It was always on my list of goals to get organized, but it felt like I was trying to get to the end of the rainbow. No matter how fast or far I went on my quest, the illusive treasure always slipped through my fingers.
Although my level of commitment was high, and there was an almost constant revamping of my organizational resources, they inevitably stopped working.
Until recently, I would come across an old system and find resources long forgotten. Regret would rise to the top as I thought, “I could have used this last month.”
Just six months ago, you would find various systems for managing information and my life.
It ranged from using my phones notes, memos, categorized paper notebooks, my journal, Trello, to stacks of recipes haphazardly stuffed into the side of my coffee cupboard.
And to be honest, I’m still working on dismantling that last one.
Needless to say, my information and project management system needed to hire a new manager.
This is when I stumbled across a video by Thomas Frank about using a second brain and it led me down a rabbit hole.
I wanted to be the first in line to receive a second brain. Frank referenced Tiago Forte’s system featured in his book Building a Second Brain.
Forte’s system is centered around actionability.
This means when you build your second brain you want to organize ideas, not by topic, source, or date, but by actionability.
This way, your information will be where you need it, when you need it.
Forte breaks his system down into four distinct actionability sections referred to as PARA. Here they are:
Projects are any tasks you’re working on that have a clear end.
In the projects section you can keep a notebook or file for each project and store related resources for when you need them.
These projects are well-defined, like 2024 taxes, a brochure redesign, or an annual client appreciation party.
With regards to your projects you have a good idea of the final outcome and maybe even when it will be finished.
Whenever you work on a project, review your notes and resources to spark thoughts, ideas, and actions. This helps you quickly get back into the project.
To create projects, ask yourself:
This section for items you are actively trying to improve or maintain.
This section may contain such titles as Home Improvements, Investing, (the name of your business):Marketing, or Fitness.
These are things in which you are trying to learn new skills or level up.
The items in this section are typically long-term and open-ended (ex. running a successful business) while projects are short term and finite (launch a newsletter).
To create the “areas of improvement” section of your second brain ask yourself this:
The resources section is the holding tank for resources, ideas, facts, and inspiration. It is a personal library for references. It is also a useful tool for keeping future inspiration for projects.
If a project is like making a cup of coffee with a clear recipe and a set time for drinking, and an area of improvement is like aging a fine wine that takes an uncertain amount of time to develop, then a resource is like a pantry ingredient you can use in different recipes to create your next concoction.
The resource section may be a place to store recipes for your future goal of going gluten free or a place to store workout videos for your future plan to get a six pack.
It’s a collection of templates, lists, procedures, and How-tos for future projects.
Your archive section is a reference section that doesn’t need attention often.
It is like your holiday storage in the basement that only comes out once in a while. It is ideas and resources that you want to keep, but don’t want to look at.
It is a dumping ground that allows you to keep your systems clean, but if you ever need those things, they are there.
You may be thinking the PARA system all sounds complicated, but it actually isn’t.
Notion, an online information management platform makes it easy. It’s FREE to use for personal use and can be utilized by computer or smart phone.
With Notion, you can build systems the way you want or buy templates that fit your needs.
Not only are there many free templates available, and the ones for purchase are often reasonably priced.
While PARA can be used with any information management system, I’m currently using Notion.
By adopting a system like PARA, you can achieve a level of organization that propels you forward.
It simplifies managing tasks, goals, and resources, helping you to focus on what truly matters.
Take the first step towards organizing your life and see how it transforms your productivity and peace of mind.
If you’re curious about how PSYCH-K®️ can help you make the shift to using a process like this easily, feel free to explore more on my website or contact me directly.
Take care,
Jennifer
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Michigan Life Coaching, Personal Growth, and PSYCH-K®️. Taking your life to the next level and creating the abundance you deserve.
