para

Files (10)

• SKILL.md
• archive.md · references/
• categorize.md · references/
• common-mistakes.md · references/
• complementary-skills.md · references/
• create.md · references/
• decision-tree.md · references/
• para-method.md · references/
• review.md · references/
• para · scripts/

SKILL.md (first lines)

<essential_principles>

## PARA: Organize by Actionability, Not Topic

PARA organizes information by **when you'll need it**:

| Category | Definition | Key Signal |
|----------|------------|------------|
| **Projects** | Active work with deadlines | "Complete", "deliver", "launch" |
| **Areas** | Ongoing responsibilities, no end date | "Maintain", "manage", "track" |
| **Resources** | Reference material for future use | "Interesting", "might need" |
| **Archive** | Inactive items from above categories | "Done", "paused", "no longer relevant" |

**Example:** A Kubernetes article goes in Projects if deploying now, Areas if maintaining systems, Resources if just learning.

## Folder Structure

```
1_Projects/           # Active work with deadlines
├── _INDEX.md         # Project overview
└── [Project-Name]/   # One folder per project

2_Areas/              # Ongoing responsibilities
├── _INDEX.md         # Area overview
└── [area-name].md    # One file per area (or folder if complex)

3_Resources/          # Reference material
├── _INDEX.md         # Resource overview
└── [topic]/          # Topic-based resources

4_Archive/            # Inactive items
├── _INDEX.md         # Archive overview
└── [archived items]  # Completed/inactive content
```

</essential_principles>

<initialization_check>

**IMPORTANT: Before showing the intake menu, run this check.**

The `para` script is at `scripts/para` **relative to this SKILL.md file** (not the working directory).
Derive the absolute script path from this file's location:

- If this SKILL.md is at `/path/to/para/SKILL.md`
- Then the CLI is at `/path/to/para/scripts/para`

```bash
scripts/para status 2>/dev/null
```

If it exits non-zero or shows "Error: PARA root not configured", the user needs to initialize PARA first.

**Do NOT proceed to intake.** Instead:

1. Use `AskUserQuestion` to ask: "Where would you like to store your PARA files?"
   - Offer sensible options like `~/Notes`, `~/Documents/PARA`, or let them specify a custom path
   - Ask if this should be the default for all projects or just this repo
2. After getting the path, run:

   ```bash
   # Initialize PARA structure
   scripts/para init --path <user-specified-path>

   # Then save config (choose one):
   # For this repo only:
   scripts/para config --set-repo . <user-specified-path>
   # Or as global default:
   scripts/para config --set-root <user-specified-path>
   ```

3. Then proceed to the intake menu.

</initialization_check>

<intake>
What would you like to do?

1. **Categorize** - Help deciding where something belongs
2. **Review** - Audit PARA structure for stale items
3. **Create** - Set up new project/area/resource folder
4. **Archive** - Move completed items to archive

**Wait for response before proceeding.**
</intake>

<routing>

| Response | Workflow |
|----------|----------|
| 1, "categorize", "where", "which category", "decide" | `references/categorize.md` |
| 2, "review", "audit", "stale", "cleanup" | `references/review.md` |
| 3, "create", "new", "add", "setup" | `references/create.md` |
| 4, "archive", "done", "complete", "move" | `references/archive.md` |
| Other | Clarify intent, then select appropriate workflow |

**After reading the workflow, follow it exactly.**
</routing>

<quick_reference>

## CLI Commands

```bash
PARA="scripts/para"

# Show PARA structure status
$PARA status

# Show/manage configuration
$PARA config

# Configuration options:
$PARA config --set-root ~/Notes           # Set global default
$PARA config --set-repo . ~/Notes/work    # Map current repo → PARA location
$PARA config --unset-repo .               # Remove repo mapping

# Create new project folder
$PARA project create "Project-Name"

From durandom/skills, GPL-3.0.

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