the truth about staying organised

Hey You,

In my last email, I introduced you to Building a Second Brain and the PARA method — a framework by Tiago Forte that’s helps me organize ideas, projects, and responsibilities.

I’ve spent more time with The PARA Method book, and a few things have really stood out.

Here are a few takeaways that might help if you’ve started exploring PARA — or are thinking about it.

1. PARA gives clarity by making you choose

The system is built on four categories:

• Projects: short-term efforts with a clear outcome

• Areas: ongoing responsibilities you’re maintaining

• Resources: reference material and helpful information

• Archive: anything that’s no longer relevant

The structure is simple. Every piece of information — a note, a file, an idea — has to go somewhere.

And that forces you to make a small decision:

• Is this something I’m acting on?

• Something I’m maintaining?

• Something I just want to keep?

You stop leaving things in vague “maybe later” limbo. That mental weight starts to lift.

2. Projects are containers, not checklists

Projects in PARA aren’t just tasks you check off. They’re containers — digital folders where you keep everything related to the goal you’re working toward.

That might include:

• Notes from meetings

• Drafts or outlines

• Related reference material

• Ideas or questions to revisit

The project ends, you archive the folder, and nothing gets lost. It’s a clean, efficient way to manage momentum.

3. PARA works wherever you work

PARA is flexible enough to work across your whole digital world — your laptop folders, Google Drive, mobile notes app, wherever you store things.

It’s a method, not a tool. Which means you’re not locked into a specific platform — and the system can evolve with you.

4. Regular review is part of the design

Tiago Forte recommends making small updates to your PARA system as you go. As he puts it:

The goal isn’t to spend hours on maintenance.

It’s to regularly ask:

• What’s still active?

• What’s complete?

• What needs attention now?

These quick check-ins help your system stay useful.

If you’ve been meaning to get more organized, PARA offers a very approachable way in.

You don’t need to commit to a full system from day one. Just start by identifying one active project and setting up a folder for it. That small step can make a surprising difference.

Until next time,
Piotr

P.S. If you haven’t already, try creating the four PARA folders — even if you just drop in a few scattered notes. The structure alone brings a sense of clarity that builds over time.