Overview
PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) is a methodology by Tiago Forte for organizing digital information based on actionability, not by type. Every piece of information belongs to one of four categories, determined by what action it requires.
The Four Categories
Projects
A series of tasks linked to a goal, with a deadline. "What am I actively working on right now?" Projects have a clear desired outcome and an end state. They live in 20_projects/ as individual Markdown files, each with an outcome statement and a prioritized next-actions checklist.
Areas
A sphere of activity with a standard to be maintained over time. Unlike projects, Areas have no finish line — they are ongoing responsibilities like Health, Finances, Work, or Family. They live in 10_areas/.
Resources
A topic or theme of ongoing interest. Resources are reference material — things you want to keep but aren't currently acting on. In this system, Resources stay in Google Drive outside the "Hipi Assistant" folder or live as notes within project files.
Archive
Inactive items from the other three categories. Completed projects, lapsed areas, resources no longer relevant. Everything in 30_archive/ is excluded from the AI's context window to keep context lean.
How We Apply PARA
- Areas define the boundaries. Every project belongs to exactly one Area. Areas are the stable structure; projects flow through them.
- Projects drive action. A project file is created the moment something requires more than one step. It's archived the moment the outcome is achieved.
- The question is always: "Where does this go so I can act on it?"