Productivity systems are everywhere. PARA. Zettelkasten. Johnny.Decimal. Second Brains. If you’ve spent any time optimising your workflow you’ve likely run into one of these.

Of them all, Tiago Forte’s PARA system—Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives—is arguably the most popular. It’s elegant, flexible, and beloved by many. And yet, like any one-size-fits-all system, it has a flaw:

It’s not you.

Let me explain—with a system I call iCRAFT.

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🔍 A Quick Look at PARA

If you’ve somehow dodged the PARA craze, here’s a crash course:

 • Projects – Things you’re actively working on with a clear goal and deadline.

 • Areas – Long-term responsibilities like health, family, finances, or professional development.

 • Resources – Topic-based references or learning materials.

 • Archives – Stuff you’ve finished, paused, or shelved.

It’s designed to work across any platform—from Notion and Obsidian to your local file system. It’s simple, and it works. For many.

But I found myself constantly tweaking PARA to suit my mental flow. Eventually, I realised I wasn’t “using PARA with tweaks” anymore. I’d created something entirely my own.

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🧩 The Problem with Productivity Systems

Here’s the thing: most systems are built for someone else’s brain.

You might follow PARA to the letter and still feel friction. Or implement Zettelkasten perfectly but struggle to find anything. Because they’re starting points, not commandments.

And if you’re trying to be more organised, less stressed, or just stop forgetting things, you need a system that feels intuitive. One that makes sense to you.

So, I created iCRAFT. Think of it as a remix of PARA—with structure inspired by Forte, but tailored to how I work and live.

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🛠️ Meet iCRAFT

Here’s what iCRAFT stands for:

Inbox

This is my messy holding zone. Quick notes, ideas, screenshots, articles to read, things I haven’t processed yet—they all land here first. Nothing’s organised yet. That’s the point.

Categories

This is where life gets segmented into meaningful buckets. Instead of vague “areas,” I wanted something more practical. These are the core domains of my life:

 • 📂 Business

 • 📂 Finance

 • 📂 Home

 • 📂 Personal

 • 📂 Recreation

 • 📂 Work

When I’m filing something, I don’t ask “is this a project or area?” I ask: “What part of life does this belong to?”

I use these same categories across multiple apps, Mail, Notes, Reminders etc,  to make information organisation and retrieval so much easier.

Resources

These are articles, topic snippets, research clippings, white papers—reference materials, not action items. Things I might want to revisit or learn from, but not act on immediately.

Assets

This is my reuse zone. Templates, media, code, clipart, quotes, email drafts, automation scripts—anything I might use again in another context.

Focus

This is where my energy goes. These are current, active projects or priorities. Whether it’s launching something new, writing, renovating, or planning a trip—if it matters right now, it lives here.

Trove

This is where finished or shelved projects go. “Trove” feels less like a dusty attic and more like a treasure chest of past work. It’s not where things go to die—it’s where they rest until they’re needed again.

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🤔 Why iCRAFT Works for Me

The secret sauce? iCRAFT mirrors how I think.

 • I want clearer life domains—hence the Categories.

 • I separate reference material (Resources) from reusable building blocks (Assets).

 • I swapped “Projects” for Focus because sometimes the thing I’m working on doesn’t fit neatly into the “project” definition.

 • And “Trove” feels more purposeful than “Archive”—it’s where I store value, not just clutter.

This system doesn’t make me more productive in a performative sense. It makes me calmer, clearer, and more in control. That’s the real win.

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📣 The Takeaway: Customise Everything

You don’t need to use iCRAFT (although you’re welcome to). You don’t need to stick to PARA, Johnny.Decimal, or Notion templates you found online.

What you need is a system that reflects how you think and how you live.

Start with a framework, sure. But bend it. Break it. Rename it. Translate it into your world

That’s how PARA became iCRAFT.

So, what would your system look like?