EVERNOTE — How to: Eliminate clutter. Create a searchable memory. Engage your digital brain.

by on March 12, 2011 in Creating Culture

EVERNOTE: Eliminate clutter. Create a searchable memory. Engage your digital brain.

by Lauren Elrod (Twitter: @laurenelrod)

Here are the absolute basics for utilizing Evernote.

An amazing tool that synchronizes your life realtime on all your digital devices. Add a note to your iPhone Evernote app and presto! It automatically syncs your desktop computer, online website, iPad and other digital devices.

FIRST // COMPLETE YOUR DOWNLOADS

SECOND // DECIDE YOUR PURPOSE FOR EVERNOTE

You can use Evernote in many different ways

  • Anything and Everything for all your random thoughts, inspirations, and miscellaneous things to remember
  • Author use Evernote as a way to work on a book – creating a notebook for each chapter
  • Teacher file your inspirations and ideas for future lesson plans
  • Realtor track your listings, properties and comps
  • Student keep track of your schoolwork, projects and papers

THIRD // NAME YOUR NOTEBOOKS

Possibly the most critical part of your beginning to use evernote. You must create a filing system based on how you think – how you remember things…

I like action words. My notebooks are as follows:

  • Create (for projects)
  • Go (for future travels)
  • Imagine (for art or anything whimsical)
  • Listen (for music)
  • Obtain (for things I want to buy)
  • Read (for books, quotes, or authors)
  • Recall (for lists I make)
  • See (for films or photography)
  • Taste (for recipes or restaurants)

Name your notebooks in a way that makes the most sense for how you are utilizing Evernote.

FOURTH // CREATE YOUR NOTES

Create your notes within your notebooks

  • Include applicable URL’s in each note
  • Set GPS location for each note (to remember where it was created / search by location)
  • Add tags to each note for to maximize searching ability

These basic steps barely scratch the surface of all Evernote has to offer. More information to follow on how to greater utilize this incredible tool and to be a part of informative training sessions.

What is your favorite thing about Evernote?

Or are you a first-time user?

Would you be interested in a training session for your team?

Email

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19 Responses to “EVERNOTE — How to: Eliminate clutter. Create a searchable memory. Engage your digital brain.”

  1. Libby
    Twitter:
    March 12, 2011 at 9:21 am #

    I have added this to my laptop and my android! Looking forward to how I can use it. Thanks for introducing me to it.

    Libby

    • Lauren March 12, 2011 at 4:41 pm #

      @Libby, That’s great! More instructions and helpful tips to follow! :-)

  2. Hans
    Twitter:
    March 12, 2011 at 9:47 am #

    Lauren, nice post here on your dad’s blog. I like how you’ve broken down the possible people who could benefit from Evernote. And you’re right, this has only scratched the surface.

    I use Evernote for work files to keep track of jobs and personnel evaluations. I use it personally for drafting blog posts and taking notes of what I read (on blogs like this!). And I use it for a university course I’m taking for collecting and organizing research.

    I can’t wait to hear your other tricks. I’ve written about Evernote in this blog post: http://www.hansschiefelbein.com/2011/01/27/productivity-essential-evernote/

    Following you now on Twitter.

    • Lauren March 12, 2011 at 4:45 pm #

      @Hans, Awesome! I will find you and find you and follow back. I’m so glad you’re a fellow lover of Evernote – how cool that you are using it for your schoolwork!

      I can’t wait to read your blogpost!

  3. Randy Kinnick
    Twitter:
    March 12, 2011 at 10:28 am #

    I’ve used Evernote for a while now…mostly to capture website images for use in blog posts. I will be utilizing it more fully with your suggestions. I look forward to how it will impact my organizational skills!

    • Lauren March 12, 2011 at 4:46 pm #

      @Randy Kinnick, That’s so great to hear! Good luck in your future Evernote organizational endeavors – keep checking back for more tips and tricks!

  4. mikeraburn
    Twitter:
    March 12, 2011 at 10:50 am #

    I added Evernote to my MacBook, iPad, and iPhone a while back, but I have not established a workflow for it yet. I am still using Scrivener on my Mac and Notebook on the iPad (which sync together using Dropbox). This leaves my phone out of the loop and I do wind up sending myself emails when I have a brainwave while out and about with only the phone. I will probably give Evernote a serious go once I finish my dissertation (in 2 weeks!).

    Thanks for these basic tips. I would be interested in further training.

    • Lauren March 12, 2011 at 4:47 pm #

      @mikeraburn, Nice! Yes, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with Evernote on you iPhone – I feel it’s the single most essential and beneficial component of the three.

      I will post soon about further training!

  5. Lauren Elrod March 12, 2011 at 2:02 pm #

    Absolutely! More instructional posts and helpful tips to follow!

  6. Robin Stanley
    Twitter:
    March 12, 2011 at 2:58 pm #

    I’ve been researching note apps to use with my Droid. I hadn’t set my mind on one yet. But your post just took my efforts to a tipping point. I’ll give EverNote a shot. Thank you!

    • Lauren March 12, 2011 at 4:50 pm #

      @Robin Stanley, Absolutely! I haven’t experienced Evernote on the Droid but I’m sure it’s a similar interface. Keep checking back for more tips on how to effectively utilize Evernote! Thanks for the comment!

  7. Kyle Reed
    Twitter:
    March 12, 2011 at 3:20 pm #

    I love being able to use the chrome extension of evernote. I usually stumble upon a great site and love that I can click the button to remember it later.

    I mainly use evernote right now to remember code and css stuff, but I am working on using it on a much wider basis.

    Thanks for writing this stuff out.

    • Lauren March 12, 2011 at 4:50 pm #

      @Kyle Reed, Sure thing – I’m looking forward to checking it out on Chrome – the web clipping is an awesome feature! Check back next weekend for more tips!

  8. Lauren March 12, 2011 at 4:48 pm #

    Absolutely! I haven’t experienced Evernote on the Droid but I’m sure it’s a similar interface. Keep checking back for more tips on how to effectively utilize Evernote! Thanks for the comment!

  9. Josh Hood
    Twitter:
    March 14, 2011 at 10:46 am #

    I too love using the Chrome extension. Evernote is such a powerful tool. My only concern with it is being able to transfer my data to a different source if Evernote were to peter out in the future. (Forgive me if that sounds fatalistic! lol)

    Here’s another review of Evernote with a how-to video demo: http://joshuamhood.com/cool-thing-of-the-week-evernote/

  10. Lori Mahon
    Twitter:
    March 15, 2011 at 12:12 pm #

    I have so many friends that use Evernote and I want to use it, but haven’t had the time to dig into it – I love the simplicity you offered here! Thanks Lauren!

    Lori

  11. Cyle Lewis March 16, 2011 at 10:10 am #

    This is awesome Lauren. Thank you so much. I have been using evernote for a week. I love it, however I didn’t understand the notebook aspect. I have simply been clipping and within a week I almost used all the space for clips. I think I was using evernote more like a tumbler or something. I will be getting a smartphone in a few weeks which will make the program much more useful.

    Thanks Lauren for such a great and informative post:)

  12. matthewdlyons April 4, 2011 at 8:53 pm #

    Nice piece Lauren. I’m sharing with friends on Facebook and Twitter

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