Evernote
Hanami Design
Experiments for Week 28
New experiments for Week 28 (2011):
- Evernote: Stacks for Areas
Interested in creating a Stack in Evernote where each notebook is assigned to a GTD type Area of Focus/Responsibility. I’d then move all my Reference notes to an area they relate to. - Working in more pushups and crunches into my day
I often sneak in a few pushups during work, but now I’d like to ramp that up and add crunches. - Add options for inline measurement unit switcher jQuery plugin
The next evolutionary step for my budding jQuery plugin is to give it some options people can change. Which ones, I’m not yet sure about. - Enhancing iTunes smart playlist like form
Experiment duplicating a form in iTunes with CSS3 and jQuery. - Stealth usability feedback gathering
Need to find ways to get useful feedback without seeming like I’m asking. (UX)
Experiments I’m carrying over from Week 27:
- Print my lists: next actions and projects
See if I do more when tasks are on paper, not on screen - Sharper button edges
Need buttons with sharper edges. - Start my day with a coffee + meditation + brainstorming session
Head clearing, task capturing, mental fitness routine.
Have a great week, everybody!
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0capturing ideas easy.
How I Use Evernote for Songwriting
Personal pride requires that I start this post by saying: yes, I have done music professionally (= for a living). I’ve done my share of writing, recording, and touring and I’ve opened for a few names you’d probably recognize. I’ve also burnt myself out.
One of my motivations for moving to this small corner of Oregon was to get away from routines that were draining my creativity and to reinvent myself musically. California is likely the next stop and as long as I’m here, I’m going to write.
That where Evernote comes in.
I record nearly all my music ideas directly to Evernote with my iPhone via the voice option. With recent changes, it’s pretty easy to save multiple ideas to the same note and that’s saved me a lot of time sorting. Adding lyric ideas and other notes is as equally easy.
Since Evernote is a cloud service, these ideas get backed up and synced with my Mac where music notes become project files. Anything digital associated with the song gets saved here: mind maps, next actions, final lyrics, whatever. I can always take pictures of anything that’s not easily made digital (think: hastily written lyrics on a napkin).
As you can see from the screenshot above, you can playback audio clips that you recorded on your iPhone right from the note on your computer. Multiple files are treated like a playlist. Nice.
My audio clips often include alternate parts – intros, bridges, melodies, etc – which I didn’t used to do so much, not till I began using the Evernote + iPhone combination. I guess the ease of saving my ideas has encouraged me to get more creative.
Pardon the expression, but I’ve kind of got my rhythm now in writing my new CD and Evernote is a big part of that. I’m aiming for September to release, but if you’re interested in hearing a bit now and don’t mind the fact that what’s posted is little more than an audio sketch, visit Weszt.com and go to the Lab. For a taste of the music that put me on tour, see the music section.
Related Posts:
0Evernote as a Copy-and-Paste Power Tool
Type the same things over and over? Try saving those things in Evernote to copy-and-paste later.
Among the things I keep in my copy-and-paste notebook:
- Special characters like ©, », or €
- Lorem ipsum
- Form emails
- Email subject starters ([FYI], [Action Needed], etc)
- Blog formatting snippets
- Directory locations (for Terminal)
- Web addresses of my band’s MP3s
- MySQL commands that are too long to remember
- HTML snippets
- Bonus: Old code I might need to reference later
Do you use Evernote for storing things you often copy-and-paste? Share your ideas in the comments!
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1of how I GTD
My Complete GTD System for March 2011: Things, Evernote, BusyCal, iPhone, and More!
Originally I wanted to write about how I use Things for Mac with Evernote for Getting Things Done. Those were simpler times, possibly better times. Then I realized that since I don’t really use those alone, it might be more useful to see the complete system, from soup to nuts. So as of March 2011, here is what I use to stay organized in all its lengthy glory:
Sections of this Article
topComponents of the System
Things
Things is a task management app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad by Cultured Code. Elegant and deceptively powerful, this app has proven to be a great tool again and again. Though Things does not have cloud syncing (yet), syncing with the iPhone and regular backups makes it versatile enough.
Evernote
Evernote is a platform independent note taking app that was my replacement for Microsoft OneNote when I first switched to Mac (I believe OneNote is available for Mac now and has a cloud syncing option). It’s hard not to praise Evernote for it’s reliability and versatility and I use the premium version daily on my computer and iPhone.
BusyCal + Google Calendar (gCal)
BusyMac promotes BusyCal by saying “Think of it as iCal Pro” and that sums it up for me. Besides being generally more pleasurable to use than iCal, it also syncs well with Google Calendar (my online calendar backup). With a little research, you may also discover some clever ways that BusyCal and Things for Mac can work together.
Though I’ve experimented with other email applications (Thunderbird, Entourage), Mail does the job just fine. Simple, clean, and free, I’ve never needed much else. This is my work-only email program.
gMail
All my personal contacts and emails are managed through Google Mail. With a few tweaks, I’ve also been able to sync other email accounts on Yahoo and Hotmail (now that is really going back). I’ve found it works best to keep personal and work correspondence separate.
MindNode
MindNode is a straightforward, no frills mind mapping application for Mac. I often use MindNode for planning and working through difficult problems. Mind maps worth keeping are exported to PDF and imported into Evernote.
iPhone
Though it’s bordering on unbearably slow with the newest iOS, I’m currently using an iPhone 3G. My home page is arranged strategically with Things and Evernote in the top left followed by my calendar. Bottom row is only for communications.
Mac
Nothing particularly special about this aging Powerbook (obviously not an actual photo), but it’s still fairly fast and gets the job done.
Notepad
For the most part, my notepad setup is what remained after I abandoned my paper/digital hybrid system of a few months back. Basically everything is the same, minus the note pad with context dividers. See Going Hybrid: GTD Digital + Paper.
Sketchbook
I began using sketchbooks a few months ago for on-the-go next actions, storyboards, mind mapping, and meeting notes. Often I branch out from an initial next action in Things to little pieces so work seems less daunting.
Yoropen
I discovered the Yoropen a year ago while in Japan and I love it. It’s comfortable and fun, though refills I’ve had to order from abroad because I’ve been unable to find them or even the pen here in the States. Worth it, in my opinion. I use the Yoropen for all my writing.
Colored pencils
What fun would mind mapping on paper be without colored pencils? I don’t yet have a favorite brand, but I do use them on a weekly basis and you can usually find them in my backpack wherever I go.
topNext Actions and Inboxes
Things
All next actions find their way to Things, though they aren’t necessarily created there (see below). When on the Mac, I typically use Quick Entry to connect tasks with emails and other items; when on the go, I create Next Actions in the mobile app inbox. All next action titles must begin with a verb with the exception of Reminders, a special type of repeating task which begins with “Reminder:”. Repeating tasks do not have to be within a project.
MindNode
I use mind maps for so much these days: brainstorming, problem solving, planning, meeting notes, and more. Each ultimately leads me to something to do, so naturally mind maps have become a big next action generator.
Sketchbook/Notepad
This is where my Yoropen, colored pencils, and paper meet – usually for mind maps and meeting notes. Often, too, my sketchbook and notepad are used for for quick task breakdowns whenever one as written seems too daunting. I save a lot of time by marking next actions, ideas, questions, and other details as I go. Next actions are marked with an arrow, ideas with an exclamation point, questions with a question mark. Items relating to people are marked with their initials followed by a colon (A: for Agenda). I process all my notes daily whenever possible.
topSomeday/Maybe and Other Lists
Evernote
I’ve got all kinds of lists, too many to name here, and those that fall outside of to-dos are managed in Evernote. My lists include daily/weekly/monthly checklists; shortcuts for blog and emails, things I regularly type (for copying and pasting), filler text for designs, etc; idea for nearly anything; things I’ve borrowed or lent; work holidays; words to learn; and so much more. Someday/Maybe projects? I put those in Reference.
Things
Things has a Focus dedicated to Someday (therefore also Maybe) which I use quite frequently. Anything that isn’t truly active at the moment will go here – projects and tasks. I’ve found that if I’m strict and only keep those projects with immediate needs active, I stay better focused on what’s really important now. As a result, I am thorough by having greater incentive to check the Someday/Maybe lists.
topContexts and Tags
Grouping tasks into context lists makes batch processing a breeze and the fewer lists the better. Stay true to the location and environment. Don’t let the limitlessness of tags lead your to over organize with too many contexts.
Things for Mac
Tags in Things are used primarily for contexts and I keep the list as short as possible at all times. My contexts are in alphabetical order and must begin with @. As mentioned elsewhere in this post, I do have some additional tags for sorting people related tasks (See Agendas, Waiting For, Follow, Delegate). I try to tag things as I go.
Things for iPhone
The small screen of a mobile phone is an excellent test for whether you have too many contexts or not. If I can’t find a context within half a swipe, I have too many. With my teammate workaround (again see Agendas, Waiting For, Follow, Delegate), my list includes tags that extend the list beyond a comfort size, but that’s unfortunately a necessary evil (or will Cultured Code save me soon?).
Evernote
I use tags in Evernote for the hierarchy of my Areas of Responsibility and that’s about it. Everything I save falls into an Area, directly relating to some higher goal (see Horizons), and is tagged accordingly. Search has replaced my need for anything more – provided, of course, that I have given my notes a title or content that is easily found with search. I do, however, break the rules a bit if it helps to sort (such as with Songs), but they still must have a place in the chain.
topAgendas, Waiting For, Follow, and Delegate
Remembering who we need to speak to, follow-up with, and are waiting for is an important part of Getting Things Done. Since I’ve become conditioned to look regularly through these lists, I miss few opportunities to coordinate with coworkers, family, friends, and so forth.
Things
I break the rules of Things a bit here by using the “teammates” People list as buckets for @agendas (things I need to initiate a conversation about), @delegated (tasks others are meant to do that I need to be informed about), @follow (something to watch), and @waiting for (tasks others are doing whose incompletion is preventing me from moving forward with something). This is done by creating fake people in my address book and creating teammates based on those. I’ve also created a tag called “People” (no @ sign) with sub-tags of actual people names. This allows me to still associate tasks with specific people and to get around a lack of teammates on the iPhone.
Evernote
I keep all current meeting notes and agenda-specific lists in a notebook in Evernote called “Agendas”. Typically the meeting notes are for those that will happen, while expired meeting notes – if there is reason to keep them – go in Reference. People related notes may appear in notes here if those people can or should be contacted within a particular happening-now situation.
topTicklers
Evernote
My ticklers are primarily managed in Evernote. I have 13 notes: 12 for months and one for things not related to any date but I want to remember.
BusyCal and gCal
To remind myself of what’s most important today, I use the all-day area of my calendars. I also use recurring items as reminders for many things, including habit breaking (a reliable way to nag oneself).
topCalendars
BusyCal and gCal
Without calendar based alerts, I would undoubtedly get much less done, so that’s my number one use for getting things done with calendars. Many of my calendar applications I’ve written about elsewhere in this post, so I’ll not repeat myself, but one thing yet mentioned is that I block out and schedule time for projects, especially creative tasks. Helps avoid distraction when I have dedicated time to something particular.
topProjects
Things for Mac
Projects, placed in their appropriate Areas of Responsibility, are managed in Things. If a project can’t fit into an Area, I don’t do it (which helps ensure that everything I do is inline with a higher purpose). Each project title must begin with a verb and the list must be in alphabetical order (for easy scanning). Note options in Things are pretty weak so I don’t typically use them.
Evernote (Mac)
I use Evernote to keep track of materials related to projects, help generate next actions, and for flexibility of note space. Projects must match those in Things in title and Area of Responsibility. I try only to create project notes where needed so there is less to maintain. See Example project note
topAreas of Responsibility
These are the “hats you wear” and I take this quite literally. My areas are named after the roles I play in life and who I aspire to be so that every pass through my list is reminder of self and purpose. Anyone should be able to tell who I am with a quick scan.
Things for Mac
The order of placement in Things, from highest level to lowest, is Area > Project > Tasks. Projects must fall into an Areas of Responsibility or they don’t make sense for me to do. Tasks, however, don’t necessarily fall into a project, so they sometimes (though not often) go straight into an Area. I name my Areas starting with one my three super groups (Career, Personal, Work) and followed by something more specific.
Things for iPhone
The Area at the top of my list is technically a rule breaker: “**shopping”. I created this it’s easier to find things I need to buy when I’m running errands. Using the asterisks keeps this Area at the top (less scrolling when mobile).
Evernote
Everything I put into Evernote needs to fall into an Area of Responsibility. I use a tag hierarchy to keep them ordered.
BusyCal and gCal
The three super groups of my Areas are reflected in my calendars. This assures that my goals/purposes are reflected in how I organize my time. Most of my items are scheduled recurring tasks, so they have a calendar of their own so I can turn them off when I need to scan my schedule. I keep track of holidays, too.
topHorizons of Focus
Evernote
Everything related to my Horizons of Focus is kept in Evernote. I’ve dedicated one note to each horizon and have additional notes for things I want to do in my life (places to visit, things to try or learn). My horizons are all reflected in my Areas of Responsibility which guide my project choices and therefore keep my day to day activities in line with long term objectives. My Horizons of Focus outline what I want out of life and how and when I will achieve my goals, objectives, vision, and purpose.
topComments and Questions
Hopefully this breakdown of my GTD system will help you and I welcome your feedback. What do you think about this system? Have better ideas? How do you use Things? Evernote? Calendars?
Leave a comment and thanks!
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4use Evernote?
Highlights
- Getting Things Done
- Never forgetting anything
- Creative uses for Evernote
Evernote Resource Roundup: GTD, gMail/gCal, Time Management, Projects, and More!
During my most recent getting-things-done freakout, I collected a few links that I found helpful or interesting for using Evernote. I’ve only now begun to read through the Tips and Stories section of Evernote’s blog, but there seem to be quite a few goodies so I recommend checking it out. Happy note taking!
- GTD and Evernote [Examine Health]
- Getting Things Done (GTD) with Evernote and only one notebook [40 Tech]
- Get Things Done with Evernote [Mental Polyphonics]
- How to Never Forget Anything Again [Four Hour Work Week]
- How to use Evernote and GTD for setting and achieving goals and objectives [Monetize Your Life]
- My Simple GTD & Evernote Combo [Darren Crawford]
- How I use GTD with Evernote [unknown]
- Easily Add Evernote Gadget To Your Gmail And Google Calendar [Vikitech]
- gMail to Evernote Information Management Workflow [Rudd Hein]
- How Aviary.com uses Evernote for whiteboard sessions [Evernote]
- 7 ways a professional photographer uses Evernote [Evernote]
- How DJ Limelight uses Evernote [Evernote]
- Using Evernote for Fashion Design [Evernote]
- Dropbox, Evernote and Gmail Saved my Holidays [Fernando Gutierrez.]
- Save time by scanning directly to Evernote [Work & Play]
- The Zen of Results and Evernote [J. D. Meier's Blog]
- 14 Ways Evernote Helps Principles Manage Schools [Open Loops]
- Notebooks or Tags with Evernote? [Jeff Kirvin]
- How To Use Evernote: 21 Creative Uses [Christian Personal Finance]
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4Everywhere
keep your notes
backed up
and handy.
Highlights
- Notebook Stacks for note hierarchy
- Sorting projects by areas of focus
- Horizons of Focus in Evernote
My Evernote + GTD Setup
Many people these days use Evernote for some aspect of their Getting Things Done (GTD) system because of its versatility and availability. You simply can’t beat having your notes anywhere there’s an internet connection. I’ll spare you a lengthy diatribe about all the virtues of Evernote and get down to the nitty gritty
Evernote + GTD for me
I don’t use Evernote as an all-in-one GTD tool; I use it to manage everything other than my Next Actions lists. I’ve gone back to an analog setup for the daily stuff, at least for now.
Jump to: screenshots
Notebook Stacks (Beta on Mac)
I’m using a beta version of Evernote Mac which now has Stacks, a tool for grouping notebooks. This is a God-send and since I’ve started using it, I rely on nested tags less often. Only drawback so far is that on the iPhone, Stacks are not yet supported, but this is a minor issue.
Grouping and Order
My notebooks/Stacks fall into three general categories:
- Daily
- Projects
- Horizons of Focus
- Reference
As you may note, I use numbering and character tricks to keep things in a nice order.
My first level notebooks/stacks:
- !nbox. Anything incoming. I spell it with an exclamation point as the “i” so that the notebook stays at the top here and on the iPhone.
- Reviews. Daily, Weekly, and Monthly review and related trigger lists. Each are tagged as such but I also name each one so that I can easily scan them if I select the Reviews stack. In other words, Daily Review is spelled “D1. Daily Review” so that it is always the first and the first if I also select the Daily tag.
- Tickler. Things I need to be reminded of but aren’t actionable. I have three notebooks here: No Date, Days, and Weeks.
- Projects. Notebooks in this Stack are Active, Incubate (can’t act quite, yet), Waiting For, Delegate, and Someday/Maybe. Each note is a project here, tagged by Area of Focus. I also created subareas to make sorting and viewing easier. As you may spot in the initial screenshot, I use a particular template for my project notes that helps me outline my next actions, identifies the long-term goal the project is (hopefully) associated with, related notes/links, ideas, start/end date, and more. 10,000 foot level.
- Areas of Focus. Not much more than a list of my current Areas of Focus and a little used page. 20,000 foot level.
- Goals and Objectives. My short to mid-term goals. 30,000 foot level.
- Vision. What I want to accomplish, learn, etc. in my life. 40,000 foot level.
- Purpose. Who I’m supposed to be. I guess I’m not entirely sure, yet, since this notebook is currently empty. 50,000 foot level.
- Development. Project overflow, inbox for all my audio recordings, handy place for projects that need entire notebooks.
- Ideas. Every idea I record about nearly anything.
- Journal (work). So I don’t forget how much more than my lists I’ve actually done in a workday.
- Lists. Things I like, want, etc. This probably should become an entire post to itself.
- Reference. Notes I want to keep for future… uh… reference.
- Shortcuts/Support. Typically text I often copy-and-paste. Helps a lot for “lorem ipsum” situations when designing.
Tagging projects
No need to go into all the tags I use, but the most useful I’ve found for GTD are those for Areas of Focus when applied to my projects. My hierarchy is:
- Career
- Personal
- Work
Career, Personal, and Work are good “super buckets” for my areas, though dividing them further beneath these buckets helps me sort my project notes much faster.
Future Use
More could be done to make my use of Evernote for Getting Things Done more effective but thus far I’m extremely satisfied. I’ll be writing more about this in the future, but I hope you find this information useful in the meantime!
References
- GTD and Evernote [Examine Health]
- Getting Things Done (GTD) with Evernote and only one notebook [40 Tech]
- Get Things Done with Evernote [Mental Polyphonics]
- How to use Evernote and GTD for setting and achieving goals and objectives [Monetize Your Life]
