Question, because I haven't found any content specifically talking about this. I'm curious how you would approach managing "Clients" using the P.A.R.A. method as part of a global sales operation. I'm looking at setting up PARA just for managing my own work, which is global solution sales where I have hundreds of clients across multiple territories in the Americas, EMEA, APAC. Of course we have known "opportunities" or RFPs with our clients, which I would view as a project. But outside of projects, then there is the ongoing sort of maintenance of client relationship, doing discovery, having quarterly review meetings with the client where we may identify new opportunities. I'm struggling with how to organize that part of it. Perhaps the simplest way is to set up each client as their own "Area", and collect general meeting notes for that client there, but anything related to a specific opportunity is a project? Then, I have other areas of work like keeping in sync with all the Products, new versions, sales strategies. Training of the various sales and presales teams. Events. etc. Of course we have systems like Salesforce for formal tracking of the opportunities, products sold, etc. But for managing my own interactions with clients and other areas of work, I'm on the fence about where to put some of it in the PARA method.
I've been watching quite a few productivity videos, and they all touch on the same issue: organizational systems become overly complicated, with note-taking apps turning into task managers. While I don't dismiss this method, as it has its value, I strongly advocate for simplicity.
I'm loving the idea of explaining how the second brain works. It's like finishing a reading and having the visual and auditory explanation of the creator himself. This is fantastic!
Another excellent video that completes the important new mechanism of "my NEW brain". For me, it isn't my Second Brain. I'm 83 years old. I've finally found a method enabling me to organize all the various information I've collected in the past 9 years beginning when I retired and realized I wanted to create a website/blog of my own. Now the massive work begins by reviewing all my storage areas (EverNote, Google Drive, and my hard drive) for the information. Thank goodness I started learning this method towards the start of the month. My goal is to review and build my PARA method of all that knowledge by the end of this month. Please wish me luck!!
For anyone using Obsidian and struggling with 6:40 - the project sorting order changing up folder structure - Title folders you want primary nests as "(0) , (1) , (2) , " for me these are projects, areas, resources, - so my entire notes get organized in this sorting order but i maintain the folder structure, and this madness was enough to take me back to Notion haha!
Could you do a video series using only Microsoft products? Many businesses and educational institutions rely solely on Office 365 for collaboration between departments, so it’s difficult to introduce other applications even if our IT departments would even allow them to be installed.
This is something I hope to do in the future. Every application has its own expertise, which we mostly don't have for MS products. But we may be able to partner with a certified expert to create such content
Yes, please. A lot of videos available online are focussed on content creators who use notion or the likes of it. But almost every big business uses Microsoft and it would be super helpful to get a video series for Microsoft products
@@TiagoForteI am sure you have your own contacts, but I would be so bold as to suggest Mariana Vieira, whose UA-cam videos on MS products are brilliant, imo. Sorry, wrong name: Leila Gharani. Apologies.
@randydegner4781 I am both a Google workspace user and a Microsoft 365 user as well as our IT company is a reseller for both. This does not make me an expert consultant! But I can say your idea is excellent for both Microsoft and Google ecosystems. I am learning the system a little more on the side and finding that the concept is the 95% if I’m correct. The tools are the 5% but man I sure get excited about the tools! I’m using OneNote for an incredible amount of things and plan on re-organizing it for PARA. However, most of my data is in a Google system, and I also know the power of notion. 😂 I’m on the journey. Maybe we can connect again later.
I learned a lot from this video, specifically the Ernest Hemingway method. I love how he only ends a writing session when he know what comes next in the story. I am going to try to use this when I am creating content. Thank you! 😊
I got Tiago's book, Building a Second Brain, and have been LOVING IT. He writes accessibly and with just enough additional narrative elements to keep you interested. Now I've been following along with some of these videos for more of a visual element while I'm organizing my entire life. Feels so good. Also, Tiago just looks so passionate and excited by his projects. It's quite cute-and inspiring!
just like to add at 3:34, Tiago says he can sort of "intuitively" decide which ones will be the focus of his attention this week, it's by having a - Goal: The launch of his book building a second brain in Brazil followed by having a date to decide what comes first - Date: since that is a trip he is making there in a few weeks
This was an incredibly valuable video which will revolutionise the way I've been working on my daily to do's, do next tasks and project tasks. Thanks so much for the work that you do.
Great video! Does anyone know if there's a video where Tiago Forte discusses daily reviews and day planning strategies? I'm really interested in learning more about this topic.
I started using the PARA method recently, so far really like it. I keep it to two specific formats 1. Todoist as my taskmanager (This is updated as I need to address scope changes) 2. Remarkable Tablet as my notes app (This is where PARA is deployed) I specifically chose this to do a VERY distraction free system that doesn't involve accidental context switching that an app like Obsidian or Evernote would have on my phone or desktop. Finally, and this is a question for you. How would you integrate with a system that you don't want to integrate? For example: Work uses Jira to track projects and tasks; however, you don't want to integrate Jira as a supplement task manager since it doesn't integrate with Personal Projects. It starts to feel like I'm transcribing content from my personal notes to another platform that's meant for another organizations tracking system.
I view work tasks just as regular tasks from projects. They live beside my "personal" tasks and projects. As they are a part of my life they should also be present in my task manager. Jira is there to communicate with your colleagues. Not for youself. At least thats how i view it
I'm following closely this method to a last manage to get a stable organization on my side. I'm now making schematic to sort where to place, what between my google drive/docs, google agenda, Google task as inbox, paper BUJO and Notion. I will work now to organize my short notes on Notion (bigger and distilled doc on google drive) and tasks on Notion too. I have the Lean Startup book to finish, and then I will maybe switch to the PARA one. Regards,
I have been using the PARA method for quite a long time. This Project Video breakdown is super helpful. Thanks a ton, Tiago. Keep doing the Amazing work.
This is awesome and I am definitely going to try it, I do worry with these methods that you spend more time organising and filing and sometimes even making notes you don't need, rather than actually doing the work.
Wow, the PARA productivity system sounds intriguing! Setting priorities for projects is crucial, and it's great that it encourages us to take the time to do so. However, it's also interesting to see that sometimes, after careful planning, we might realize there's not enough to do for a particular project during a given week. This highlights the importance of adaptability and flexibility in productivity systems. In such situations, it could be an opportunity to reassess our priorities or explore other areas where our efforts might be better utilized. Perhaps it's a chance to dive deeper into a project that wasn't initially on our radar or invest time in personal development. It's all about maximizing productivity by staying proactive and open to new opportunities. Overall, the PARA productivity system seems to encourage a mindful approach to time management, which is essential for achieving long-term success and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I'm curious to learn more about the system and how it continues to help individuals optimize their productivity. Thanks for sharing this insightful video!
Thanks for the helpful video @TiagoForte. Do you use anything automated to sync the tasks from projects, areas, and archives in Evernote to Things 3, or do you manually add/archive them at a certain cadence? You had mentioned you keep them mirrored with the same syntax, casing, emojis, colors, etc. Does it feel burdensome to keep them in sync if you do it manually?
How does this work for managing finances and quick tasks such as get milk from the store or pay light bill? Everything I do is not really a big project… I’m trying to see how I can manage small random tasks in my to do list (which is Clickup).
Waw 🤩 ( THE HEMINGWAY BRIDGE) this is awesome. That Change how we work change mindset and workflow. Thank you, you tigo You impressive me all time with new ideas and change my mindset not just idea
I'm deep into this system between the B2B and PARA books and have been super happy with it. One specific question: when it comes to the task management app, it makes sense to have Projects exactly mirror what's in the notes app. But what about small tasks that arise out of Areas (or anything random) that are not large enough for a Project? Do those just go into the task manager's catch-all inbox and get marked as prioritized like Project tasks would, or do you have a recommended method for capturing those? As an example, I need to get a new suit made. I don't really need notes or resources for that, just the reminder/deadline to go actually do it. It could belong to a "Clothing" (or similar) Area, but it's really just a one-off task for me.
unless clothing is an ongoing area of interest for you that would warrant being made a resource, this task doesn't really need to be assigned to any area or resource. though something like getting a new suit might be a project, given the various steps you'd need to go through to get one made that suits your needs
Thanks for diving deep here. I recognised you sort Projects and Areas differently in Things than just some months ago. Projects now seem to be merged with the Areas section. Could you expand on that?
Previously I kept all the projects together at the top of the sidebar, so I could see them all at a glance. A couple years ago when I started hiring people and thus had different areas of the business with different people responsible for them, I moved each project under its respective area so I could reference them when I was meeting with that person or team. A subtle shift you may want to make as your role changes
@TiagoForte thanks for this helpful video. Question: How do you handle small, fast-moving, one-off to-dos in Things? This video shows a great way of focusing on TOP priorities… but I need task management help for the small items too! Ideally one that doesn’t overly clutter the app’s “Today” section or calendar - I find that looking at a list of unrelated to-dos in the same list as my priority tasks for the week induces context switching and overload. Got a better solution? I’m currently implementing Second Brain using your Building a Second Brain book and these videos. PARA is helping me solve longstanding organization and productivity problems that dozens of other productivity hacks and systems didn’t touch. THANK YOU!
Great ideas! What about time management I wonder how do you time manage the different projects from start to finish? I’m sure you have a great system for time management as well.
I've started with your BASB book. After that I tried to go on with as many directions I could from your videos, the people in your videos (I searched their work, too), etc. I do appreciate your work. Most materials in this domain from other authors are just about using GUIs from different applications (From such tutorials I feel like I'm just learning Microsoft Word). My brain right now is like: ok, I do have the intuition on how things might get organized on how to get into thought flow. But my main anxiety is: how do I translate all my information to a TODO list? How do I translate to a TODO list that I'm not just going to throw out or make me procrastinate? I saw your 10-15 rule, and a lot of videos, and read your book. Maybe all information combined "gets me there". For me, what it seems missing is a boring long video (I'm not being sarcastic) on how to get from a state in which your notes are perfect and putting them to work. By this I do not mean tools, I mean the philosophy. Not the philosophy to create a new note, but get things done outside of our brain and our second brain into reality. The general sense I receive from the domain is that every aspect of our lives is a book about to be written and we are writers. The sense given is that we are content creators with enough money to externalize every aspect of our lives, and all that we needed is to organize our thoughts. For example, it's hard for me to see how I get from BASB to having a TODO list that includes physical (physical as in anything outside of our brain and second brain) like "washing the dishes". It's hard for me to conceptualize that this domain is for people that have anything to do except creative work. It's hard for me to conceptualize people working with such systems doing the dishes. This is the thing I'm searching for in every person that tries to create materials for this domain. How do I get physical? How do I get "washing the dishes" on my TODO list? With steps from A to Z, where A means we already have perfect notes done and organized and we just want to have the TODO list. I am a programmer, I am teacher for non-profit, etc. But I also have to do the dishes and the first thing that comes to my mind is that I have this nifty organized PARA note taking storage taken over 2 years of work, and as soon as I have to wash the dishes I throw it all in the trash.
Hey, I hope I’m not too late in my response, but you’re running into the same issue that I was running into a few months ago: the distinction from personal knowledge management to task management. The reason that the personal knowledge management space is so popular is because it makes normal people like us feel like working on an app will make us smarter/more “productive” when really it just turns into using apps as sophisticated procrastination tools which feels productive. here’s a summary of my journey into this space: I needed a way to keep track of all of my college assignments so I started putting all of them into Apple Reminders so I wouldn’t forget. That’s all I used for over a year. Then, I got my Kindle in August this year. I stopped using social media during that time too so I just obsessed over reading. I read around 3-5 books within that first month. Then I realized as I got into September that damn: I don’t remember anything I read, and I’m not using any of the stuff in the books for anything. I started researching how to get more work done in a day and along came the holy grail of Getting Things Done by David Allen. That’s the book you really need right now. Read it. A 2nd Brain system is only practical if you read a lot of stuff and you can use some of it for the work you’re doing. You’re a programmer and teacher, so there’s a lot of cool information out there that you can use, but don’t think about it backwards. Figure out your tasks first, and only then is this knowledge useful. Use whatever task manager you have native to your phone, Reminders, Google Tasks, whatever. Use it for a week, and then make sure you schedule at the end of the week the task: Journal on Task System for 20 minutes. Research as little as possible during this starting time. Use your intuition and reflection to figure out what’s wrong with your system and try to fix it. A few weeks later of using the system, order Getting Things Done by David Allen. Read the book, and key note: compare what the book says to what you do now in your journal entries. Try putting some of the book’s ideas in practice. Experiment. The key point is to reflect on the entire process to make sure you always knows what’s working, what’s not working, and the why behind it all. it’ll keep you focused on the actual purpose. And honestly, journal in your notes, it’s the most convenient way. as you start doing more work, you’re going to need to research stuff, but here’s what you do: copy whatever you think is useful into your notes, and add a link at the bottom of the note. if you have anything else to say about it, write it below the link. only when you get 10 - 20+ notes should you start using folders. And only use folders that are practical. That means you have 10 notes that are your journal entries, take them out the basic inbox, create a folder named journal, and put it there. only research when there’s problems you need to solve. after having spent a few months in this space, let me tell you this: this domain will sell you 100s of solutions for problems you don’t even have, so don’t start chasing them expecting things to get better. The simpler, the better, and the more personalized, the more useful. good luck with the journey!
My To-Do list has 'wash the dishes' and it's been like that for some time. I consider my note manager a suplemental thing to the main thing that is the Task manager. I input everything I have to do in the task manager and use the note manager to not lose thoughts and to document things I do so I have some info to look up whenever I have to do that thing again.
Thank you, Tiago! My way of organizing things is to sort everything within the Google ecosystem, specifically in Google Drive, according to the PARA system. Then, in Todoist, I have four main projects divided according to the Eisenhower Matrix. I work on each task and its subtasks based on my priorities.
Why don’t you use just one tool (like Notion) for both tasks and notes? Don't you think that using 2 tools implies additional work that you could avoid? For example, you have to create a list of projects in 2 apps and keep it updated, or switching between apps and copying links instead of mentioning pages you can easily preview within the same tool, and maybe even sometimes find some broken links if you delete pages or whatever. I’m curious about your choice!
I just asked a similar question! Thinking about it, I'd guess it's about avoiding distraction when you're doing one thing vs another. You probably don't want EVERYTHING in one place when you're in 'getting sh*t done' mode -- so you use a dedicated task manager (maybe one that sync's with your daily calendar). When you switch to 'reviewing my projects' mode, you do that in a separate app, where you don't want to be overwhelmed by seeing your entire task list.
I find that having dedicated apps for the main functions of my system works much better. That way each tool is only doing one job, if they don't do it well I can switch to another one, and I can be completely in that headspace while I'm working with a certain kind of information. When everything is in one program, I find that it doesn't do any of the functions very well, and I can't change anything because it's all one big system
These days, projects involve different communication channels, mini-projects, mini-tasks, big tasks, group tasks, priorities, etc. Your system is nice and minimalistic for users with very specific projects, not for people that work on many projects, corporations, with different type of clients and people, etc.
i see where you're coming from but i'd argue as a downside to this is that notion sucks at quickly capturing information. i.e: slow load times and performance on mobile, no offline access and having to switch to notion to capture your info are all deal breakers for me. This is why i personally use a seperate task list app. If notion had its own widgets or shortcuts that could let you quickly capture stuff then i'd prolly go with a notion only workflow as well. Whats your thoughts on capturing information with notion?
By the way, with Things 3, the Anytime section is perfect to put your tasks of the week and others could be put in the Someday section. So each day, you can poke in the Anytime section for tasks to do today. And each weekly review, you can move out tasks from that section that are irrelevant and move from Someday section to Anytime the ones that should be done this week. So no need to have a Today tag like I see.
How do you prevent urgent captures from slipping through the cracks if theres no daily review of your inbox? For example what if a new task came up that you need to get done tomorrow so you quickly jot it down in your inbox. theres no daily review involved so by the time you do the weekly review you will have missed the important task..
First, I do a lot to try and eliminate such tasks in the first place. Receiving requests from people that I have to change what I'm doing and act on within 24 hours (or really 48 hours) isn't compatible with the life I want to lead. So I purposefully push back on such demands, ignore them outright, set expectations at the start of collaborations that I don't respond quickly, etc. While at the same time, shifting people and projects that I know I WILL have to respond quickly to to Google Chat, which I prioritize more highly than email. Email is mostly for external communication, which is inherently less important
summary 00:00 Using the list of projects in the paragraph • In this video, the author talks about how he uses the list of projects in the paragraph to increase productivity at three different points in his life: at the beginning of the week, during the week and at the end of the week. • He explains that the project list should be almost like a mirror so that he can easily switch between different programs. • At the beginning of the week, the author looks through the list of projects and highlights those that he can move forward. • It also sorts the list by creation date in reverse chronological order to see the most recent materials related to projects. 09:26 Using the project list for adaptation • The author explains that the project list is not just a planning tool, but an adaptation tool that helps him perceive new information and changes. He also talks about how the list of projects helps him turn around on his heels and go in a completely different direction if necessary. 10:20 Using the Project List • Create a list of projects to keep track of ideas and examples related to TV shows. • Add new ideas and examples to the list as they become available. 12:55 Using checklists • Create checklists for completing projects and archiving. • Using the Hemingway Bridge technique to capture ideas and inspire future actions. 14:11 Using the Hemingway Bridge • Create notes in the project folder to capture ideas and inspiration. • Using markers to indicate the date and status of the project.
@TiagoForte I am very curious to know about your website browsing habits and if you have multiple tabs constantly open or use various extensions such as session managers/tab managers, and so-on. Hearing your thoughts on how a creative person can get rid of clutter, aka. having tons (10s.. 100s..) of tabs open, or note-papers all over your desk would be great. I tried a few times to digitalize everything, take useful notes in a centralized application to help organize and close tabs, etc., however in the end I feel like a lot of the time I just wind up with tons of notes which never get looked at again and just become a waste of time to even take down. I guess I need some sort of system for going back and re-reviewing notes while also pruning ones which seem to be more useless than others?
Tiago, I want to jump into Para, but as a Sales and Business Development Manager, not sure how I can apply. Have you created a video for the Sales person to track notes on a call or in person meeting, including planning travel(project), etc? We also use Salesforce for notes and activities tied to the customer. I want to take all notes in OneNote using your para method and then copy important customer related notes to Salesforce.
I have a doubt. I'm organizing my second brain in notion, using the PARA Method, but I have a difficult time with this issue: if I'm taking a course, like Udemy about React.JS, should it be a project (because I'm planning to finish it on a X time)? or should it be an area because it's related to my personal development and i need the things i learn to be there for me to work with react everyday from now on?
I am using the PARA method for my projects, but many times I think it's better to put the resources folder inside the projets folder... What do you think?
This may depend on why exactly you want to put the resources folder inside the project folder. What is your reasoning here? What issue do you observe when not putting the resource folder inside the projects folder? Also, what is your current understanding of the difference between projects and resources, and between the projects folder and the resources folder? I think I can give a better response if I know what your knowledge and understanding of this currently is. In the BASB method (which the PARA method is a part of), if a note (or other type of resource) within the resources folder is relevant to a project folder, you move (not copy) the note to the projects folder. If there's a sub-folder in the resources folder where you think all its content is relevant to the current project, it would make sense to move that entire sub-folder from the resources folder to the project folder. All of this also applies to when you first capture a note or other resource. If it's relevant to a current project, you put it in that project folder, even if it could go somewhere in your resources folder. When that project is finished or otherwise becomes irrelevant, you might move that note back to the resources folder, to another project, or perhaps even to the archive. You might leave the note in the finished project and just move that project into the resources folder, or archive it if it and all remaining content within it has become truly irrelevant. **Overall, remember this distinction: The projects folder is for notes and other types of resources that you are currently using. The resources folder is for notes and other types of resources that you are not currently using. If a note or other type of resource could go in either the resources folder or a project, you decide where it goes based on whether or not it is actionable.** Are you currently using it, referencing it, or expect it may be relevant? Put it in its related project. Is it related to something that you're currently interested in, but not explicitly working on right now? Put it in its related area. Is it something that you're not necessarily interested in right now, but that could be relevant to a future endeavor? Or is it just a collection of information that could be useful at some point? Put it in the resources folder. If you follow this method/framework and simply need a better way to organize the resources that have made it into your specific project within your project folder, Then it's perfectly fine to create a mini resources folder for that specific project while you're working on it. You may find it helpful to look for specific videos on the channel that distinguish between projects and resources. I personally read the book and found it REALLY helped me with this. Here are a couple of short quotes I pulled that may help you: "...it organizes information based on how actionable it is, not what kind of information it is. The project becomes the main unit if organization for your digital files. Instead of having to sort your notes according to a complex hierarchy of topics and subtopics, you have to answer only one simple question: 'In which project will this be most useful? It assumes only that you are currently working on a certain set of projects, and that your information you should be organized to support them." (Building a Second Brain, pg. 87) "Any piece of information (whether a text document, and image, a note, or an entire folder) can and should flow between categories. You might save a note on coaching techniques to a project folder called "Coaching class," for a class you're taking. Later, when you become a manager at work and need to coach your direct reports, you might move that note to an area folder called "Direct reports." At some point you might leave that company, but still remain interested in coaching, and move the note to resources. One day you might lose interest in the subject altogether and move it to the archives. In the future, that note could find its way all the way back to the projects when you decide to start a side gig as a business coach, making that knowledge actionable once again." (Building a Second Brain, pg. 105) You may also find it helpful to form a better understanding of how areas fit in to this. I have had the same question as you. Sometimes I still struggle with this, and the information I've provided here is what I've generally found the most helpful. (edited for typos)
Thanks so much for this series of videos Tiago 🙏 I always started, but failed to finish, putting in place systems for keeping up with projects. I'm now reading "Getting Things Done" and it made me realise I didn't have ONE system that I always go back to. Stuff was everywhere! I remembered the PARA framework (which I'd started to implement, but then failed to finish properly) and re-found your channel. These latest videos are really helping me put the things in place that I'll be able to refer to consistently. Looking forward to hearing more about how you use Apple Notes in your next video. ... If possible, I'd love to hear any thoughts on using Notion within the PARA framework. I'm building my lists of projects/areas/resources in Notion, but maybe should keep notes & tasks outside of Notion in dedicated apps (Apple Notes + Things) so using those apps keeps me focussed on that aspect of each project? (I'm starting to think it'll be overwhelming to use Notion for everything?)
I personally find it very helpful to have separate, dedicated places for the main kinds of info I need to manage my life: a calendar app for time-based stuff, a task manager for to-dos, and a notes app for notes. That way I know there is one system doing one job, and they don't interfere with each other. And if one goes down, stops working, or is cumbersome, that doesn't affect the others. But I also know people who LOVE having everything in one software program, so you do you!
Summary: 1-Introduction to the PARA Method: The video discusses the PARA method, a framework developed by the speaker to accomplish important weekly tasks. The PARA method involves organizing tasks into four categories: projects, areas, resources, and archives. 2-Overview of Previous Videos: The speaker refers to the previous two videos in the series where the four parts of PARA were introduced. The last video focused on creating a project list, emphasizing the importance of avoiding unclear or demotivating projects. 3-Start of the Week Workflow: The video explains the speaker's weekly review process. Instead of relying solely on calendars or to-do lists, the speaker checks the project list within the PARA system. The goal is to identify the most important projects for the week and highlight them to guide productivity. 4- Project Focus and Prioritization: The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining the same project list across different platforms. By consistently using the same titles, spelling, and even emojis, the speaker can seamlessly switch between tools. This aids in deciding the three central priorities for the week, allowing focused attention on specific projects. 4- Daily Task Management with PARA: The video demonstrates how the project list assists in daily task management. Tasks from different projects are marked for the day, creating a compact, synchronized list across devices. This daily list represents the culmination of a systematic review of the speaker's life and business, providing a focused roadmap for the day.
Hi Tiago, I'm sure you've been asked this many times, but I'm wondering why you chose to build your second brain in Evernote. I suppose one of the main reasons could be that you've been using it for a long time, but is there anything special about Evernote for you?
Love your video's and how ecerything from theory and your books comes to live. One question: is there a particular reaaon why you don't immediately act upon something that will only take you 5 min, during the week (with planning the week I understand)
If I immediately acted on everything that "only" took 5 minutes, I would spend my whole day reacting to incoming bits of information without considering what MY goals and priorities are. That would involve a lot of context switching, which is really hard for the mind to do. Also, many small tasks aren't worth doing at all because they're small, and thus don't matter! You have to be mindful and strategic even with the small things if you want the space to tackle big things
Tiago, great video as always. Just curious why you don't use the Evernote Task Manager and rely on a third party app - or in my view, another moving part in the system?
In my view, the distinction between actionable and reference info is so crucial, I want them in completely separate apps. I never want the specific actions I need to take soon to be buried amidst a sea of notes
@@TiagoForte Thanks for the reply. Makes perfect sense. I will reconsider it, however so far EN Task Manager seems to work for me especially as I tend to like all-in-one apps!
When should I use projects and when do I need to use areas. Honestly I’m using projects just because areas has no headlines, hence the view in todays views won’t be split and organised. As well as the area itself won’t be organised. I have things such as lets say: Work routines that are repeated always. should this be an area or a project. currently it's a project that is under Area "Work" Lets say also my investments with reminders of due dates and end of contracts are under project "Investments" under area personal. should it have it's own area better?
Any advice for people that have different tools for work and home? Essentially it's not practical to have work projects held outside of the work environment but likewise you can't do your home projects using a work laptop. Is it as simple as having a work PARA and a Home PARA?
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Hello everyone ! What are your thoughts on having two systems, one for my personal things and one for my corporate job? Basically as my job gives me the tools I don’t want to enter my personal information or ideas, but also I don’t want to fill my personal tools with work things. What do you think ? How do you achieve balance ? Thanks
@TiagoForte, why is the part you do at the beginning of the week not part of the weekly review? Do you do this "weekly project review" before or after the weekly review? Thanks!
Why did you include Things in the workflow when you just link notes to the tasks? You can create a task right above your notes in Evernote and have it all neatly in one place without switching between apps?
qual task manager e outros apps voce usa para os projetos ? Achei que fosse tudo dentro do notion. Ou não usa mais o notion ? Parece ser o Evernote. Mas depois isso migra para o notion? ou usa o notion para outra coisa ? não seria interessante ter tudo no notion ? Não entendi essa parte. Poderia explicar melhor ?
Hey Tiago, Is there a way to automatically synchronize your projects on both your notes app and Task Manager app? If this is possible it will serve as a relief so you don't enter the same project in different apps.
Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this, you might like my book, The PARA Method: www.buildingasecondbrain.com/para
I'm looking forward to the new book release, congrats @TiagoForte on it's upcoming release!
Thanks Tiago, this system has been a game changer for me!
Question, because I haven't found any content specifically talking about this. I'm curious how you would approach managing "Clients" using the P.A.R.A. method as part of a global sales operation. I'm looking at setting up PARA just for managing my own work, which is global solution sales where I have hundreds of clients across multiple territories in the Americas, EMEA, APAC. Of course we have known "opportunities" or RFPs with our clients, which I would view as a project. But outside of projects, then there is the ongoing sort of maintenance of client relationship, doing discovery, having quarterly review meetings with the client where we may identify new opportunities. I'm struggling with how to organize that part of it. Perhaps the simplest way is to set up each client as their own "Area", and collect general meeting notes for that client there, but anything related to a specific opportunity is a project?
Then, I have other areas of work like keeping in sync with all the Products, new versions, sales strategies. Training of the various sales and presales teams. Events. etc.
Of course we have systems like Salesforce for formal tracking of the opportunities, products sold, etc. But for managing my own interactions with clients and other areas of work, I'm on the fence about where to put some of it in the PARA method.
I've been watching quite a few productivity videos, and they all touch on the same issue: organizational systems become overly complicated, with note-taking apps turning into task managers. While I don't dismiss this method, as it has its value, I strongly advocate for simplicity.
I'm loving the idea of explaining how the second brain works. It's like finishing a reading and having the visual and auditory explanation of the creator himself. This is fantastic!
The idea of the Hemingway bridge is brilliant.
Another excellent video that completes the important new mechanism of "my NEW brain". For me, it isn't my Second Brain. I'm 83 years old. I've finally found a method enabling me to organize all the various information I've collected in the past 9 years beginning when I retired and realized I wanted to create a website/blog of my own. Now the massive work begins by reviewing all my storage areas (EverNote, Google Drive, and my hard drive) for the information. Thank goodness I started learning this method towards the start of the month. My goal is to review and build my PARA method of all that knowledge by the end of this month. Please wish me luck!!
For anyone using Obsidian and struggling with 6:40 - the project sorting order changing up folder structure -
Title folders you want primary nests as "(0) , (1) , (2) , " for me these are projects, areas, resources, - so my entire notes get organized in this sorting order but i maintain the folder structure, and this madness was enough to take me back to Notion haha!
Could you do a video series using only Microsoft products? Many businesses and educational institutions rely solely on Office 365 for collaboration between departments, so it’s difficult to introduce other applications even if our IT departments would even allow them to be installed.
This is something I hope to do in the future. Every application has its own expertise, which we mostly don't have for MS products. But we may be able to partner with a certified expert to create such content
Yes, please. A lot of videos available online are focussed on content creators who use notion or the likes of it. But almost every big business uses Microsoft and it would be super helpful to get a video series for Microsoft products
@@TiagoForteI am sure you have your own contacts, but I would be so bold as to suggest Mariana Vieira, whose UA-cam videos on MS products are brilliant, imo.
Sorry, wrong name: Leila Gharani. Apologies.
@randydegner4781 I am both a Google workspace user and a Microsoft 365 user as well as our IT company is a reseller for both. This does not make me an expert consultant! But I can say your idea is excellent for both Microsoft and Google ecosystems. I am learning the system a little more on the side and finding that the concept is the 95% if I’m correct. The tools are the 5% but man I sure get excited about the tools! I’m using OneNote for an incredible amount of things and plan on re-organizing it for PARA. However, most of my data is in a Google system, and I also know the power of notion. 😂 I’m on the journey. Maybe we can connect again later.
Andy Park has a series for onenote and Para. I still want to use apple notes, but until I can paste images into iCloud notes, no go.
I learned a lot from this video, specifically the Ernest Hemingway method. I love how he only ends a writing session when he know what comes next in the story. I am going to try to use this when I am creating content. Thank you! 😊
I got Tiago's book, Building a Second Brain, and have been LOVING IT. He writes accessibly and with just enough additional narrative elements to keep you interested. Now I've been following along with some of these videos for more of a visual element while I'm organizing my entire life. Feels so good.
Also, Tiago just looks so passionate and excited by his projects. It's quite cute-and inspiring!
I love it all, but how do you handle single actions/tasks (that have no project), recurring tasks and waiting for?
just like to add at 3:34, Tiago says he can sort of "intuitively" decide which ones will be the focus of his attention this week,
it's by having a
- Goal: The launch of his book building a second brain in Brazil
followed by having a date to decide what comes first
- Date: since that is a trip he is making there in a few weeks
Uso há 6 anos o GTD e estou conhecendo o PARA neste momento. Achei bem interessante a proposta, parabéns Tiago Forte!
Ayahuasca experience, nice! 🙌🏻
This was an incredibly valuable video which will revolutionise the way I've been working on my daily to do's, do next tasks and project tasks. Thanks so much for the work that you do.
Great video! Does anyone know if there's a video where Tiago Forte discusses daily reviews and day planning strategies? I'm really interested in learning more about this topic.
Nice (sky)dive (🪂with a PARAchute 😉) into organizing notes and planning. Thank you! 🙏
What do you do with the tasks that do not belong to any project?
The BASB and PARA are a life saver. Thanks so much!
I started using the PARA method recently, so far really like it. I keep it to two specific formats
1. Todoist as my taskmanager (This is updated as I need to address scope changes)
2. Remarkable Tablet as my notes app (This is where PARA is deployed)
I specifically chose this to do a VERY distraction free system that doesn't involve accidental context switching that an app like Obsidian or Evernote would have on my phone or desktop.
Finally, and this is a question for you. How would you integrate with a system that you don't want to integrate?
For example:
Work uses Jira to track projects and tasks; however, you don't want to integrate Jira as a supplement task manager since it doesn't integrate with Personal Projects. It starts to feel like I'm transcribing content from my personal notes to another platform that's meant for another organizations tracking system.
I view work tasks just as regular tasks from projects. They live beside my "personal" tasks and projects. As they are a part of my life they should also be present in my task manager. Jira is there to communicate with your colleagues. Not for youself. At least thats how i view it
I like this simple approach... Note app and task manager and the calendar for everything else. As a bridge a common organizational structure like PARA
This series of videos is terrific. Can’t wait the Para method book, already pre-ordered it !
Thank you!
Love Hemingway bridge especially when you get interrupted or something comes up that takes you off the project for days.
I'm following closely this method to a last manage to get a stable organization on my side.
I'm now making schematic to sort where to place, what between my google drive/docs, google agenda, Google task as inbox, paper BUJO and Notion.
I will work now to organize my short notes on Notion (bigger and distilled doc on google drive) and tasks on Notion too.
I have the Lean Startup book to finish, and then I will maybe switch to the PARA one.
Regards,
I have been using the PARA method for quite a long time. This Project Video breakdown is super helpful. Thanks a ton, Tiago. Keep doing the Amazing work.
This is awesome and I am definitely going to try it, I do worry with these methods that you spend more time organising and filing and sometimes even making notes you don't need, rather than actually doing the work.
Wow, the PARA productivity system sounds intriguing! Setting priorities for projects is crucial, and it's great that it encourages us to take the time to do so. However, it's also interesting to see that sometimes, after careful planning, we might realize there's not enough to do for a particular project during a given week. This highlights the importance of adaptability and flexibility in productivity systems.
In such situations, it could be an opportunity to reassess our priorities or explore other areas where our efforts might be better utilized. Perhaps it's a chance to dive deeper into a project that wasn't initially on our radar or invest time in personal development. It's all about maximizing productivity by staying proactive and open to new opportunities.
Overall, the PARA productivity system seems to encourage a mindful approach to time management, which is essential for achieving long-term success and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. I'm curious to learn more about the system and how it continues to help individuals optimize their productivity. Thanks for sharing this insightful video!
I am about to go watch the other two videos now because I want to incorporate PARA into my work planning
This is really good stuff, but what about the items that need doing under "Areas"? How do you make sure you incorporate those into your planning?
Simple, but gold.
Thank you for this series and other videos.
Thanks for the helpful video @TiagoForte. Do you use anything automated to sync the tasks from projects, areas, and archives in Evernote to Things 3, or do you manually add/archive them at a certain cadence? You had mentioned you keep them mirrored with the same syntax, casing, emojis, colors, etc. Does it feel burdensome to keep them in sync if you do it manually?
How does this work for managing finances and quick tasks such as get milk from the store or pay light bill?
Everything I do is not really a big project… I’m trying to see how I can manage small random tasks in my to do list (which is Clickup).
Can't wait for the Apple Notes take on BASB!
Waw 🤩 ( THE HEMINGWAY BRIDGE) this is awesome. That Change how we work change mindset and workflow.
Thank you, you tigo
You impressive me all time with new ideas and change my mindset not just idea
I'm deep into this system between the B2B and PARA books and have been super happy with it. One specific question: when it comes to the task management app, it makes sense to have Projects exactly mirror what's in the notes app. But what about small tasks that arise out of Areas (or anything random) that are not large enough for a Project? Do those just go into the task manager's catch-all inbox and get marked as prioritized like Project tasks would, or do you have a recommended method for capturing those?
As an example, I need to get a new suit made. I don't really need notes or resources for that, just the reminder/deadline to go actually do it. It could belong to a "Clothing" (or similar) Area, but it's really just a one-off task for me.
unless clothing is an ongoing area of interest for you that would warrant being made a resource, this task doesn't really need to be assigned to any area or resource. though something like getting a new suit might be a project, given the various steps you'd need to go through to get one made that suits your needs
Kindly do the video on how to use the PARA in iOS reminders
Thanks for diving deep here. I recognised you sort Projects and Areas differently in Things than just some months ago. Projects now seem to be merged with the Areas section. Could you expand on that?
Previously I kept all the projects together at the top of the sidebar, so I could see them all at a glance. A couple years ago when I started hiring people and thus had different areas of the business with different people responsible for them, I moved each project under its respective area so I could reference them when I was meeting with that person or team. A subtle shift you may want to make as your role changes
@TiagoForte thanks for this helpful video. Question: How do you handle small, fast-moving, one-off to-dos in Things?
This video shows a great way of focusing on TOP priorities… but I need task management help for the small items too! Ideally one that doesn’t overly clutter the app’s “Today” section or calendar - I find that looking at a list of unrelated to-dos in the same list as my priority tasks for the week induces context switching and overload. Got a better solution?
I’m currently implementing Second Brain using your Building a Second Brain book and these videos. PARA is helping me solve longstanding organization and productivity problems that dozens of other productivity hacks and systems didn’t touch. THANK YOU!
Wow, a deep dive with real world inspirations. Thank you Tiago
amazing detailed look at your process, and so relieved that I interpreted it well so far 😅 thank you, can’t wait to read the book
Thanks - in my Evernote for posterity. I will try out this, but am using the built in Evernote Tasks. Super video.
Great ideas! What about time management I wonder how do you time manage the different projects from start to finish? I’m sure you have a great system for time management as well.
I've started with your BASB book. After that I tried to go on with as many directions I could from your videos, the people in your videos (I searched their work, too), etc. I do appreciate your work. Most materials in this domain from other authors are just about using GUIs from different applications (From such tutorials I feel like I'm just learning Microsoft Word).
My brain right now is like: ok, I do have the intuition on how things might get organized on how to get into thought flow. But my main anxiety is: how do I translate all my information to a TODO list? How do I translate to a TODO list that I'm not just going to throw out or make me procrastinate?
I saw your 10-15 rule, and a lot of videos, and read your book. Maybe all information combined "gets me there". For me, what it seems missing is a boring long video (I'm not being sarcastic) on how to get from a state in which your notes are perfect and putting them to work. By this I do not mean tools, I mean the philosophy. Not the philosophy to create a new note, but get things done outside of our brain and our second brain into reality.
The general sense I receive from the domain is that every aspect of our lives is a book about to be written and we are writers. The sense given is that we are content creators with enough money to externalize every aspect of our lives, and all that we needed is to organize our thoughts. For example, it's hard for me to see how I get from BASB to having a TODO list that includes physical (physical as in anything outside of our brain and second brain) like "washing the dishes". It's hard for me to conceptualize that this domain is for people that have anything to do except creative work. It's hard for me to conceptualize people working with such systems doing the dishes.
This is the thing I'm searching for in every person that tries to create materials for this domain. How do I get physical? How do I get "washing the dishes" on my TODO list? With steps from A to Z, where A means we already have perfect notes done and organized and we just want to have the TODO list.
I am a programmer, I am teacher for non-profit, etc. But I also have to do the dishes and the first thing that comes to my mind is that I have this nifty organized PARA note taking storage taken over 2 years of work, and as soon as I have to wash the dishes I throw it all in the trash.
Hey, I hope I’m not too late in my response, but you’re running into the same issue that I was running into a few months ago: the distinction from personal knowledge management to task management. The reason that the personal knowledge management space is so popular is because it makes normal people like us feel like working on an app will make us smarter/more “productive” when really it just turns into using apps as sophisticated procrastination tools which feels productive. here’s a summary of my journey into this space: I needed a way to keep track of all of my college assignments so I started putting all of them into Apple Reminders so I wouldn’t forget. That’s all I used for over a year. Then, I got my Kindle in August this year. I stopped using social media during that time too so I just obsessed over reading. I read around 3-5 books within that first month. Then I realized as I got into September that damn: I don’t remember anything I read, and I’m not using any of the stuff in the books for anything. I started researching how to get more work done in a day and along came the holy grail of Getting Things Done by David Allen. That’s the book you really need right now. Read it. A 2nd Brain system is only practical if you read a lot of stuff and you can use some of it for the work you’re doing. You’re a programmer and teacher, so there’s a lot of cool information out there that you can use, but don’t think about it backwards. Figure out your tasks first, and only then is this knowledge useful. Use whatever task manager you have native to your phone, Reminders, Google Tasks, whatever. Use it for a week, and then make sure you schedule at the end of the week the task: Journal on Task System for 20 minutes. Research as little as possible during this starting time. Use your intuition and reflection to figure out what’s wrong with your system and try to fix it. A few weeks later of using the system, order Getting Things Done by David Allen. Read the book, and key note: compare what the book says to what you do now in your journal entries. Try putting some of the book’s ideas in practice. Experiment. The key point is to reflect on the entire process to make sure you always knows what’s working, what’s not working, and the why behind it all. it’ll keep you focused on the actual purpose. And honestly, journal in your notes, it’s the most convenient way. as you start doing more work, you’re going to need to research stuff, but here’s what you do: copy whatever you think is useful into your notes, and add a link at the bottom of the note. if you have anything else to say about it, write it below the link. only when you get 10 - 20+ notes should you start using folders. And only use folders that are practical. That means you have 10 notes that are your journal entries, take them out the basic inbox, create a folder named journal, and put it there. only research when there’s problems you need to solve. after having spent a few months in this space, let me tell you this: this domain will sell you 100s of solutions for problems you don’t even have, so don’t start chasing them expecting things to get better. The simpler, the better, and the more personalized, the more useful. good luck with the journey!
My To-Do list has 'wash the dishes' and it's been like that for some time. I consider my note manager a suplemental thing to the main thing that is the Task manager. I input everything I have to do in the task manager and use the note manager to not lose thoughts and to document things I do so I have some info to look up whenever I have to do that thing again.
Hi Tiago, I tried to do PARA method after watching your set of video. Waht application you use for task manager? It s not Evernote?
Because of Tiago I bought Things3 and recover my Evernote account 😅 , keeping on my BASB journey
Thank you, Tiago! My way of organizing things is to sort everything within the Google ecosystem, specifically in Google Drive, according to the PARA system. Then, in Todoist, I have four main projects divided according to the Eisenhower Matrix. I work on each task and its subtasks based on my priorities.
Why don’t you use just one tool (like Notion) for both tasks and notes? Don't you think that using 2 tools implies additional work that you could avoid?
For example, you have to create a list of projects in 2 apps and keep it updated, or switching between apps and copying links instead of mentioning pages you can easily preview within the same tool, and maybe even sometimes find some broken links if you delete pages or whatever.
I’m curious about your choice!
I'm also curious
I just asked a similar question! Thinking about it, I'd guess it's about avoiding distraction when you're doing one thing vs another. You probably don't want EVERYTHING in one place when you're in 'getting sh*t done' mode -- so you use a dedicated task manager (maybe one that sync's with your daily calendar). When you switch to 'reviewing my projects' mode, you do that in a separate app, where you don't want to be overwhelmed by seeing your entire task list.
I find that having dedicated apps for the main functions of my system works much better. That way each tool is only doing one job, if they don't do it well I can switch to another one, and I can be completely in that headspace while I'm working with a certain kind of information. When everything is in one program, I find that it doesn't do any of the functions very well, and I can't change anything because it's all one big system
Great video! Just in time I'm starting a new job and Im going to start using the para method to organize my work. I'm excited to read your book!
Adorei a nota sobre "Hotmart Academy"! Será que vem curso em português por aí? 🤩
Vamos ver ;)
These days, projects involve different communication channels, mini-projects, mini-tasks, big tasks, group tasks, priorities, etc. Your system is nice and minimalistic for users with very specific projects, not for people that work on many projects, corporations, with different type of clients and people, etc.
Sounds complicated
Super video! What is the tasks App you used in the video?
the separate notes and task management would drive me nuts! thank goodness notion can do it all!
i see where you're coming from but i'd argue as a downside to this is that notion sucks at quickly capturing information.
i.e: slow load times and performance on mobile, no offline access and having to switch to notion to capture your info are all deal breakers for me. This is why i personally use a seperate task list app.
If notion had its own widgets or shortcuts that could let you quickly capture stuff then i'd prolly go with a notion only workflow as well.
Whats your thoughts on capturing information with notion?
Hi there,
In PARA system, how do you recommend including recursive task and expenses?
Thanks in advance
Really looking forward to the Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning trailer!
So good Thiago, tks so much!
Just so very helpful. Thank you so much
Which task manager do you use? I think I missed it somehow? Thanks.
This practice is incredibly useful. I use it every week now and it helps me re-orient as challenges come up.
Awesome video as always, Tiago. And big ups if you make a video summing up your(?) "Ayahuascha experience"! 🤠
Tiago, you’re a beast my man. I was looking for a video on tasks this week. This is a lifesaver.
Same here!
By the way, with Things 3, the Anytime section is perfect to put your tasks of the week and others could be put in the Someday section. So each day, you can poke in the Anytime section for tasks to do today. And each weekly review, you can move out tasks from that section that are irrelevant and move from Someday section to Anytime the ones that should be done this week. So no need to have a Today tag like I see.
How do you prevent urgent captures from slipping through the cracks if theres no daily review of your inbox?
For example what if a new task came up that you need to get done tomorrow so you quickly jot it down in your inbox. theres no daily review involved so by the time you do the weekly review you will have missed the important task..
First, I do a lot to try and eliminate such tasks in the first place. Receiving requests from people that I have to change what I'm doing and act on within 24 hours (or really 48 hours) isn't compatible with the life I want to lead. So I purposefully push back on such demands, ignore them outright, set expectations at the start of collaborations that I don't respond quickly, etc. While at the same time, shifting people and projects that I know I WILL have to respond quickly to to Google Chat, which I prioritize more highly than email. Email is mostly for external communication, which is inherently less important
summary
00:00 Using the list of projects in the paragraph
• In this video, the author talks about how he uses the list of projects in the paragraph to increase productivity at three different points in his life: at the beginning of the week, during the week and at the end of the week.
• He explains that the project list should be almost like a mirror so that he can easily switch between different programs.
• At the beginning of the week, the author looks through the list of projects and highlights those that he can move forward.
• It also sorts the list by creation date in reverse chronological order to see the most recent materials related to projects.
09:26 Using the project list for adaptation
• The author explains that the project list is not just a planning tool, but an adaptation tool that helps him perceive new information and changes.
He also talks about how the list of projects helps him turn around on his heels and go in a completely different direction if necessary.
10:20 Using the Project List
• Create a list of projects to keep track of ideas and examples related to TV shows.
• Add new ideas and examples to the list as they become available.
12:55 Using checklists
• Create checklists for completing projects and archiving.
• Using the Hemingway Bridge technique to capture ideas and inspire future actions.
14:11 Using the Hemingway Bridge
• Create notes in the project folder to capture ideas and inspiration.
• Using markers to indicate the date and status of the project.
what is the task management software being used here?
It's Things ☺️
@TiagoForte I am very curious to know about your website browsing habits and if you have multiple tabs constantly open or use various extensions such as session managers/tab managers, and so-on. Hearing your thoughts on how a creative person can get rid of clutter, aka. having tons (10s.. 100s..) of tabs open, or note-papers all over your desk would be great. I tried a few times to digitalize everything, take useful notes in a centralized application to help organize and close tabs, etc., however in the end I feel like a lot of the time I just wind up with tons of notes which never get looked at again and just become a waste of time to even take down. I guess I need some sort of system for going back and re-reviewing notes while also pruning ones which seem to be more useless than others?
Tiago, I want to jump into Para, but as a Sales and Business Development Manager, not sure how I can apply. Have you created a video for the Sales person to track notes on a call or in person meeting, including planning travel(project), etc? We also use Salesforce for notes and activities tied to the customer. I want to take all notes in OneNote using your para method and then copy important customer related notes to Salesforce.
Hi, what task manager are you using? Great video... Thanks!
I have a doubt. I'm organizing my second brain in notion, using the PARA Method, but I have a difficult time with this issue: if I'm taking a course, like Udemy about React.JS, should it be a project (because I'm planning to finish it on a X time)? or should it be an area because it's related to my personal development and i need the things i learn to be there for me to work with react everyday from now on?
I am using the PARA method for my projects, but many times I think it's better to put the resources folder inside the projets folder... What do you think?
This may depend on why exactly you want to put the resources folder inside the project folder. What is your reasoning here? What issue do you observe when not putting the resource folder inside the projects folder?
Also, what is your current understanding of the difference between projects and resources, and between the projects folder and the resources folder? I think I can give a better response if I know what your knowledge and understanding of this currently is.
In the BASB method (which the PARA method is a part of), if a note (or other type of resource) within the resources folder is relevant to a project folder, you move (not copy) the note to the projects folder. If there's a sub-folder in the resources folder where you think all its content is relevant to the current project, it would make sense to move that entire sub-folder from the resources folder to the project folder.
All of this also applies to when you first capture a note or other resource. If it's relevant to a current project, you put it in that project folder, even if it could go somewhere in your resources folder.
When that project is finished or otherwise becomes irrelevant, you might move that note back to the resources folder, to another project, or perhaps even to the archive. You might leave the note in the finished project and just move that project into the resources folder, or archive it if it and all remaining content within it has become truly irrelevant.
**Overall, remember this distinction: The projects folder is for notes and other types of resources that you are currently using. The resources folder is for notes and other types of resources that you are not currently using. If a note or other type of resource could go in either the resources folder or a project, you decide where it goes based on whether or not it is actionable.**
Are you currently using it, referencing it, or expect it may be relevant? Put it in its related project.
Is it related to something that you're currently interested in, but not explicitly working on right now? Put it in its related area.
Is it something that you're not necessarily interested in right now, but that could be relevant to a future endeavor? Or is it just a collection of information that could be useful at some point? Put it in the resources folder.
If you follow this method/framework and simply need a better way to organize the resources that have made it into your specific project within your project folder, Then it's perfectly fine to create a mini resources folder for that specific project while you're working on it.
You may find it helpful to look for specific videos on the channel that distinguish between projects and resources. I personally read the book and found it REALLY helped me with this. Here are a couple of short quotes I pulled that may help you:
"...it organizes information based on how actionable it is, not what kind of information it is. The project becomes the main unit if organization for your digital files. Instead of having to sort your notes according to a complex hierarchy of topics and subtopics, you have to answer only one simple question: 'In which project will this be most useful? It assumes only that you are currently working on a certain set of projects, and that your information you should be organized to support them." (Building a Second Brain, pg. 87)
"Any piece of information (whether a text document, and image, a note, or an entire folder) can and should flow between categories. You might save a note on coaching techniques to a project folder called "Coaching class," for a class you're taking. Later, when you become a manager at work and need to coach your direct reports, you might move that note to an area folder called "Direct reports." At some point you might leave that company, but still remain interested in coaching, and move the note to resources. One day you might lose interest in the subject altogether and move it to the archives. In the future, that note could find its way all the way back to the projects when you decide to start a side gig as a business coach, making that knowledge actionable once again." (Building a Second Brain, pg. 105)
You may also find it helpful to form a better understanding of how areas fit in to this.
I have had the same question as you. Sometimes I still struggle with this, and the information I've provided here is what I've generally found the most helpful.
(edited for typos)
Thanks so much for this series of videos Tiago 🙏 I always started, but failed to finish, putting in place systems for keeping up with projects. I'm now reading "Getting Things Done" and it made me realise I didn't have ONE system that I always go back to. Stuff was everywhere! I remembered the PARA framework (which I'd started to implement, but then failed to finish properly) and re-found your channel. These latest videos are really helping me put the things in place that I'll be able to refer to consistently. Looking forward to hearing more about how you use Apple Notes in your next video.
...
If possible, I'd love to hear any thoughts on using Notion within the PARA framework. I'm building my lists of projects/areas/resources in Notion, but maybe should keep notes & tasks outside of Notion in dedicated apps (Apple Notes + Things) so using those apps keeps me focussed on that aspect of each project? (I'm starting to think it'll be overwhelming to use Notion for everything?)
I personally find it very helpful to have separate, dedicated places for the main kinds of info I need to manage my life: a calendar app for time-based stuff, a task manager for to-dos, and a notes app for notes. That way I know there is one system doing one job, and they don't interfere with each other. And if one goes down, stops working, or is cumbersome, that doesn't affect the others. But I also know people who LOVE having everything in one software program, so you do you!
Summary:
1-Introduction to the PARA Method: The video discusses the PARA method, a framework developed by the speaker to accomplish important weekly tasks. The PARA method involves organizing tasks into four categories: projects, areas, resources, and archives.
2-Overview of Previous Videos: The speaker refers to the previous two videos in the series where the four parts of PARA were introduced. The last video focused on creating a project list, emphasizing the importance of avoiding unclear or demotivating projects.
3-Start of the Week Workflow: The video explains the speaker's weekly review process. Instead of relying solely on calendars or to-do lists, the speaker checks the project list within the PARA system. The goal is to identify the most important projects for the week and highlight them to guide productivity.
4- Project Focus and Prioritization: The speaker emphasizes the importance of maintaining the same project list across different platforms. By consistently using the same titles, spelling, and even emojis, the speaker can seamlessly switch between tools. This aids in deciding the three central priorities for the week, allowing focused attention on specific projects.
4- Daily Task Management with PARA: The video demonstrates how the project list assists in daily task management. Tasks from different projects are marked for the day, creating a compact, synchronized list across devices. This daily list represents the culmination of a systematic review of the speaker's life and business, providing a focused roadmap for the day.
I recommend startiting the Project name with an Emoji
Hmm…have you thought about using tasks in Evernote instead of Things?
Brazil...interesting.😁 muito bom.👍
Hi Tiago, I'm sure you've been asked this many times, but I'm wondering why you chose to build your second brain in Evernote. I suppose one of the main reasons could be that you've been using it for a long time, but is there anything special about Evernote for you?
Love your video's and how ecerything from theory and your books comes to live. One question: is there a particular reaaon why you don't immediately act upon something that will only take you 5 min, during the week (with planning the week I understand)
If I immediately acted on everything that "only" took 5 minutes, I would spend my whole day reacting to incoming bits of information without considering what MY goals and priorities are. That would involve a lot of context switching, which is really hard for the mind to do. Also, many small tasks aren't worth doing at all because they're small, and thus don't matter! You have to be mindful and strategic even with the small things if you want the space to tackle big things
@@TiagoForte great advice, thanks!
Tiago, great video as always. Just curious why you don't use the Evernote Task Manager and rely on a third party app - or in my view, another moving part in the system?
In my view, the distinction between actionable and reference info is so crucial, I want them in completely separate apps. I never want the specific actions I need to take soon to be buried amidst a sea of notes
@@TiagoForte Thanks for the reply. Makes perfect sense. I will reconsider it, however so far EN Task Manager seems to work for me especially as I tend to like all-in-one apps!
Anyone familiar with the OKR construct have any insight into how we’d integrate with the PARA methodology?
I love this video, what do you do for daily planning?
When should I use projects and when do I need to use areas.
Honestly I’m using projects just because areas has no headlines, hence the view in todays views won’t be split and organised. As well as the area itself won’t be organised.
I have things such as lets say:
Work routines that are repeated always. should this be an area or a project. currently it's a project that is under Area "Work"
Lets say also my investments with reminders of due dates and end of contracts are under project "Investments" under area personal. should it have it's own area better?
Any advice for people that have different tools for work and home? Essentially it's not practical to have work projects held outside of the work environment but likewise you can't do your home projects using a work laptop. Is it as simple as having a work PARA and a Home PARA?
Hello everyone ! What are your thoughts on having two systems, one for my personal things and one for my corporate job? Basically as my job gives me the tools I don’t want to enter my personal information or ideas, but also I don’t want to fill my personal tools with work things.
What do you think ? How do you achieve balance ?
Thanks
@TiagoForte, why is the part you do at the beginning of the week not part of the weekly review? Do you do this "weekly project review" before or after the weekly review? Thanks!
For one with a digital agency whereby they have 10-20 clients, do you suggest each client being their own Project? Thank you. 👍
Ja veio para o Brasil ? O livro vai ser lançado quando ? Parabéns pelo conteúdo 🇧🇷
Splitting between a task manager and a notes app creates intertia. Can you explain why you won't use the notes functions to create a tasklist?
Oi Tiago, sei que a pergunta está fora do contexto do vídeo, mais, tem como me indicar uma metodologia para aprender inglês
So... Is your Things app ONLY for Projects? Or does it include EVERYTHING from Area, Resources, and Archives, as well? Thanks!
The task manager only encompasses Projects, Areas, and Archives, since only those contain tasks. Resources are better kept in a notes app
Why did you include Things in the workflow when you just link notes to the tasks? You can create a task right above your notes in Evernote and have it all neatly in one place without switching between apps?
What is the task manager app shown in the video?
What task manager is being used by Tiago?
qual task manager e outros apps voce usa para os projetos ? Achei que fosse tudo dentro do notion. Ou não usa mais o notion ? Parece ser o Evernote. Mas depois isso migra para o notion? ou usa o notion para outra coisa ? não seria interessante ter tudo no notion ? Não entendi essa parte. Poderia explicar melhor ?
Are the Evernote Tasks not good enough? Should I get the THINGS app?
Why can’t we use Evernote only for task management. What difficulties u find using the same for task management in Evernote?
How do you handle routines in PARA?
What task manager app do you use?
Hey Tiago, Is there a way to automatically synchronize your projects on both your notes app and Task Manager app? If this is possible it will serve as a relief so you don't enter the same project in different apps.
@TiagoForte - I can see your Things projects are not the same as in Evernote. What's the concept and why?
Why don’t you use the apple notes attach file feature instead of the actual files application?
What is the difference between the Notes and the Task Manager? What application is the task manager?
What’s the name of the task manager app?
Seems like I could use any other notes app?
Thank you