Update Obsidian vault path from ~/knowledge to ~/CODEX
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m3tm3re
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skills/chiron-core/references/para-guide.md
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skills/chiron-core/references/para-guide.md
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# PARA Methodology Guide
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## What is PARA?
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PARA is a productivity framework for organizing digital information:
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- **P**rojects - Short-term efforts with deadlines
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- **A**reas - Long-term responsibilities (no deadline)
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- **R**esources - Topics of interest (reference material)
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- **A**rchive - Inactive items (completed, cancelled, on hold)
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## Why PARA Works
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**Traditional problem**: Information scattered across multiple systems with no clear organization.
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**PARA solution**: Single organizing principle based on **actionability** and **time horizon**.
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## Detailed Definitions
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### Projects (01-projects/)
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**Definition**: Short-term efforts that you're working on now with clear goals and deadlines.
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**Criteria for a project:**
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- Has a clear goal or outcome
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- Has a deadline or target date
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- Takes effort to complete (not a single task)
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- Active - you're working on it now
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**Examples**:
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- "Launch new website" (deadline: March 15)
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- "Complete Q1 budget review" (deadline: Feb 28)
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- "Learn Python basics" (deadline: End of month)
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- "Organize home office" (deadline: This weekend)
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**Project structure**:
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```
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01-projects/[work|personal]/[project-name]/
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├── _index.md # Main project file (MOC)
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├── meetings/ # Meeting notes
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├── decisions/ # Decision records
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└── notes/ # General notes
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```
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**Project frontmatter**:
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```yaml
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---
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status: active | on-hold | completed
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deadline: YYYY-MM-DD
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priority: critical | high | medium | low
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tags: [work, personal]
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---
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```
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### Areas (02-areas/)
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**Definition**: Ongoing responsibilities with no end date. These define your roles in life.
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**Criteria for an area:**
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- No deadline - ongoing indefinitely
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- Represents a responsibility or role
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- Requires regular attention
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- Contains multiple projects over time
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**Examples**:
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- "Health" (ongoing, has projects: "Run marathon", "Eat better")
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- "Finances" (ongoing, has projects: "Tax preparation", "Investment plan")
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- "Professional Development" (ongoing, has projects: "Learn AI", "Get certification")
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- "Home & Family" (ongoing, has projects: "Plan vacation", "Renovate kitchen")
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**Area structure**:
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```
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02-areas/[work|personal]/
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├── health.md
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├── finances.md
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├── professional-development.md
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└── home.md
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```
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**Area frontmatter**:
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```yaml
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---
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review-frequency: weekly | biweekly | monthly
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last_reviewed: YYYY-MM-DD
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health: good | needs-attention | critical
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---
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```
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### Resources (03-resources/)
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**Definition**: Topics or themes of ongoing interest. Material you reference repeatedly.
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**Criteria for a resource:**
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- Reference material, not actionable
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- Topic-based organization
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- Used across multiple projects/areas
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- Has long-term value
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**Examples**:
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- "Python Programming" (referenced for multiple coding projects)
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- "Productivity Systems" (used across work and personal)
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- "Cooking Recipes" (referenced repeatedly)
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- "Productivity Tools" (knowledge about tools)
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**Resource structure**:
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```
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03-resources/
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├── programming/
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│ ├── python/
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│ ├── nix/
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│ └── typescript/
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├── tools/
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│ ├── obsidian.md
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│ ├── n8n.md
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│ └── nixos.md
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├── productivity/
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└── cooking/
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```
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**Resource frontmatter**:
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```yaml
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---
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type: reference | guide | documentation
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tags: [programming, tools]
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last_updated: YYYY-MM-DD
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---
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```
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### Archive (04-archive/)
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**Definition**: Completed or inactive items. Moved here when no longer active.
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**When to archive:**
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- Projects completed
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- Areas no longer relevant (life change)
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- Resources outdated
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- Items on hold indefinitely
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**Archive structure**:
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```
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04-archive/
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├── projects/
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├── areas/
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└── resources/
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```
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## Decision Tree
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**When deciding where to put something:**
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```
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Is it actionable?
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├─ Yes → Has a deadline?
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│ ├─ Yes → PROJECT (01-projects/)
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│ └─ No → AREA (02-areas/)
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└─ No → Is it reference material?
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├─ Yes → RESOURCE (03-resources/)
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└─ No → Is it completed/inactive?
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├─ Yes → ARCHIVE (04-archive/)
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└─ No → Consider if it's relevant at all
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```
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## PARA in Action
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### Example: "Learn Python"
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1. **Starts as** Resource in `03-resources/programming/python.md`
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- "Interesting topic, want to learn eventually"
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2. **Becomes** Area: `02-areas/personal/learning.md`
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- "Learning is now an ongoing responsibility"
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3. **Creates** Project: `01-projects/personal/learn-python-basics/`
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- "Active goal: Learn Python basics by end of month"
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4. **Generates** Tasks:
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- `tasks/learning.md`:
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```markdown
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- [ ] Complete Python tutorial #learning ⏫ 📅 2026-02-15
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- [ ] Build first project #learning 🔼 📅 2026-02-20
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```
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5. **Archives** when complete:
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- Project moves to `04-archive/projects/`
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- Knowledge stays in Resource
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## PARA Maintenance
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### Weekly Review (Sunday evening)
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**Review Projects:**
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- Check deadlines and progress
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- Mark completed projects
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- Identify stalled projects
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- Create new projects from areas
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**Review Areas:**
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- Check area health (all areas getting attention?)
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- Identify areas needing projects
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- Update area goals
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**Review Resources:**
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- Organize recent additions
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- Archive outdated resources
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- Identify gaps
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**Process Inbox:**
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- File items into appropriate PARA category
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- Create projects if needed
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- Archive or delete irrelevant items
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### Monthly Review (1st of month)
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- Review all areas for health
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- Identify quarterly goals
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- Plan major projects
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- Archive old completed items
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### Quarterly Review
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- Big picture planning
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- Area rebalancing
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- Life goal alignment
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- System optimization
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## Common Questions
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**Q: Can something be both a Project and a Resource?**
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A: Yes, at different times. Example: "Productivity" starts as a Resource (you're interested in it). When you decide to "Implement productivity system," it becomes a Project. After implementation, best practices become a Resource again.
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**Q: How do I handle recurring tasks?**
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A: If recurring task supports an Area, keep task in Area file and create Project instances when needed:
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- Area: "Health" → "Annual physical" (recurring)
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- Project: "Schedule 2026 physical" (one-time action with deadline)
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**Q: What about someday/maybe items?**
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A: Two approaches:
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1. Keep in `tasks/someday.md` with low priority (🔽)
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2. Archive and retrieve when relevant (PARA encourages active items only)
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**Q: Should I organize by work vs personal?**
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A: PARA organizes by actionability, not domain. However, within Projects/Areas/Resources, you can create subfolders:
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- `01-projects/work/` and `01-projects/personal/`
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- `02-areas/work/` and `02-areas/personal/`
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## PARA + Obsidian Implementation
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**Wiki-links**: Use `[[Project Name]]` for connections
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**Tags**: Use `#work`, `#personal`, `#critical` for filtering
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**Dataview queries**: Create dashboard views:
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```dataview
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LIST WHERE status = "active"
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FROM "01-projects"
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SORT deadline ASC
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```
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**Templates**: Use `_chiron/templates/` for consistent structure
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**Tasks plugin**: Track tasks within PARA structure
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## References
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- [Forté Labs - PARA Method](https://fortelabs.com/blog/para/)
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- [Building a Second Brain](https://buildingasecondbrain.com/)
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- Obsidian Tasks Plugin documentation
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- Dataview Plugin documentation
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