The PARA Method: Simplify, Organize, and Master Your Digital Life

by Tiago Forte

You don’t get a prize for starting a book or finishing one. Books are not trophies to collect or evidence you’ve learned anything. The only reward from reading a book like this one comes from putting what you learn into practice, and you can do that after you’ve read just the first five chapters.

In other words, the ultimate system for organizing your life is one that is actionable.

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. In reality, we are seeking any little thing we can polish or tidy to avoid having to face the task we are dreading.

From the perspective of your brain, your information environment is just as important as your physical one, and it won’t let you rest as long as it feels uncertain and threatening.

You can keep everything, but you can’t keep it front and center in your attention.

PARA perfectly mirrors the structure of your life across every platform you use. 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.

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? 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? By separating out the information in your life according to when it will be needed, PARA gives you a sense of perspective appropriate to whichever time horizon is calling for your attention. It allows you to work simultaneously across different timescales to bring into existence the future you’re trying to create.

any time you spend meticulously organizing your stuff is likely to be wasted.

Getting organized, in my opinion, is about acquiring power. “Power” is a dirty word for many people. We’re not supposed to want power. That’s a shameful desire best left to corrupt politicians and greedy capitalists, right? Wrong.

Everything you want depends on how much power you have. All the goals you have for your career and your family, all the change you want to cause in your field or your community, all the relationships you want to form or improve, all the things you want to experience and possess. It all depends on your ability to draw power from every source available to you and direct it toward the outcomes you want.

Often as people begin working with PARA they realize that they already have more than enough knowledge to pursue the goal they’ve been dreaming of.