How to Organize Your Digital Life in Seconds (PARA Method) | Part 1

Summary

The video introduces 'PARA', a digital organization system that streamlines note-taking and knowledge management. PARA stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives, offering a framework to categorize information efficiently. The system is designed to minimize decision-making about information storage, allowing users to focus on action. The speaker shares his personal use of PARA in Evernote, demonstrating how thousands of notes are organized into clear, actionable categories, and how the system can adapt to various digital environments.

Takeaways

• 📚 PARA is a popular organizing framework for digital information, consisting of Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives.
• 🏆 Projects are outcomes you're actively working towards and have a deadline, making them action-oriented and short-term focused.
• 🎯 Areas are ongoing roles or responsibilities with no specific end goal, requiring long-term attention and maintenance.
• 📘 Resources are topics of interest or useful references that are not immediately actionable but may be needed for future projects or areas.
• 🗃️ Archives are inactive items from projects, areas, or resources, stored for potential future reference without cluttering the workspace.
• 🔍 The PARA system simplifies note-taking and knowledge management by providing a consistent workflow for organizing new notes or documents.
• 📝 PARA helps to minimize the time spent on organizing and maximize focus on taking action by answering how to organize notes and files once and for all.
• 💡 The script provides a personal example of organizing notes in Evernote using the PARA system, with thousands of notes categorized into four clear groups.
• 📈 The speaker has 19 active projects, illustrating how the PARA system can manage a diverse range of goals and outcomes.
• 📑 Areas cover both personal and professional aspects of life, ensuring ongoing relevance and attention to various aspects of one's responsibilities.
• 🌐 Resources serve as a diverse catch-all for information that may be useful or interesting in the future, ready to be activated for specific projects or areas.
• 🔗 The PARA system is designed to be universally applicable, allowing for consistent organization across all digital environments and platforms.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the PARA framework?

The purpose of the PARA framework is to provide a consistent and efficient system for organizing notes and files, minimizing the time spent on decision-making about where to store information and allowing for focus on action instead of constant reorganization.

What does PARA stand for in the context of the organizing system?

PARA stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives, which are the four main categories used to categorize and organize information.

What are 'Projects' in the PARA framework?

Projects are any outcomes that one is actively committed to, requiring multiple work sessions to complete. They have a clear goal and a timeframe for completion, making them action-oriented and short-term focused.

What are the two important features of projects according to the script?

The two important features of projects are having an outcome or goal to reach and having a deadline or a time frame by which they should be completed.

What are 'Areas' in the PARA framework?

Areas are roles or responsibilities that one has, with a standard one wants to maintain over time. Unlike projects, areas are never really complete and require ongoing attention.

Can you provide an example of an 'Area' from the script?

Examples of areas from the script include finances, health, and relationships, where one might track taxes, weight or cholesterol, and gift ideas or favorite places to visit with a significant other.

What are 'Resources' in the PARA framework?

Resources are topics of ongoing interest or useful references that are not immediately needed for a project or area but might be of interest or use in the future.

How does the script describe the 'Archives' category?

The 'Archives' category is described as inactive items from the other three categories, serving as cold storage for items that are not currently actionable but may be needed for reference in the future.

What is the significance of numbering the PARA categories?

The numbering of the PARA categories (1 for Projects, 2 for Areas, 3 for Resources, and 4 for Archives) is to organize them in order of actionability, from most to least, helping to prioritize and streamline the workflow.

How does the speaker organize their notes in Evernote?

The speaker organizes their notes in Evernote using the PARA framework, with notebooks (folders) labeled and numbered according to the PARA categories, allowing for a clear and straightforward sorting of thousands of notes.

What is the speaker's approach to archiving projects in Evernote?

The speaker archives projects in Evernote by moving completed or inactive projects into the Archives category, ensuring that the material is still searchable and accessible without cluttering the workspace.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to the PARA Organizing System

The speaker introduces the PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives) system, a framework for organizing digital information. The PARA system is designed to simplify note-taking and knowledge management by providing a clear workflow for categorizing new notes or documents. Projects are described as active commitments with outcomes and deadlines, while areas represent ongoing responsibilities. Resources are topics of interest or useful references, and archives are for inactive items. The speaker emphasizes the importance of this system in minimizing decision-making time and maintaining focus on action rather than constant reorganization.

05:01

🔍 Deep Dive into PARA Categories and Workflow

This paragraph provides a detailed exploration of the PARA system's categories. Projects are further broken down into subfolders for each active goal, with the speaker sharing their own active projects as examples. Areas encompass various aspects of life that require ongoing attention, such as health, finances, and personal development. Resources are diverse topics of interest, serving as a repository for potential future use. Archives are described as a 'cold storage' for past projects and information. The speaker demonstrates how thousands of notes can be organized into these four categories within their digital note-taking app, Evernote, emphasizing the system's scalability and efficiency.

10:02

🗃️ Utilizing PARA Across Digital Environments

The speaker discusses the versatility of the PARA system, highlighting its applicability across various digital platforms and environments. They show how their digital note-taking app serves as the core of their 'second brain,' but also stress the importance of maintaining a consistent organizing philosophy across all information storage locations. The speaker promises to guide viewers on how to implement the PARA system in different apps and environments in upcoming videos, aiming to help viewers create a comprehensive and unified organizational system.

Keywords

💡Pera

Pera is an acronym for a note-taking and knowledge management framework that stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. It is the central organizing system introduced in the video, designed to simplify the process of categorizing and storing information. The framework is presented as a solution to the common problem of overcomplicating note-taking, by providing a clear and consistent method to follow for organizing digital life.

💡Projects

In the context of the Pera system, 'Projects' refers to any outcome the user is actively committed to, which requires multiple work sessions to complete. They are characterized by having a specific goal and a timeframe for completion. The video emphasizes that projects are important, actionable, and short-term focused, giving examples such as writing a blog post or planning a vacation.

💡Areas

'Areas' in the Pera framework represent roles or responsibilities that an individual has, which they wish to maintain over time. Unlike projects, areas do not have a definitive end goal but are important for ongoing attention. The video illustrates areas with examples like personal finance, health, and relationships, which require consistent management and thought.

💡Resources

Resources, as described in the video, are topics of ongoing interest or useful references that do not necessarily require immediate action but may be valuable for future projects or areas. They serve as a repository for information that is not directly tied to current active projects or areas, such as hobbies, places to visit, or professional interests.

💡Archives

Archives in the Pera system are for storing inactive items from projects, areas, or resources. They act as a 'cold storage' for information that is not currently in use but may be needed for reference in the future. The video suggests that archiving is a way to keep information accessible without it cluttering the workspace or distracting focus.

💡Workflow

The term 'workflow' in the video refers to the process that one follows every time a new note is created or a document is saved, adhering to the Pera framework. It is the consistent method for organizing information, which helps in reducing the time spent on decision-making about where to store information and allows for more action-oriented focus.

💡Note-taking

Note-taking is a fundamental aspect of the video's theme, as it discusses the challenges and strategies for effectively capturing and organizing information. The Pera framework is presented as a tool to improve note-taking practices by providing a structured approach to categorizing notes into projects, areas, resources, and archives.

💡Knowledge Management

Knowledge management is the broader concept that encompasses the processes and systems used to capture, distribute, and effectively use knowledge. In the video, the Pera framework is introduced as a knowledge management tool to help individuals make better decisions about where to store and retrieve information.

💡Evernote

Evernote is a digital note-taking application mentioned in the video as the tool the presenter uses to implement the Pera system. It is described as the 'neural center' of the presenter's second brain, highlighting its central role in organizing and accessing thousands of notes according to the Pera framework.

💡Actionable

The term 'actionable' in the video refers to items that require immediate attention or action, such as projects within the Pera framework. It emphasizes the importance of focusing on tasks that are directly related to achieving specific goals, as opposed to passive or less urgent information storage.

💡Categorization

Categorization is the process of sorting and organizing items into categories. In the context of the video, it is the method by which notes and documents are sorted into the Pera framework's four categories. This helps in maintaining an organized system that can be easily navigated and searched.

Highlights

Introduction to the PARA organizing system for digital life.

PARA stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives.

Projects are outcomes requiring multiple work sessions with a goal and deadline.

Areas represent ongoing roles or responsibilities with a standard to maintain.

Resources are topics of interest or useful references for potential future use.

Archives are inactive items from projects, areas, and resources, serving as cold storage.

The importance of not deleting material but archiving it for future reference.

PARA aims to minimize time spent on organizing and maximize action.

Demonstration of the PARA system using Evernote as a digital note-taking app.

Evernote's notebooks are used as folders within the PARA system.

Projects are organized with subfolders for each active project.

The typical number of active projects ranges from 15 to 25.

Examples of organizing notes within project folders for easy access.

Areas include both personal and professional life aspects.

Resources act as a catch-all for diverse information not immediately actionable.

The ability to convert a resource into a project for focused action.

Archives serve as a comprehensive record of past projects and activities.

PARA's universality allows it to be applied across various digital environments.

Upcoming videos will provide step-by-step instructions for implementing PARA.

Transcripts

let me introduce you to Pera the

organizing system that I use to organize

information across my entire Digital

Life this is the single most popular

framework I've ever developed and in

this video I'm going to show you how it

works

most people over complicate their

note-taking and Knowledge Management

because they don't have a framework that

helps them make decisions about where

things should go they have to remember a

complex set of rules or redo decisions

over and over again instead I want you

to create a workflow that you can follow

every single time you create a new note

or save a new document that workflow

follows the four letters of paraph your

projects areas resources and archives

let's talk more about each one

projects are any outcome you're actively

committed to that requires multiple work

sessions to complete projects have two

important features first they have an

outcome a goal that you're trying to

reach and second projects end they have

a deadline or a time frame you want to

complete them by the key thing to notice

about projects is that they're important

they're actionable right now they're

action oriented and short term in Focus

some examples writing a new blog post

reorganizing a part of your house potty

training a dog planning a vacation trip

each of these Endeavors will require

different kinds of information notes and

research plans schedules and you'll need

a way to track the thoughts and ideas

that you have over time I'll show you my

current projects and how I organize them

shortly second areas an area is a role

or a responsibility that you have that

has a standard you want to maintain over

time areas are never really complete

there's no goal that you reach and check

off that thing Forever The key thing to

notice about areas they're important and

relevant on an ongoing basis including

right now but unlike projects they're

also important later too they aren't

quite as actionable as projects but

still require attention for example in

your finances you might need to keep

track of taxes for your health that

could be your weight or cholesterol for

your relationship with your significant

other gift ideas or favorite places that

you might want to visit together so you

see even though you can't complete an

area it's still important to be able to

track your ideas and your information

and your dreams and your wishes over

time for each area

third we have resources resources is

really any topic of ongoing interest or

any kind of just useful reference and

they're basically like a catch-all for

everything else that isn't something you

need to keep track of right now for say

a project or an area but it might be

interesting in the future they are low

on actionability they're waiting to be

activated later for future projects or

future areas that they could contribute

to a few examples interesting subjects

you'd like to learn more about random

interests and hobbies places you'd like

to visit one day content or quotes or

information related to architecture or

books you've read it can really be

anything sometimes these resources are

for fun or just in case other times

they're very practical like recipes or

case studies for your business or photos

for a future project even if it's not

something you're committed to right now

fourth we have the archives your

archives are just inactive items from

any of the three previous categories

think of them like cold storage they're

almost completely unactionable just

waiting there in case you need to find

or reference them sometime in the future

the key for archives is that whenever a

project becomes inactive you don't want

to delete that material there's no

reason to delete anything these days

just archive it that way it can still be

searched for later can be accessible

whenever you have a Notes app available

such as on your computer your tablet or

your smartphone but in the meantime it

won't clutter up your workspace and

distract your focus I put resources and

projects into the archives pretty often

the projects are the most commonly

archived because they have a built-in

completion date it's rare that I'd

archive an entire area but it does

happen for example if I have a big life

change or decide to change my priorities

this is how I organize my notes and all

my files and the key is that I can have

all of these categories in every single

part of my life I have the exact same

system in Google Drive on my personal

computer among other places the purpose

of para is really to answer the question

how do I organize my notes and files

once and for all and therefore to

minimize the amount of time I'm spending

making that decision every day focusing

on taking action instead of constantly

reorganizing things let me give you a

little tour of what my own para system

looks like day to day what you see on

the screen is my digital note-taking app

which is Evernote been using it for

years I just clicked here on the left

where it says notebooks notebooks is

what Evernote calls folders some note

taking systems also use tags which work

just as well many thousands of notes I

think I have more than six or seven

thousand notes they all fit into just

four very straightforward clear

categories think about how amazing that

is that thousands of discrete pieces of

information can be easily sorted into

four groups project areas resources and

archives I like to put a number before

each one one two three and four so that

they appear in this order from most

actionable to least actionable before we

dive into what is contained within each

of these para categories take a look at

this number in parentheses after each

one so think of this number one projects

as a folder and then within that big

folder there are a number of smaller

subfolders one for each active project I

typically find that most people have

somewhere between 15 and 25 projects

that might actually seem like a lot but

if you take the time to really list out

all the different goals and outcomes

that you're working toward 15 to 25 is

quite a standard number so you can see

here that I have 19 currently active

projects my taxes for last year I have a

blog post that I'm working on I have

cohorts of my online course I have the

book that I'm launching 18 notes related

to my son's education plan uh all sorts

of different things and once again look

at the numbers in parentheses for an

idea of how much information I'm keeping

for each one of these projects it ranges

from zero so you can tell I really have

not even started on the research for

this article that I'm writing all the

way to some that have 25 or 30 or the

biggest one of all which is the book

I've been working on for a couple years

which is 71 notes let's just take a look

at the notes contained within one of

these project folders if I look at the

brand Identity Design that we've been

creating for building a second brain for

example I can see all sorts of things

from brainstorms around different words

that we wanted to use in our branding to

some notes on fair use there is imagery

from Pinterest that we might want to

draw on all sorts of different things

that anytime I'm working on this project

I want to just be able to click one

place and have these nodes displayed

before me let's go back to notebooks

close the project stack which is what

this is called within Evernote and let's

take a look at areas this is really

really every single area of my life that

I have information to keep track of all

the ones that start with FL are business

related FL stands for Forte Labs my

company and you can see it ranges from

my son to our car to finances my health

my wife my personal development those

are all the personal ones and then on

the business side there's administrative

stuff there is notes related to our

course related to email related to Legal

marketing people the studio where we're

filming this right now our website these

are kind of like the two halves of my

life my personal life and my

professional life let's close the areas

stack and take a look at resources so

here's kind of everything else all the

other topics and subjects that I'm

interested in from climate change to

marketing to design music Neuroscience

other ones are more like assets like

stock photos so this is kind of a grab

bag a catch-all of very diverse kinds of

information the important thing is that

none of this is particularly actionable

it's all kind of just in case it's when

needed as needed let's take a look at

what's contained within say a resource

Notebook on habits and behavior change

so I have notes from an article called

The Art of laser focus I have notes from

a paper on something called the good art

effect I have highlights from an article

called habits versus goals think about

how useful this is when the time comes

and this might be rare that I really

want to look at my habits and my

routines I really want to change my

routines I don't have to spend hours

trying to find all the different things

I've read and heard in the past about

habits it's all here in one centralized

place and I could actually get this

entire notebook retitle it to a project

like you know start a meditation routine

or create a morning routine or some

specific outcome that I'm trying to

achieve and I could move the entire

notebook from the resources straight

right over here to the projects in one

step let's go back to notebooks collapse

the resources and take a look at

archives archives is the Cold Storage

there's more notebooks and archives than

all the others combined and that's the

way it should be right archives is

everything you've done in the past

everything I've done in the past is way

more extensive than the stuff that I'm

working on right now so everything from

you know past years taxes to um old

apartments that I was looking for so

previous cohorts of my course there's so

many things that I've done in the past I

really only go in here if there's a

specific thing that I'm looking for but

just scrolling through this list is such

a blast from the past it's such a walk

down memory lane through all the very

diverse interesting things that I've

been involved with in the past it's

actually inspiring to me it reminds me

of the breadth of experience that I have

it's almost like my portfolio it's like

a resume of all the stuff that I've done

and achieved in the past except instead

of you know one page resume with some

lines of text I can click into any one

of these and see for example all the

details about you know the apartment

that we had in Mexico how to transfer

money to my landlord in Mexico like who

knows if this will ever be relevant

again but if it ever is or let's say I

have a friend who moves to Mexico and

wants some advice I know exactly where

it's found and it will always be here

for my safekeeping so this is my digital

note-taking app that I've just shown you

and I think of my notes app as kind of

the neural center of my second brain

it's the core of it but the whole

purpose of para the power of it is that

you can use it everywhere what you

really don't want to do is have a

completely different organizing

philosophy in each one of the many

dozens of places where you keep

information

in the next few videos of this series

I'll show you step by step how to create

your project list how to actually move

your notes into the para categories and

even app specific workflows for how to

use para and different kinds of apps and

different digital environments thanks

for watching and talk more soon