PARA Method

Use this skill to help users organize and maintain a second brain using the PARA system (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives).

Routing

Pick the entry point based on user intent:

• Classification and "where does this go?" questions: read references/decision-trees.md
• Example requests and edge-case comparisons: read references/examples.md
• Operational process requests (inbox, review, setup, close-out, archive): read references/workflows.md
• Troubleshooting pain points and validation guidance: read references/common-problems.md

If the request is broad or does not clearly match one route, default to references/decision-trees.md.

Output Convention

• Classification guidance and Q&A: answer in chat
• Validation workflows: run scripts/validate.sh and write report output to PARA-validation-YYYY-MM-DD.md in the current working directory
• Installation location: out of scope for this skill; installation is handled by separate tooling

Terminology

• Use "second brain" for the user's vault/folder structure
• Use "PARA system" only for the method/framework

Validation Workflow

When the user asks to validate structure or project health:

1. Read references/common-problems.md for interpretation guidance.
2. Run scripts/validate.sh <path> (or omit path to use current directory).
3. Save report output to PARA-validation-YYYY-MM-DD.md if user wants a file.
4. Summarize critical findings and recommended next actions.