PARA, GTD, and Zettelkasten work as complementary engines, not competing systems
The key mistake in setting up a knowledge management system is trying to merge PARA, GTD, and Zettelkasten into one structure. They should each do what they do best, connected by Obsidian’s linking capability.
The Four Engines
PARA (Tiago Forte) = the WHAT — organises information by actionability:
- Projects: specific outcomes with deadlines (PUMA chapters, PEC deliverables)
- Areas: ongoing responsibilities (research quality, writing standards)
- Resources: reference material (papers, tools, prompts)
- Archive: completed or inactive items
GTD (David Allen) = the WHEN — drives the workflow:
- Capture → Clarify → Organise → Reflect → Engage
- In PUMA: Inbox (10-) → process within 48h → route to Literature/Permanent/Projects/GTD
Zettelkasten (Luhmann) = the WHY — compounds knowledge permanently:
- Atomic permanent notes with declarative titles
- Never move — only link
- One idea per note, in your own words
- Notes connect across projects and time
Johnny Decimal = the WHERE — makes everything findable:
- AC.ID numbering system (e.g., 30.12 = Area 30, Category 12)
- Every file has a unique, stable address
- Works across platforms (Obsidian, filesystem, external drives)
Critical Rules for Coexistence
-
Permanent notes NEVER go inside project folders. When a project archives, knowledge gets buried. Permanent notes live in
30 - Permanent/forever. -
Literature notes are NOT permanent notes. Literature notes (in
20 - Literature/) represent external knowledge. Permanent notes represent your synthesised insight. -
GTD tasks live inline in project notes, then queried globally by the Tasks plugin. Project folders contain documents; task lists surface them.
-
JD numbers apply to folders and organised files, not to individual Zettelkasten notes. Permanent notes use descriptive, declarative titles.
-
MOCs are the connective tissue. A MOC (Map of Content) links permanent notes, project files, literature notes, and GTD tasks around a theme — without any note having to “move.”
Application in PUMA Vault
The PUMA vault implements all four engines:
| Element | Implementation |
|---|---|
| PARA Projects | 40 - Projects/PUMA/ (PEC deliverables, specs, experiments) |
| PARA Areas | 50 - Areas/ (research quality, writing, code, sustainability) |
| PARA Resources | 60 - Resources/ (prompts, workflows, glossary, bibliography) |
| PARA Archive | 70 - Archive/ (completed sprints, deprecated notes) |
| GTD Inbox | 10 - Inbox/ (fleeting notes, quick capture) |
| GTD Reviews | 90 - GTD/95 Reviews/ (daily + weekly templates) |
| GTD Tasks | Inline - [ ] with Tasks plugin queries in dashboards |
| Zettelkasten | 30 - Permanent/ (flat, atomic, linked permanent notes) |
| Johnny Decimal | 60 - Resources/66 JD-Index/JD-Master-Index |
| MOCs | 80 - MOC/ (PUMA Master, Research Pipeline, Methods, etc.) |
References
- Forte, T. (2022). Building a second brain. Atria Books.
- Allen, D. (2001). Getting things done. Penguin Books.
- Ahrens, S. (2017). How to take smart notes. CreateSpace.
- Dubois, S. Obsidian Starter Kit. https://obsidian-starter-kit.netlify.app
Related Notes
- PN-SDD-Framework
- MOC-PUMA-Master
- JD-Master-Index
- LN-Ahrens-2017-SmartNotes — Ahrens (2017): original three-tier system; atomic notes; slip-box as thinking partner; the theoretical basis for this vault’s structure