PARA Takes the Personal Out of Personal Knowledge Management

Use what you need. No more. No less.

I’ve tried a couple of different PKM folder frameworks, including the most popular, Tiago Forte’s PARA, and want to take some time to write about my feelings on them.

The very nature of personal knowledge management requires that we develop our own workflow through trial and error. I view tags and folders in the same way.

Implement what you need, when you need it. My mind garden began with three folders (seeds, attachments, and projects) and no tags. This setup worked for me for about a year before I started needing some extra navigation and search options.

Try out my super simple personal knowledge management system for Obsidian if you’re just getting started.

What is PARA?

PARA’s four folders are meant to hold everything in your personal management system. It stands for:

• Project — Short-term work you are currently working on
• Area — Long-term responsibilities you need to manage
• Resource — Interests that may be of use in the future
• Archive — Inactive items from the other three…