--- name: para description: PARA method for organizing notes by actionability (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive). Use for categorization decisions, folder management, and syncing PARA projects with GTD milestones. --- ## PARA: Organize by Actionability, Not Topic PARA organizes information by **when you'll need it**: | Category | Definition | Key Signal | |----------|------------|------------| | **Projects** | Active work with deadlines | "Complete", "deliver", "launch" | | **Areas** | Ongoing responsibilities, no end date | "Maintain", "manage", "track" | | **Resources** | Reference material for future use | "Interesting", "might need" | | **Archive** | Inactive items from above categories | "Done", "paused", "no longer relevant" | **Example:** A Kubernetes article goes in Projects if deploying now, Areas if maintaining systems, Resources if just learning. ## Folder Structure ``` 1_Projects\/ # Active work with deadlines ├── _INDEX.md # Project overview └── [Project-Name]\/ # One folder per project (synced with GTD) 2_Areas\/ # Ongoing responsibilities ├── _INDEX.md # Area overview └── [area-name].md # One file per area (or folder if complex) 3_Resources\/ # Reference material ├── _INDEX.md # Resource overview └── [topic]\/ # Topic-based resources 4_Archive\/ # Inactive items ├── _INDEX.md # Archive overview └── [archived items] # Completed\/inactive content ``` ## GTD Sync PARA projects (`1_Projects\/` folders) stay in sync with GTD projects (GitHub milestones): - **Same names**: `1_Projects\/API-Redesign\/` ↔ GTD milestone "API-Redesign" - **Sync command**: `para sync` shows mismatches and offers to fix them - **One source of truth**: GTD manages project lifecycle, PARA holds the notes <\/essential_principles> **IMPORTANT: Before showing the intake menu, run this check:** ```bash .\/.claude\/skills\/para\/scripts\/para status 2>\/dev\/null ``` If it exits non-zero or shows "Error: PARA root not configured", the user needs to initialize PARA first. **Do NOT proceed to intake.** Instead: 1. Use `AskUserQuestion` to ask: "Where would you like to store your PARA files?" - Offer sensible options like `~\/Notes`, `~\/Documents\/PARA`, or let them specify a custom path - Ask if this should be the default for all projects or just this repo 2. After getting the path, run: ```bash # Initialize PARA structure .\/.claude\/skills\/para\/scripts\/para init --path # Then save config (choose one): # For this repo only: .\/.claude\/skills\/para\/scripts\/para config --set-repo . # Or as global default: .\/.claude\/skills\/para\/scripts\/para config --set-root ``` 3. Then proceed to the intake menu. <\/initialization_check> What would you like to do? 1. **Categorize** - Help deciding where something belongs 2. **Sync** - Check\/sync PARA projects with GTD milestones 3. **Review** - Audit PARA structure for stale items 4. **Create** - Set up new project\/area\/resource folder 5. **Archive** - Move completed items to archive **Wait for response before proceeding.** <\/intake> | Response | Workflow | |----------|----------| | 1, "categorize", "where", "which category", "decide" | `workflows\/categorize.md` | | 2, "sync", "gtd", "milestones", "projects" | `workflows\/sync-projects.md` | | 3, "review", "audit", "stale", "cleanup" | `workflows\/review.md` | | 4, "create", "new", "add", "setup" | `workflows\/create.md` | | 5, "archive", "done", "complete", "move" | `workflows\/archive.md` | | Other | Clarify intent, then select appropriate workflow | **After reading the workflow, follow it exactly.** <\/routing> ## CLI Commands ```bash PARA=".\/.claude\/skills\/para\/scripts\/para" # Show PARA structure status $PARA status # Show\/manage configuration $PARA config # Configuration options: $PARA config --set-root ~\/Notes # Set global default $PARA config --set-repo . ~\/Notes\/work # Map current repo → PARA location $PARA config --unset-repo . # Remove repo mapping # Sync with GTD (shows mismatches) $PARA sync # Sync and fix mismatches $PARA sync --fix # Create new project (also creates GTD milestone) $PARA project create "Project-Name" # Archive a project $PARA project archive "Project-Name" # List projects (with GTD sync status) $PARA project list ``` ## Configuration Resolution PARA root is resolved in order: 1. `.para.toml` in current git repo root (local override) 2. `[repos]` mapping in `~\/.config\/para\/config.toml` (per-repo) 3. `para_root` in global config (default) 4. Auto-discovery (walk up from cwd looking for PARA folders) ## Decision Tree ``` Is this actively being worked on with a deadline? ├── YES → 1_Projects\/ └── NO ↓ Is this an ongoing responsibility I maintain? ├── YES → 2_Areas\/ └── NO ↓ Is this something I might reference later? ├── YES → 3_Resources\/ └── NO ↓ Is this completed\/inactive but worth keeping? ├── YES → 4_Archive\/ └── NO → Delete it ``` <\/quick_reference> ## Domain Knowledge All in `references\/`: - **para-method.md** - Full PARA methodology with examples <\/reference_index> ## Workflows All in `workflows\/`: | Workflow | Purpose | |----------|---------| | categorize.md | Help decide where items belong | | sync-projects.md | Sync PARA projects with GTD milestones | | review.md | Audit PARA structure for stale\/misplaced items | | create.md | Create new PARA folders with proper structure | | archive.md | Move items to archive with proper handling | <\/workflows_index>