Projects in ARA are living things. Unlike standard project management tools that treat tasks as linear "To-Dos", we use Gardens to represent the seasonal lifecycle of work.

The Four Phases

• Inception: The dreaming phase. Ideas are being discussed in the Council, but no physical work has started. Use this phase to gather your "Architects" (leaders) and define the scope.
• Planting: The structure is being built. Tasks (Seeds) are being defined, resources gathered, and the first assignments made. This is heavily administrative.
• Growth: The active season. Daily tending, execution of tasks, and responding to the needs of the project. The "Vitality Score" becomes crucial here to ensure momentum isn't lost.
• Harvest: Completion and reflection. Gathering the fruits of labor, archiving lessons, and resting before the next cycle.

It is important to mark a Garden as Dormant when active work stops. This removes it from the main view but keeps the history alive, preventing "dashboard clutter" and burnout.