PARA + Proactive Agent Workspace 🦞📁

A production-ready workspace template that combines two powerful systems:

• PARA Method (Tiago Forte) - For organizing your content

• Proactive Agent Architecture (Hal Labs) - For AI memory and continuity

What You Get

PARA Structure

• 1-projects/

• Active projects with deadlines

• 2-areas/

• Ongoing responsibilities

• 3-resources/

• Reference materials

• 4-archives/

• Completed projects

• +inbox/

• Temporary inbox (process weekly)

• +temp/

• Scratch space

Proactive Agent Memory

• memory/

• Daily logs and working buffer

• .learnings/

• Error logs and learnings

• SESSION-STATE.md

• Active working memory

• AGENTS.md

• Operating rules

• SOUL.md

• Agent identity

• USER.md

• Your profile

• HEARTBEAT.md

• Periodic checks

Installation

Create workspace directory

mkdir -p ~/workspace cd ~/workspace

Copy template files

cp -r ~/.openclaw/skills/para-proactive-workspace/assets/templates/* .

Or manually create structure following the guide below

Directory Structure

workspace/ │ ├── 📁 1-projects/ # Active projects │ └── project-name/ │ ├── README.md │ ├── notes.md │ ├── docs/ │ └── assets/ │ ├── 📁 2-areas/ # Ongoing responsibilities │ ├── health/ │ ├── finance/ │ └── learning/ │ ├── 📁 3-resources/ # Reference materials │ ├── articles/ │ ├── books/ │ └── templates/ │ ├── 📁 4-archives/ # Completed items │ └── 2024-projects/ │ ├── 📁 +inbox/ # Temporary inbox ├── 📁 +temp/ # Scratch space │ ├── 📁 .agents/ # Agent configuration ├── 📁 .learnings/ # Learning logs │ ├── ERRORS.md │ ├── LEARNINGS.md │ └── FEATURE_REQUESTS.md │ ├── 📁 memory/ # Daily logs │ └── working-buffer.md │ ├── 📄 AGENTS.md # Operating rules ├── 📄 HEARTBEAT.md # Periodic checklist ├── 📄 MEMORY.md # Long-term memory ├── 📄 ONBOARDING.md # First-run setup ├── 📄 README.md # Workspace overview ├── 📄 SESSION-STATE.md # Active task state ├── 📄 SOUL.md # Agent identity ├── 📄 TOOLS.md # Tool configurations ├── 📄 USER.md # Your profile └── 📄 .gitignore # Git ignore rules

PARA Method Explained

Projects (1-projects/)

Definition: A series of tasks linked to a goal, with a deadline.

Examples:

• Complete website redesign (due March 1)

• Plan vacation to Japan (departing April 15)

• Launch product feature (Q2 goal)

When to move to archives: When completed or cancelled.

Areas (2-areas/)

Definition: A sphere of activity with a standard to be maintained over time.

Examples:

• Health & Fitness

• Personal Finance

• Professional Development

• Relationships

• Home Maintenance

When to move to archives: When no longer relevant to your life.

Resources (3-resources/)

Definition: A topic or theme of ongoing interest.

Examples:

• Gardening tips

• Python programming

• Travel destinations

• Recipes

• Book notes

When to move to archives: When no longer interested.

Archives (4-archives/)

Definition: Inactive items from the other three categories.

Purpose: Keep out of sight but accessible for reference.

Proactive Agent Architecture Explained

Core Files

File Purpose When to Update

SOUL.md

Who the agent is, principles, boundaries When identity evolves

USER.md

Who you are, your goals and preferences As you share more context

AGENTS.md

Operating rules and workflows When patterns emerge

TOOLS.md

Tool configurations and notes When learning tool usage

SESSION-STATE.md

Current task and context Continuously (WAL protocol)

HEARTBEAT.md

Periodic check checklist Review regularly

MEMORY.md

Curated long-term wisdom Periodically distill

Memory System

Three-tier memory:

• SESSION-STATE.md - Active working memory (current session)

• memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md - Daily raw logs

• MEMORY.md - Curated long-term wisdom

WAL Protocol (Write-Ahead Logging):

• Corrections → Write immediately

• Decisions → Write immediately

• Names/Preferences → Write immediately

• Specific values → Write immediately

Working Buffer:

• Activates at 60% context usage

• Captures every exchange

• Survives context compaction

Usage Workflows

Daily Workflow

• Capture → Drop files into +inbox/

• Process → Sort inbox into PARA folders

• Work → Create/update projects

• Log → Agent writes to memory/

Weekly Review

• Clear +inbox/ and +temp/

• Review 2-areas/ for maintenance

• Archive completed projects

• Check .learnings/ for patterns

Monthly Review

• Clean 4-archives/

• Review 3-resources/ for relevance

• Update MEMORY.md with distilled learnings

Integration Points

PARA ↔ Proactive Agent

PARA Proactive Agent Integration

Project notes 1-projects/X/notes.md

Agent can read/write

Decisions SESSION-STATE.md

WAL protocol captures

Daily work memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md

Automatic logging

Learnings .learnings/LEARNINGS.md

Error/learning capture

Archives 4-archives/

Completed projects

Best Practices

For You (Human)

• Process +inbox/ weekly (Inbox Zero)

• Keep +temp/ clean daily

• Use consistent naming conventions

• Review areas monthly

For Your Agent

• Read SOUL.md

• USER.md on startup

• Use WAL protocol for critical details

• Log errors to .learnings/ERRORS.md

• Review HEARTBEAT.md periodically

Credits

• PARA Method: Tiago Forte (Building a Second Brain)

• Proactive Agent: Hal Labs (@halthelobster)

• Integration: OpenClaw Community

License

MIT - Use freely, modify, share.

Organize your content. Empower your agent. Build your second brain. 🧠🦞