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