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PARA Cheat Sheet

The document introduces PARA, a digital organizing system developed over 10 years to help users organize their entire digital lives across different platforms and apps. PARA supports users in reaching their most important goals efficiently. It can be implemented in just 15 minutes with four categories: Projects (active work with goals and deadlines), Areas (ongoing responsibilities), Resources (interests and research), and Archives (completed or inactive materials). Projects are more actionable than Areas, which are more actionable than Resources. Archives are the least actionable.

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2K views4 pages

PARA Cheat Sheet

The document introduces PARA, a digital organizing system developed over 10 years to help users organize their entire digital lives across different platforms and apps. PARA supports users in reaching their most important goals efficiently. It can be implemented in just 15 minutes with four categories: Projects (active work with goals and deadlines), Areas (ongoing responsibilities), Resources (interests and research), and Archives (completed or inactive materials). Projects are more actionable than Areas, which are more actionable than Resources. Archives are the least actionable.

Uploaded by

elaboratesolver
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PARA cheat sheet

Imagine if you could organize your Welcome to PARA, a universal system


entire digital life, including the dozens for digital organizing I’ve developed over
of different platforms and apps that you the past 10 years. It is part of my course
use, within a simple system. and methodology Building a Second
Brain, in which I’ve taught thousands
Imagine if that system supported
of high performers how to leverage the
and enabled you to reach your most
full power of their ideas to amplify their
important goals, without requiring
creative output.
tedious filing or time-consuming
maintenance. Click here for a free introduction to the
system, including instructions for coming
And finally, imagine if you could
up with the right folders, guidelines for
implement this system in just 15
deciding what goes where, and common
minutes, with minimal effort.
pitfalls I’ve observed from helping
thousands of people implement it.
On the next page is a summary of the four
buckets that encompass every file, note, or
document in your digital life. A few tips to keep
in mind:

• Organize by project, not by topic (such


as psychology or marketing) or kind of
information (quotes, book notes, insights)

• Projects have a goal and a completion date;


Areas have a standard to maintain indefinitely

• Areas are ongoing responsibilities (for


personally relevant info); Resources
are interests or research (for generally
useful info)

• A Project without a Goal is a hobby, and a


Goal without a Project is a dream

• Move notes (or even entire notebooks) when


you notice they fit better elsewhere, rather
than on a schedule

• Move quickly, touch lightly. Use your intuition


when organizing, rather than trying to
categorize everything perfectly
PARA summary

More actionable Less actionable

P A R A
Projects Areas Resources Archives
Things I’m actively My roles & Things I’m Completed or
working on with a responsibilities with interested in and inactive things
goal and deadline a standard to be curious about
maintained and no
end date

EXAMPLES: EXAMPLES: EXAMPLES: EXAMPLES:


Product launch Productivity Science fiction Completed event
Birthday party Health Recipes Inactive side project
Sales presentation Travel Gardening Last year’s marathon
Marathon training Finances Slide templates Past client project
Where to Put a Piece 5 Simple Rules for
of Information? PARA Success
When’s the next time you’ll need that piece of information? 1. Never create an empty folder before
Follow this flowchart to find where best to store it. you have something to put in it.
Create a new folder, tag, directory, or
Will this help me move a current container only if and when you truly
project or goal forward? need it.

2. There’s no ONE correct place for any


piece of information. Any given file
Yes No or document can go any number of
places. Don’t overthink this decision.
Will this help me Use your intuition, rather than trying
Project to categorize everything perfectly.
uphold an area of
responsibility? 3. Move quickly, touch lightly. PARA is a
dynamic system. Once you’ve added
a note or document, it doesn’t have
Yes No to stay in that location forever. Move
it to where you need it most.
Will it support one 4. Search is your friend. When you’re
Area of my interests looking for a piece of information
and curiosities? within PARA, use the search function
first. You’ll often find it much quicker
than going into individual folders.
Yes No
5. When in doubt, start over. If at any
time you start to feel overwhelmed
Is it really by the information swirling around
Resource
worth keeping? you, move everything into an archive
Probably not! with today’s date, and start fresh.

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