The Art of Organising Chaos as a Medic
How? With the PARA framework.
Let’s talk about the noise.
The 37 browser tabs humming with half-read articles.
The sticky notes are plastered to your desk like confetti after a panic attack.
The mental fog of “I should sort that… and that… and that…” that follows you to bed.
For years, my brain felt like a cluttered attic… until I found PARA by Tiago Forte.
Not para as in “prepare to geek out” (though, yes), but PARA as in -
Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives.
But this isn’t just a productivity hack.
It’s a manifesto for how to move through the world without drowning in it.
P.S. I have a PARA-inspired Notion template at the end of the article!
What PARA Taught Me About Letting Go
I used to hoard information like a dragon guarding treasure. Every research paper, podcast episode, or LinkedIn post felt urgent. What if I need it later?
(Spoiler: I never did. My brain became a landfill of “somedays.”)
PARA forced me to ask:
What’s alive right now? (Projects)
What matters long-term? (Areas)
What’s useful fuel? (Resources)
What’s dead weight? (Archives)
The magic? Archiving isn’t deletion—it’s trust. Trust that you can let go of what no longer serves you, knowing it’s there if you need it.
How exactly to use PARA
PARA isn’t about control. It’s about curation. It’s the difference between a junk drawer and a museum - both hold things, but one is intentional.
What exactly is PARA?
P - Projects are your current obsessions.
My rule? If a thing doesn’t have a deadline or outcome, it’s not a project - it’s a daydream. Make sure you write down EXACTLY what your task is in this section.A - Areas are your ongoing gardens.
Health, relationships, learning - these never “finish.” You don’t conquer them; you tend to them. PARA taught me to stop treating life like a series of checkboxes and start treating it like a garden. Some days you plant. Some days you prune.R - Resources are your library, not your life.
That article on quantum physics? The AI chatbot list? They’re not tasks. They’re resources you want to come back later. Store them like a squirrel with acorns.A - Archives are graveyards for past selves.
Let old versions of you rest. That abandoned paper from 2024? The half-baked startup idea? Archive it. Honour it. Then move on. Clinging to the old stifles new growth.
How I use the PARA method in my Workspace
I use the PARA method for both my local computer file storage and my browser.
(Hot take: Arc > Google, let me explain in upcoming posts…)
Projects: These would be my ongoing projects e.g. my upcoming sharing sessions for medics, my medical school essay, etc
Areas: These are my long-term commitments! My LinkedIn content creation runs here. I will also open up a nested folder for my health management and finance soon.
Resources: A bunch. I have resources from UCL medical school, the chatbots (Perplexity, GPT, Deep seek and Claude), etc.
Archive: Everything else I don’t want to see for now. Like my past university application portals.
How PARA Declutters More Than Your Desktop
The first time I archived a project, I felt lighter. Not because my laptop was tidier, but because my mind was. PARA forces you to confront the truth:
You are not what you save. You are what you do.
It’s Stoicism meets sticky notes.
It’s the art of focusing on what’s alive instead of mourning what’s not.
We treat our brains like infinite hard drives,
But they’re more like RAM - designed to process, not store.
PARA externalises the storage so your mind can breathe.
Your Actionable Steps Today (No Apps Required)
Write down every “open loop” in your head (tasks, ideas, random worries).
Sort them into:
P: Active projects (e.g., “Finish UCAS personal statement”, “Chemistry revision”).
A: Ongoing areas (e.g., “Health”, “Finance”, “School”).
R: Helpful references (e.g., “TED Talk on neuroplasticity”).
A: Archive the rest (e.g., “That Python course I swore I’d do in Year 10”).
Delete nothing. Just move the noise to Archives.
The goal isn’t perfection - it’s awareness.
Final Thought: The Paradox of Less
PARA isn’t about doing more. It’s about believing you have enough.
Enough time. Enough ideas. Enough capacity.
We’re all swimming in an ocean of information. PARA is the raft that lets you stop thrashing and start navigating. Or, as I wrote in my LinkedIn post:
“Your mind is a river, not a bucket. Let things flow through it—not fester in it.”
What’s one thing you’ll archive today?
P.S. If this resonated, you’ll love my Notion template on PARA :) Streamline your entire productivity system and workflow forever, for just $6.
P.S.S. A cup of coffee can’t even keep you concentrated for more than 3 hours. The template is yours forever.