solve a problem, and inspires people to take action - It’s like a to-do list, but on a bigger scale and longer time horizon so you can tell where you’re headed. It’s like a list of goals, but more practical and rooted in the here and now. ([Location 795](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=795)) ^b07a21 - Note: Project lists should be like todo lists on a bigger scale with concrete achievable targets due sooner rather than later - Set a timer for five minutes (which is enough for a “first pass”) and write down anything that comes to mind when you read the following questions, whether they are work-related or personal: What’s currently worrying you? What problem is taking more mental bandwidth than it deserves? What needs to happen that you’re not making consistent progress on? What actions are you already taking that are part of a bigger project you’ve not yet identified? What would you like to learn, develop, build, express, pursue, start, explore, or play with? Which skills would you like to learn and which hobbies would you like to start? What kind of project could advance your career or make your life more fun or interesting? ([Location 802](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=802)) - Remember that a project is any endeavor that has: A goal A deadline (or other timeframe) Take a minute and add a goal for each project on your list in parentheses. For example: Project: Visit the doctor about back pain (Goal: Back pain is resolved and I can sleep through the night without discomfort) Project: Plan off-site agenda for staff retreat (Goal: Team is clear about what needs to be accomplished and next steps are assigned) Project: Develop sales campaign with Linda (Goal: Sales campaign is approved by exec team and budget is allocated) ([Location 810](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=810)) - Next, go through the list one more time and add completion dates. Don’t get hung up on whether this is a strict “deadline” or simply the date by which you prefer to have it done. You can add dates to each item on your list by adding “by…” at the end. For example: Project: Visit the doctor about back pain by Friday, Feb. 24 (Goal: Back pain is resolved and I can sleep through the night without discomfort) Project: Plan off-site agenda for staff retreat by end of Q3 (Goal: Team is clear about what needs to be accomplished and next steps are assigned) Project: Develop sales campaign with Linda by next executive meeting (Goal: Sales campaign is approved by exec team and budget is allocated) ([Location 817](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=817)) - always begin with the end in mind and work backward to decide only which information you’ll need to get there, and push everything else aside. ([Location 877](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=877)) ^b68604 - Note: Work backwards from the goal and figure out what information will be relevant in achieving that goal - organize as little as possible, as late as possible, and only as much as absolutely needed. ([Location 880](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=880)) - Note: Don’t waste time pre organizing, do only what’s needed and be efficient - PARA requires precision in only one place: the definition of projects. Everything else is not only allowed to remain somewhat messy; that’s how it should be. Highly precise systems require a lot of effort to maintain, which means most aspects of your digital world should remain loose and informal by default. ([Location 888](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=888)) ^61da85 - Note: Define projects with precision, but don’t worry about everything else. It takes a lot of effort to maintain precise systems and your energy should be dedicated to the important stuff. - I recommend choosing what to save in your PARA system based on what resonates with you. ([Location 946](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=946)) - Note: Only save the stuff that is valuable to you, everything else can be ignored. - At these times of deeper reflection, ask yourself these questions: What is the standard (of quality or performance) I’m committed to in each of my areas of responsibility? Am I currently meeting that standard? If not, are there any new projects, habits, routines, or other practices I can start, stop, or change? Are there any resources that would enable me to do so? ([Location 962](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=962)) - When evaluating your resources, ask yourself questions like: Are there any new interests or passions I’d like to pursue more seriously? Are there any curiosities or questions I’d like to start exploring? Are there any hobbies or pursuits I’ve allowed to stagnate that I’d like to reboot? ([Location 966](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0C2QPWBP4&location=966))