What It Means
The PARA method is a way to organize your notes and files into four top-level folders: Projects, Areas, Resources and Archives. Each folder holds a small number of subfolders, one for each project, area of responsibility, topic or finished item. Tiago Forte created it as the organizing system for his Building a Second BrainSecond brainTiago Forte's name for a digital store of the notes and ideas you save, organized so you can find them and reuse them in your own work. See more method.
Try It: File Five Things Into PARA
Five things from one person's notes. Pick a PARA folder for each, then check the answers.
All five right. A remodel with a finish date is a project, health and the car need ongoing care, recipes are a resource, and a finished move is archived.
Hint: does it have an end date (project), need care with no end (area), interest you (resource), or is it finished (archive)?
How People Say It
- "That goes in Areas, it never really ends."
- "Once the move's done, the folder goes to Archives."
- "I organize everything with PARA now."
The Breakdown
The four folders
| Folder | What goes in it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Projects | Short-term efforts with a goal in mind | A kitchen remodel, planning a trip |
| Areas | Parts of work and life that need ongoing attention | Health, finances, kids, the car, the home |
| Resources | Topics or interests you're learning about | Recipes, gardening, a hobby |
| Archives | Anything from the first three that's no longer active | A finished project, an area you've let go |
How to set it up
- Make four folders in your notes app or on your computer: Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives.
- List your current projects and give each one a subfolder.
- Write down the areas you look after with no end date and give each one a subfolder.
- Put the topics you collect notes on under Resources.
- When a project ends or an area stops mattering, move its folder to Archives rather than deleting it.
Short version to try today. Make the four folders, create one subfolder for the project you're busiest with, and move every note about it inside.
Where It Comes From
Tiago Forte created the PARA method and teaches it through Forte Labs and buildingasecondbrain.com. His company describes PARA as the implementation guide to a Second Brain, the part that tells you where each note goes.
Good to Know
The line between a project and an area is the end date. Forte describes projects as short-term efforts with a goal, and areas as parts of life that need ongoing attention, so "get the car serviced this month" is a project while "the car" is an area. Keep the archive: Forte's archives hold things you might want to refer back to later.
FAQ
What does PARA stand for?
Projects, Areas, Resources and Archives, the four top-level folders in Tiago Forte's system.
What is the difference between a project and an area in PARA?
A project is a short-term effort with a goal, such as a remodel. An area is an ongoing responsibility with no finish, such as your health or your home.
Can I use PARA for paper files too?
Forte presents it mainly for digital notes and files, but the same four categories can label the drawers of a filing cabinet.
Do It in Buhata
Notes
Name your notes in Notes (Premium) in Buhata with a project or area at the start of each title, so everything for one job sits together.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Second brain
Tiago Forte's name for a digital store of the notes and ideas you save, organized so you can find them and reuse them in your own work.
- Getting Things Done
David Allen's productivity system, from his book Getting Things Done, for capturing everything on your mind and deciding the next action on each item.
- Zettelkasten
A note system, German for "slip box", where each idea gets its own numbered note linked to related notes; made famous by sociologist Niklas Luhmann.
- Commonplace book
A personal notebook of passages, quotations and ideas copied from what you read, filed under topic headings so you can find and reuse them.
Sources
Forte Labs, "The PARA Method: The Simple System for Organizing Your Digital Life in Seconds"; Building a Second Brain, "The PARA Method" (buildingasecondbrain.com); Forte Labs Help Center, "What's the Difference Between The PARA Method and Building a Second Brain?"
- fortelabs.com/blog/para
- www.buildingasecondbrain.com/para
- help.fortelabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/18183648465293-What-s-the-Difference-Between-The-PARA-Method-and-Building-a-Second-Brain
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