para-organizer

File Organizer (PARA Method)

Organizes files using the PARA methodology from Tiago Forte's "Building a Second Brain". Intelligent categorization with an Inbox workflow and complete audit trails.

What is PARA?

#	Category	Contains	Lifespan
0	Inbox	New files waiting to be processed	Temporary
1	Projects	Active work with deadlines	Short term
2	Areas	Ongoing responsibilities	Long term
3	Resources	Reference material by topic	Permanent
4	Archives	Inactive or completed items	Preserved

Workflow Overview

Phase 1: Discovery     → Scan, count, evaluate file name quality
Phase 2: Analysis      → Read content of poorly named files, propose renames
Phase 3: Preparation   → Create PARA folder structure, get approval
Phase 4: Execution     → Rename and move files (with logging)
Phase 5: Finalization  → Generate summary, invite to Inbox review

Quick Start

1. Create an _ORG/ folder in the target directory.
2. Initialize tracking files from references/templates.md.
3. Customize references/config.md according to your needs.
4. Execute phases with user approval checkpoints.

Folder Structure (PARA Method)

Target-Directory/
├── 0-Inbox/                    # New files arrive here
│   └── _REVISE/                # Files requiring manual attention
├── 1-Projects/                 # Active work with deadlines
│   ├── Work/
│   └── Personal/
├── 2-Areas/                    # Ongoing responsibilities
│   ├── Finances/
│   ├── Health/
│   ├── Legal/
│   └── Career/
├── 3-Resources/                # Reference material by topic
│   ├── Media/
│   │   ├── Images/
│   │   ├── Videos/
│   │   ├── Audio/
│   │   └── Captures/
│   ├── Tools/
│   │   ├── Installers/
│   │   └── Utilities/
│   └── Learning/
│       ├── Articles/
│       ├── Books/
│       └── Courses/
├── 4-Archives/                 # Inactive or completed items
│   ├── Completed-Projects/
│   └── Past-Years/
└── _ORG/                       # Organization tracking files
    ├── _PLAN.md
    ├── _LOG.md
    └── _MANIFEST.md

Inbox Review Flow

Daily Quick Review (5 minutes)

Process files in 0-Inbox/ by asking yourself:

1. Is it actionable with a deadline? → Move to 1-Projects/
2. Is it an ongoing responsibility? → Move to 2-Areas/
3. Is it useful reference material? → Move to 3-Resources/
4. Is it completed or inactive? → Move to 4-Archives/
5. None of the above? → Delete or leave in Inbox

Weekly Deep Review (15 minutes)

1. Empty remaining items in 0-Inbox/.
2. Check 1-Projects/ for completed projects → Archive.
3. Review 2-Areas/ for items no longer relevant → Archive.
4. Clean up duplicates in 3-Resources/.
5. Organize 4-Archives/ by year or category.

File Naming Convention

Format: [DATE]_[CODE]_[DESCRIPTION].[ext]

Component	Format	Example
Date	YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM, or YYYY	2025-01-13
Code	PARA category code	PROJ, FIN, REF
Description	lowercase-with-hyphens	quarterly-report

Example: 2025-01_PROJ_website-mockup.pdf

PARA Category Codes

Code	Category	Use
PROJ	1-Projects	Active project files
FIN	2-Areas/Finances	Financial documents
HEALTH	2-Areas/Health	Medical records
LEG	2-Areas/Legal	Contracts, agreements
REF	3-Resources	General reference
LEARN	3-Resources/Learning	Educational materials

Content Analysis Triggers

Analyze file content when the name matches:

• Generic: Document*.pdf, Untitled*, Copy of *
• Camera: IMG_####.*, DSC_####.*, scan####.*
• Captures: Screen Shot *, Screenshot *
• Ambiguous: notes.*, report.*, data.*, export.*

Do NOT rename: Software installers (.dmg, .exe, .pkg), files with version hashes.

Approval Checkpoints

User approval required before:

1. Executing any renaming.
2. Moving files to destinations.
3. Handling sensitive files (finances, medical, legal in 2-Areas).

Never delete files without explicit user confirmation.

Logging Requirements

Update tracking files in real-time:

_PLAN.md: Task list with timestamps

• ⬜ Not started → 🔄 In progress → ✅ Completed

_LOG.md: Action log with entries:

### [TIMESTAMP] - [ACTION TYPE]

**Task**: [Reference to plan]
**Action**: [What was done]
**Result**: [Result]
**Next**: [Next step]

_MANIFEST.md: Audit trail of file operations

• Each rename and move recorded with timestamp.
• Allows for a rollback if necessary.

Reference Files

• references/config.md: Customizable PARA structure and detection keywords.
• references/templates.md: Blank templates for _PLAN.md, _LOG.md, _MANIFEST.md.

Session Resumption

If the session is interrupted:

1. Read _LOG.md to find the last completed action.
2. Read _PLAN.md to find the next incomplete task.
3. Log: ### [TIME] - SESSION ... Resuming interrupted session.
4. Continue from that point.