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The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

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Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#11

Post by Ambolia »

I've never been convinced by very structured digital information systems. I usually have reference documents for projects, but they end up looking very different for each project. Lists of TODOs, a directory with images and documents, random ideas an small notes, more structured text, source code, source code with data, a notebook with random notes and thought ...

For task and calendar management GTD has everything I need, and try to keep the system as simple as possible, usually in paper and just moving a few things to digital if it really adds value. Then the project reference material itself can be more messy and be used to generate new next actions and other GTD items, as long as GTD itself is kept tidy the chaos in the reference material doesn't have much impact in the general planning.

Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#12

Post by jonathanstrange »

Maybe this system works in a business environment where everything can be measured in terms of effectiveness such as achievements over time, but it doesn't work for me. It insists that projects need to have a fixed deadline. This is not true for creative professionals like me. If I'm writing a book, article, or a long-term software project setting a fixed deadline would be highly counter-productive. Some things are only finished when they are finished. Of course, this requires a certain amount of self-discipline, but that's something that no artificial deadline can give you anyway. Areas of responsibility are too unspecific to replace projects without a fixed deadline. Other activities could have a fixed deadline but shouldn't. To these belong small tasks that are part of a project that can be done whenever one feels in best shape doing it.

GTD recommends to set as few deadlines and calendar dates as possible, and I still think that's the right way to go. If you can, you should work items on your todo list in the order that best suits the context and current abilities.

Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#13

Post by throwmeariver1 »

polote wrote: post #8

When an article starts by saying that it has found the "perfect way" to do something, the article is usually disappointing. First personal knowledge management is not a new field, it was just called "note taking" before. Second the place where you really need to manage knowledge is at your job. Using a system that requires discipline at work is usually a bad idea as most people are not disciplined. Also at work infor…

Stop being so pernickety of course it's meant subjective and not for everyone. There just isn't a system for everyone.

Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#15

Post by bnj »

throwmeariver1 wrote: post #13
polote wrote: post #8

When an article starts by saying that it has found the "perfect way" to do something, the article is usually disappointing. First personal knowledge management is not a new field, it was just called "note taking" before. Second the place where you really need to manage knowledge is at your job. Using a system that requires discipline at work is usually a bad idea as most people are not disciplined. Also at work infor…

Stop being so pernickety of course it's meant subjective and not for everyone. There just isn't a system for everyone.

Honestly it doesn’t seem pernickety to evaluate the article on its claims. The system is presented as “universal”, and the opening sentence asks us to enumerate the qualities of a perfect system that would work for everyone.

Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#16

Post by account-5 »

koonsolo wrote: post #6

I find it strange that projects have their own directory, and are not a subcategory of 'areas of responsibility'.

I was thinking this too. What's the point in areas if the projects aren't in them. Maybe I need to reread or read on.

Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#17

Post by joekrill »

jonathanstrange wrote: post #12

Maybe this system works in a business environment where everything can be measured in terms of effectiveness such as achievements over time, but it doesn't work for me. It insists that projects need to have a fixed deadline. This is not true for creative professionals like me. If I'm writing a book, article, or a long-term software project setting a fixed deadline would be highly counter-productive. Some things are o…

I don't see anywhere that the author is suggesting that deadline must be explicitly defined up-front, or even be fixed. If you're writing something, it _will_ be done at some point (or is expected to be).

Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#19

Post by lmpdev »

throwmeariver1 wrote: post #13
polote wrote: post #8

When an article starts by saying that it has found the "perfect way" to do something, the article is usually disappointing. First personal knowledge management is not a new field, it was just called "note taking" before. Second the place where you really need to manage knowledge is at your job. Using a system that requires discipline at work is usually a bad idea as most people are not disciplined. Also at work infor…

Stop being so pernickety of course it's meant subjective and not for everyone. There just isn't a system for everyone.

I'd argue it's not pernickety to highlight the underhandedness of branding something as a "universal system" if that system applies to an indeterminable but likely small percentage of readers.

Re: The PARA Method: A Universal System for Organizing Digital Information

#20

Post by replygirl »

yawnxyz wrote: post #5

I kind of expected all kinds of digital information... not just "todo" lists and projects for your life... where does knowledge/ideas/CRM/"artifacts"/bookmarks/emails+communications and all sorts of other digital information go?

those are mostly resources

for crm, bookmarks, and comms, i imagine you'd present the inboxes as projects, with a task or project associated with each resource

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