A strategy I often use when I have a problem to solve or a question to answer is to turn to books. My current challenge is how to manage and organize my knowledge in my digital space.
This June, I read two books by Tiago Forte on Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) to search for a solution.
1. Building a Second Brain — Tiago Forte
My Problem: A Disorganized Digital World
In today’s digital world, nearly everyone uses multiple systems — note-taking apps, reading apps, Google Drive, and computers, to name a few — to save their notes, files, photos, and much more.
I did the same, and at some point, I became overwhelmed. I felt that I couldn’t control and manage all these systems. I could recall where I had saved files recently — within the last month, six months, or even a year — but I would fail to remember where I stored things from two or three years ago.
This problem became more serious for me as a researcher. My notes, the tangible form of my knowledge, are my most valuable assets, yet I realized I had never seriously learned how to manage them. I knew I needed to change.
I also realized I was facing two major problems with my organizing system:
- The problem of over-organizing. I tried to manage my digital space by creating complex hierarchies of folders with strict rules for naming and classifying everything. This took a lot of time, energy, and mental space. Instead of feeling excited to work, my digital space was draining my energy. I knew I had to avoid such complicated systems that are hard to maintain in the long run.
- The problem of retrieving information. As a consequence of over-organizing, I often couldn’t retrieve things I had saved. When it’s hard to find what you’ve saved, you become less willing to even try. My digital files would lie unused on my computer, gathering dust. Unlinked to my current work, they would become outdated and effectively dead, wasting the attention, energy, and time I spent creating them.
How This Book Solved My Problem
In this book, I found a solution that met my key requirements for an organizing system:
- first, it has to be simple and
- second, it focuses on what matters most.
The book introduces two main techniques: CODE — for building your knowledge system and PARA — for organizing your digital space.
CODE stands for Capture, Organize, Distill, and Express. This represents the life cycle of information entering your knowledge system (what Forte calls a “Second Brain”). First, you Capture what resonates with you. Then, you Organize it in an actionable way (using PARA). Next, you Distill the essence of your notes. Finally, you Express your knowledge by composing your notes into a new creation.
PARA stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archive. You organize all your digital files and notes into four categories:
- Projects: Things you are actively working on now.
- Areas: Long-term responsibilities you need to manage (e.g., “Health,” “Finances”).
- Resources: Topics you are interested in or that might be useful in the future.
- Archive: Inactive items from the other three categories.
PARA is exactly what I need. Simple but effective.
With this method, I now have simple rules to organize my files, and I know exactly which folders to look in to find what I need.
I’ve already applied it to organize files on my laptop, my Google Drive, and my note-taking app (Obsidian). Whenever I need to classify information, like labeling emails, I recall the PARA method.
My “Aha!” Moment: A New Philosophy
Beyond the practical techniques, the biggest “Aha!” moment came from a shift in my mindset about organization.
Previously, I thought an organizing system was static — if I saved a file in a folder, it would be there forever. This book introduced a new philosophy: an organizing system is dynamic. It changes with your goals, responsibilities, and interests. A note might be in your Projects folder now, but once the project ends, it could move to Areas or Resources. An Area of responsibility now (e.g., “Academic Publishing”) could become a Resource or be Archived later if your career changes (say, you move into freelance writing).
This core insight, along with others from the book, helped me set my new principles for organization:
- An organizing system is dynamic, not static. (Your files moves as your life changes.)
- Keep it simple and straightforward. (Avoid complex, hierarchical folders.)
- Treat your digital space like your physical space. (A well-organized digital environment positively affects your productivity and your mood too.)
- Lastly, there is no right way to organize, so there is no wrong way. What works for you is the right way.
2. The PARA Method — Tiago Forte
As you might guess, this book is a more detailed explanation of the PARA method from Building a Second Brain. I read it to learn more about the framework after realizing how useful it was. It provides some additional practical tips for working with PARA, such as getting started with the method and checklists for weekly and monthly reviews. However, personally, I think all core ideas are well-covered in the main book, Building a Second Brain.
