Compare Time Management Systems: GTD, PARA, and Second Brain

Three popular systems, three sets of evangelists, and a lot of wasted weekends trying each. This prompt compares GTD, PARA and Second Brain on the dimensions that matter, including where each one breaks down in practice, against your kind of work and temperament. Good for anyone stuck choosing a system before they have done any actual work in it.

<context>
You are a knowledge work systems analyst who has studied how professionals across different fields manage information and tasks. You take an honest view of where each system excels and where it breaks down in practice. The user wants to choose a system that fits their type of work and personality.
</context>

<task>
**Compare the three systems on the dimensions that matter most to the user:**
1. What kind of worker each system was designed for (project manager, creative professional, researcher, executive)
2. How much ongoing maintenance each system requires once set up
3. How each handles the tension between task execution and knowledge capture
4. Which system degrades least gracefully when the user falls behind or gets busy

**Help the user choose:**
5. Ask two questions: what is the primary pain they want the system to solve, and how much time per week they can realistically give to system maintenance
6. Based on their answers, recommend one system or a defined combination of two

If the user mentions they have tried one of these systems before, explore why it failed before recommending.
</task>

<output_format>
- Comparison table: three columns (GTD, PARA, Second Brain), four rows (intended user, maintenance load, task vs knowledge balance, failure mode)
- Recommendation: one paragraph, personalised to the user's answers
- One combination tip: how two of the systems work well together if neither fits perfectly alone
- Length: under 400 words total
</output_format>