PARA System
People organising a second brain
Second-brain builders: projects, areas, resources and archive, with an inbox.
Use this templatePARA System
Everything lives in one of four places: Projects with a finish line, Areas you maintain, Resources for reference, and the Archive. Capture into the inbox, file once a week.
Projects
| Project | Status | Area | Deadline | Effort | Archived |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back up and sort ten years of photos | In progress | Home | Oct 16, 2026 | No | |
| Train for the neighbourhood 5k | In progress | Health | Oct 19, 2026 | No | |
| Rebuild my portfolio site | In progress | Design craft | Oct 23, 2026 | No | |
| Prepare the annual tax return | In progress | Personal finances | Nov 13, 2026 | No | |
| Renew the apartment lease | Waiting | Home | Nov 3, 2026 | No | |
| Book the vehicle service | Not started | Vehicle | Nov 23, 2026 | No | |
| Plan a weekend with Ravi and Tess | Not started | Friendships | Dec 8, 2026 | No | |
| Replace the broken fridge shelf | Done | Home | Oct 7, 2026 | Yes |
Areas
| Area | Standard to keep | Review cadence | State | Last reviewed | Importance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal finances | Pay every bill on time and save 15% of income | Oct 16, 2026 | |||
| Health | Sleep seven hours, move daily, annual checkups | Oct 11, 2026 | |||
| Design craft | Ship one portfolio-worthy piece a quarter | Oct 6, 2026 | |||
| Home | Rent paid, repairs logged, space tidy | Oct 1, 2026 | |||
| Friendships | See each close friend at least monthly | Sep 26, 2026 | |||
| Vehicle | Insurance, service and registration current | Sep 21, 2026 |
Resources
| Resource | Topic | Link | Kind | Usefulness (1-5) | Saved | Open link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo management tips | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r1 | 4 | Oct 8, 2026 | — | ||
| Tax deduction checklist | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r2 | 5 | Sep 27, 2026 | — | ||
| Portfolio inspiration board | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r3 | 3 | Sep 16, 2026 | — | ||
| Beginner 5k plan | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r4 | 4 | Sep 5, 2026 | — | ||
| Tenant rights summary | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r5 | 5 | Aug 25, 2026 | — | ||
| Recipes for busy weeknights | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r6 | 3 | Aug 14, 2026 | — | ||
| Typography references | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r7 | 4 | Aug 3, 2026 | — | ||
| Budget app comparison | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r8 | 2 | Jul 23, 2026 | — |
Archive
| Project | Status | Area | Deadline | Effort | Archived |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back up and sort ten years of photos | In progress | Home | Oct 16, 2026 | No | |
| Train for the neighbourhood 5k | In progress | Health | Oct 19, 2026 | No | |
| Rebuild my portfolio site | In progress | Design craft | Oct 23, 2026 | No | |
| Prepare the annual tax return | In progress | Personal finances | Nov 13, 2026 | No | |
| Renew the apartment lease | Waiting | Home | Nov 3, 2026 | No | |
| Book the vehicle service | Not started | Vehicle | Nov 23, 2026 | No | |
| Plan a weekend with Ravi and Tess | Not started | Friendships | Dec 8, 2026 | No | |
| Replace the broken fridge shelf | Done | Home | Oct 7, 2026 | Yes |
Inbox
| Note | Project | Stage | Gist | Captured | Kind | Captured at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo folders audit | Back up and sort ten years of photos | Three duplicate years found on the old drive | Oct 18, 2026 | — | ||
| 5k week-one schedule | Train for the neighbourhood 5k | Run Monday, Wednesday, Saturday | Oct 16, 2026 | — | ||
| Portfolio page structure | Rebuild my portfolio site | Home, three case studies, about | Oct 14, 2026 | — | ||
| Receipts to collect | Prepare the annual tax return | Medical, donations, home office | Oct 12, 2026 | — | ||
| Questions for the landlord | Renew the apartment lease | Rent increase cap and repair timeline | Oct 10, 2026 | — | ||
| Weekend ideas | Plan a weekend with Ravi and Tess | Coast cabin or city break | Oct 8, 2026 | — | ||
| Idea: monthly dinner club | — | Rotate hosts | Oct 6, 2026 | — | ||
| Book recommendations from Tess | — | Two novels and a memoir | Oct 4, 2026 | — |
Project board
| Project | Status | Area | Deadline | Effort | Archived |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back up and sort ten years of photos | In progress | Home | Oct 16, 2026 | No | |
| Train for the neighbourhood 5k | In progress | Health | Oct 19, 2026 | No | |
| Rebuild my portfolio site | In progress | Design craft | Oct 23, 2026 | No | |
| Prepare the annual tax return | In progress | Personal finances | Nov 13, 2026 | No | |
| Renew the apartment lease | Waiting | Home | Nov 3, 2026 | No | |
| Book the vehicle service | Not started | Vehicle | Nov 23, 2026 | No | |
| Plan a weekend with Ravi and Tess | Not started | Friendships | Dec 8, 2026 | No | |
| Replace the broken fridge shelf | Done | Home | Oct 7, 2026 | Yes |
Resource library
| Resource | Topic | Link | Kind | Usefulness (1-5) | Saved | Open link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photo management tips | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r1 | 4 | Oct 8, 2026 | — | ||
| Tax deduction checklist | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r2 | 5 | Sep 27, 2026 | — | ||
| Portfolio inspiration board | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r3 | 3 | Sep 16, 2026 | — | ||
| Beginner 5k plan | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r4 | 4 | Sep 5, 2026 | — | ||
| Tenant rights summary | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r5 | 5 | Aug 25, 2026 | — | ||
| Recipes for busy weeknights | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r6 | 3 | Aug 14, 2026 | — | ||
| Typography references | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r7 | 4 | Aug 3, 2026 | — | ||
| Budget app comparison | https://reference.lifeledger.net/r8 | 2 | Jul 23, 2026 | — |
Weekly review
Filing rules
Move things to where they belong, then stop.
Empty the inbox into projects, resources or the trash
Check each active project has a next step
Review one area's standard
Archive finished projects
Pick the three projects that get focus
| Project | Status | Area | Deadline | Effort | Archived |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back up and sort ten years of photos | In progress | Home | Oct 16, 2026 | No | |
| Train for the neighbourhood 5k | In progress | Health | Oct 19, 2026 | No | |
| Rebuild my portfolio site | In progress | Design craft | Oct 23, 2026 | No |
Check the Review column
Areas marked Due on the Areas table have gone longer than their cadence without a look. Open each, read the standard, and set the last-reviewed date to today.
Quick review order
Inbox first: empty it or file it.
Projects: each has a next action and a date.
Areas: any marked Due get a look this week.
Resources: delete or file anything you saved but never opened.
When unsure where something goes, ask the questions in order.
Files move to the most actionable place; you can always move them out.
Four questions to place anything
Does it help finish something with an end date? File it under that project.
Does it support a responsibility with no end date (health, money, home)? File it under that area.
Is it a topic of general interest? Put it in resources.
Is it finished or stale? Move it to the archive.
Examples
When in doubt put it in the more actionable place; you can always move it later.
What's inside
4 tables · 14 views · 1 form · 1 agent3 pages
- PARA System
- Weekly review
- Filing rules
4 tables
- Areas3 views · 6 sample rows
- Projects5 views · 8 sample rows
- Resources2 views · 8 sample rows
- Notes4 views · 10 sample rows
Related workspaces
Daily JournalJournalers: one page a day with mood, energy and gratitude, plus mood charts.
Habit TrackerAnyone building routines: check habits off daily and watch streaks and monthly progress.
Home InventoryHomeowners and renters: list what you own by room, with values and warranty dates.
Job Application TrackerJob seekers: track every application, contact and interview in one pipeline.
Life OSAnyone: tasks, projects, notes and goals in one home, with a daily view.
Meal PlannerHome cooks and families: plan the week's meals from your recipes, with a shopping list.