Inactive items from other categories that may have future value
Core Idea: In the PARA system, archives contain inactive items from projects, areas, and resources that are no longer relevant but might have future value.
Key Elements
Defining Characteristics
- Inactive status: No longer in active use
- Historical value: Worth preserving for future reference
- Completion or obsolescence: Projects completed, areas no longer relevant
- Low retrieval frequency: Rarely needed but valuable when required
- Reduced visibility: Kept out of daily workflow to reduce distraction
Archive Criteria Questions
- Has this project been completed or abandoned?
- Is this area no longer your responsibility?
- Is this resource no longer relevant to your current interests?
- Have you not accessed this information in the past 3-6 months?
- Would keeping this visible create unnecessary distraction?
Examples
Archived Projects
- Completed product launches
- Finished research papers
- Past marketing campaigns
- Previous home renovations
- Completed courses
Archived Areas
- Previous job responsibilities
- Former residences
- Past volunteer roles
- Previous business ventures
- Completed educational programs
Archived Resources
- Topics related to past interests
- Outdated reference materials
- Research for completed projects
- Obsolete technical documentation
- Historical versions of documents
Archive Management
- Use consistent naming conventions
- Include completion dates or status information
- Maintain searchability despite reduced visibility
- Periodically review for items to permanently delete
- Create clear archive and retrieval processes
Applications
- Digital decluttering
- Information lifecycle management
- Cognitive load reduction
- Legacy knowledge preservation
- Historical reference
Additional Connections
- Broader Context: PARA Method (organizational system containing archives)
- Applications: Project Checklists (procedures for properly archiving projects)
- See Also: Discoverability (maintaining findability of archived information)
References
- Forte, Tiago. "Building a Second Brain"
#organization #knowledge-management #digital-decluttering #information-lifecycle
Connections:
Sources:
- From: PARA Method