Originally shared as an email-only issue in February 2025. Updated for the archive.

I used to get overwhelmed by ambitious goals.
Not because they were impossible—just because they felt too big to hold.

I'd try to tackle everything at once.
Ideas everywhere. Notes scattered. No clear next step.

The turning point came when I stopped trying to plan everything in my head—and started working the goal through PARA.

Here’s how I used PARA to break down a goal that once felt too big to handle:
Redesigning my PKM system.

Instead of writing “Revamp PKM system,” I broke it down into specific outcomes:

Now I had trackable progress—not a vague goal.

I created a new Area called Thinking Infrastructure.
This gave me a place to hold system upkeep and ongoing maintenance.

The rebuild wasn’t just a project. It was part of the work I want to support long-term.

I had notes from books, frameworks, examples from other creators.

Instead of letting them pile up in my working space, I moved them into a tagged Resource bucket:
“PKM System Inspiration.”

That kept the project lean but gave me context when I needed it.

I didn’t delete old notes or dashboards—I archived them.
Out of the way, but still accessible if I wanted to reference them.

The mental clutter dropped immediately.

Overwhelm thrives in the absence of structure.

I didn’t need a better plan—I needed a system to hold the work.

That’s what PARA gave me:
A way to work through the goal instead of getting stuck under it.

Until next time,

Gav