The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

Metadata

• Author: Tiago Forte
• Full Title: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information
• URL: https://fortelabs.co/blog/para

Highlights

A project has a goal to be achieved — a discrete event that will happen, allowing this item to be completely checked off and struck from the list. And this goal is supposed to take place by a specific moment in time. It has a deadline or timeframe, whether externally or self-imposed (View Highlight)

Perhaps I’m not on Tiago’s level, but I struggle with his terminology in most things. It’s thematically correct, but not quite right. Instead of goal here, I would probably use achievement or deliverable. After writing that down perhaps I take that back. Maybe goal is okay here.

An area of responsibility, by contrast, has a standard to be maintained. And there is no end date or final outcome. Your performance in this area may wax and wane over time, but the standard continues indefinitely and requires a certain level of attention at all times. (View Highlight)

Areas of responsibility continue indefinitely Areas of responsibility have a standard to be maintained

Projects always fall into Areas. A few examples: • Running a marathon is a project, whereas Health is an area • Publishing a book is a project, whereas Writing is an area • Saving 3 months’ worth of expenses is a project, whereas Finances is an area • A vacation to Thailand is a project, whereas Travel is an area • Planning an anniversary dinner is a project, whereas Spouse is an area In all these examples, the projects have completion dates. They are either complete or incomplete. The areas of responsibility, on the other hand, have standards of performance that must be maintained indefinitely. (View Highlight)

If you have an area that you think is a project (for example, a health outcome like “losing X pounds”), you’ll revert right back after it’s been achieved, because you didn’t put in place any mechanism for maintaining the standard. (View Highlight) - Note: This has been the thing I have seen my mother struggle with all of my life. It makes me want to share the Atomic Habits book with her.

There is a very illuminating exercise you can perform once you’ve taken the time to formulate a clear Project List. Put it side by side with your Goal List, and draw lines matching each project with its corresponding goal: (View Highlight) - Note: Align your goal and project lists. Or is it areas? It’s actually a little of both. Align your goals andd projects

What most people find is that they don’t completely match. This is problematic because a project without a corresponding goal is known as a “hobby.” If you’re not committed to or haven’t fully articulated the outcome you want, you must be doing it just for fun. (View Highlight)

And if you have a goal without a corresponding project, that’s called a “dream.” You may desire it with all your heart and soul, but without an active project, you are not in fact currently making any progress. (View Highlight)

I believe that any PKM approach that doesn’t tie into execution tools is destined to languish on the back burner forever. (View Highlight)

progressive disclosure — only show the user as much information as they need in the moment. This helps minimize the cognitive load that knowledge workers must always contend with. (View Highlight)

On a wider horizon, for example, while doing a weekly review, you would expand the scope of information you’re considering to include Areas of Responsibility. This is a deeper level of introspection: are you currently meeting the standard you’ve set for yourself in each of the areas you’re committed to? If not, are there any new projects, habits, routines, rituals, or other practices you’d like to start, stop, or change? (View Highlight)