How I Organise All My Files with PARA
Introduction
I used to organise things based on what they were about, with files spread across different drives and folders all over the place.
PARA, which stands for Projects, Areas, Resources and Archives, takes a different approach: organise things based on what you're currently doing with them.
It's amazing!
I use this structure in my OneDrive for both personal and work-related information. My folders include things like my cookbook, career, game development and finances.
I also use PARA in my personal Confluence space for work. This includes things like timesheets, research, tasks I need to do, organising work trips such as Develop, expenses and meeting logs.
The useful part of PARA isn't really the four folder names. It's that things can move between them.
An idea might start as a Resource. Once I decide to actually do something with it, it can become a Project. When that project is finished, it moves to the Archive. Though I mainly like it because I always have a place to chuck things and information in; not because I have lots of information to store.
It also makes it easier to find things without having to remember exactly where you put them. If I've forgotten where something is, I can usually work out where it should be by asking what I'm currently doing with it.
Explanation
Projects
Things you're actively working on that have a defined outcome.
Examples:
Personal website
Game Project
Write an Unreal Engine article
Apply for a funding opportunity
The important distinction is that projects end.
Areas
Things you are responsible for maintaining, but which don't really have an end date.
Examples:
Career
Personal website
Finances
Game Studio
Learning Unreal Engine
A useful test is: "Would I consider this finished?" If yes, it's probably a Project. If not, it might be an Area.
Resources
Things you're interested in or might find useful, but aren't currently working on.
Examples:
Unreal Engine tutorials
Game design references
Interesting programming techniques
GDC notes
Articles and books
Useful tools
Archive
Things that are no longer active but you don't want to delete.
Examples:
Completed projects
Old areas of responsibility
Resources you're no longer interested in
Abandoned ideas
The important bit is that Archive isn't really a category of information. It's a holding place for things that have become inactive.
There's been lots of times where i needed to look back through things.
Further Reading / Watch
I've not read it, but you can read the book The PARA Method by Tiago Forte.
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