I’m taking a few days off to recharge before hitting it hard again next week. But in order to not go completely dark here, I took a look at some of the most popular blog posts of 2011. This blog post about Evernote was in the top five AND I have some things to add to it that will be helpful for you each month in 2013. It’s been revised and updated a bit.
I love journals. I used to negotiate getting a journal scientists use when I got a promotion (they’re really expensive) or when I got a new job. I have every business journal and every Franklin Planner I’ve ever written – tasks, ideas, brainstorms, new business meetings, everything. I write it all down.
I also use my journals to create my to-do list. I draw a little box in the margin and that tells me it’s a task and not just a note. Then I get to go through my journal and check off the boxes as I finish the task. There is such great pleasure in that check mark!
But the one problem with a journal is I have to carry it everywhere with me. What happens if, like Mitch Joel expressed in his top business apps blog post earlier this week, I accidentally leave it on my desk?
Enter Evernote
Enter Evernote. I have it on my laptop, iPad, and iPhone (it’s available for every smart phone and both Mac and PC). And I take notes, create my to-do lists, create presentations, jot down ideas, capture a photo or image, and save files.
It syncs through the cloud (I love the cloud) and it’s available on any device I have in front of me at the time.
On your way to a meeting and you forgot your journal? No problem! It’s on your phone in Evernote!
On a flight and you realize your client folder is sitting on your desk? No problem! It’s on your laptop in Evernote!
Took notes at a new business meeting and lost your phone (it happens in Chicago cabs a lot)? No problem! It’s on Evernote!
Sold yet?
You can also clip articles and blog posts from the web and save in Evernote. It’s your journal, camera, audio notes, to-do list, and bookmark accounts all in one.
Get Evernote
All you have to do is download it, create a user name and password, and get to work. If you get in the habit of using it (instead of letting it just sit there), you’ll never miss an idea, note, or task again.
It is super efficient for note taking, journal writing, taking photos (I use it when I am relegated to the trainer and want to enter my stats in Training Peaks later), creating to-do lists, and never carrying around another notebook again (though I have to admit I still carry around a notebook for notes, quick thoughts, and brainstorming).
They continue to add new features, including Evernote Food, which launched two weeks ago.
Evernote Food helps you remember those great new restaurants to documenting how to make family recipes. If you’re a foodie (like me), it looks to be a pretty cool way to track all you love.
Want a month-by-month list of things to do in Evernote so, by this time next year, you’re a pro? Check out Work Smarter with Evernote over at Harvard Business Review. Alexandra Samuel provides one task per month to make it really easy to conquer.
Do you use Evernote? Are there ways you use it that aren’t mentioned here?