How to (finally) get organized and work smarter with Evernote

Every once in a while you come across a solution that is so elegant and seamless to use that you simply love it. That’s what it was like 10 years ago when I switched back to using a MAC, learned how to Plan like a Pilot, outsourced many parts of my business and discovered Evernote.

A lot has been written about the amazingly useful Evernote app. Leadership expert Michael Hyatt calls it his “digital brain”, best-selling author Tim Ferriss says it “gives him peace of mind.”

I call if friggin beautiful.

Imagine a tool that can clip websites, track your random thoughts, record your daughter’s university class schedule (and tuition receipts) and pull up a recipe for Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing at 5:30 PM when you have 20 minutes to shop, get home, and start dinner.

That’s Evernote.

This free tool (the Premium version allows you unlimited uploads and access off-line) is super easy to learn, use, and integrate into your daily online work. But you have to use it to get the full value from it.

In this post, I’ll share some basics to get you walking with Evernote. If you want to start running I recommend Master Evernote by Steve Scott.

HOW IT WORKS – THE BASICS

Evernote collects and organizes content into notebooks for quick retrieval. I use it for clipping articles and blog posts I want to refer back to for my own writing. The notes in my Evernote include packing lists (I’ll never forget my laptop power cord again), favourite quotations, my Flight Plan for the week, notes from conference calls and from client coaching sessions.

You can also store:

• favourite recipes
• how-to instructions for website changes
• image sizes for images on Facebook, blog, etc
• goals for the year
• stories and exercises for presentations
• common responses to client inquiries
• keep track of sizes (shirts, suits, a cartridge for printer, etc)
• names of people you just met or only see infrequently, like some neighbours

Here’s a simple application of Evernote you might like:

I keep track of books I’ve read and books on my want list. Last year I tripped over a used copy of Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman (now a movie starring Michael Fassbender), loved the gritty writing style and over the course of the year read 4 more Nesbo’s.

The problem comes when, months later, I’m in my favourite used bookstore, see a Nesbo and can’t remember if I’ve read it, or not (imagine what happens after 17 Lee Child novels.) A quick list in Evernote and problem solved.

HOW TO GO PAPERLESS (ALMOST)

One of my favourite applications in Evernote is using my phone’s camera to record my hand-written notes from meetings, coaching calls, seminars I attend, whiteboard brainstorming sessions, or flip charts after facilitating a planning session for clients. Within one minute all my scribbles are recorded, tagged, and the original is gone to paper recycling. Here’s how to do it (you’ll love this one).

First, install the free Evernote app on your phone. Next click on the “+” button on the home page, select the camera icon (you get to choose from Note, Audio, Camera, and Reminder) take a picture. Click “save” and you’re ready to name the note, add a tag and you’re off to recycling with the paper version. Go paperless!

I also use the reminder feature to pull up a note when I need to revisit it. This is awesome with coaching clients. After a coaching session I set a reminder for their next appointment and toss my notes into recycling. On the date of their next appointment, presto! my notes pop up on the screen and I’m ready to go!

HOW TO CLIP WEBSITES

Every day I’m using the Evernote extension on my browser to clip interesting websites for future reference (see below). If I read a blog about marketing I like, with two clicks I can have it stored and tagged.

Later, when I am working on a blog or other writing project I go to Evernote to discover what I have collected on that subject. Sure, I can “google” the topic, but then I’m swimming in a pool of unsorted videos, posts, book reviews, and who-knows-what. Meanwhile, I’ve been collecting relevant articles – that’s where I start.

Or if I’m trying to remember a routine, like how to download the videos from my camera to my MAC, or get the specifications for burning a movie in Screenflow, I go to Evernote.

The steps are:

• install the Evernote web clipper (for Chrome) or for Firefox
• to record a page you want to refer back to, click on the elephant head icon (this is the Evernote extension you installed in your browser).
• Add a tag you will recognize (like leadership, personal, family, blog ideas, etc) and click “Save.”
• That’s it! Your note, without the advertising (the clipping tool will default to “Article” which removes advertising), is automatically synced into your main notebook and on any synced device.

SHARING NOTES

Just like with Google Docs, you can share Evernote Folders and notes. This is a super simple way for your team to be sharing and updating SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) – like the steps we use for publishing this blog.

There’s even a chat feature that allows you to update a colleague without leaving the Evernote platform. Pretty slick.

MERGING NOTES

You can now merge notes into one “super note” in Evernote. This is great if you used the camera feature to take separate images of notes from a meeting or are collecting all the receipts from a trip. I also use this feature when I discover that, over time, I’ve started separate notes on the same topics (like gym exercises, willpower, or productivity).

It’s pretty simple, select all the notes you want merge while holding down the Shift key, right click to choose “Merge notes” and – presto! – you’re done.

HOW EVERNOTE SAVES MY BACON

Every day I have lots of Boulders (projects) banging against my legs looking for attention. In any one day, I might be working on a client for an upcoming speaking engagement, interviewing new clients for SOS, dealing with contractors or researching a new webinar. Evernote keeps it all organized and cuts my production time dramatically. It’s like having an unpaid assistant constantly organizing my thoughts and records.

It's like having an unpaid assistant constantly organizing my thoughts and records. @evernote CLICK TO TWEET

A simple example would be pulling together a custom speech. I’ll start by going to Evernote and pulling up my note with key points from an existing keynote. Then I’ll add my note of favourite quotations, one with my teaching models and one with research points on that topics. With all those pieces, I go to work to map out the new speech.

Sometimes I think my clients must think I have a whole team working with me in my office. I don’t—it’s just me on Evernote.

If you want even more tips and tricks you can do with Evernote head over this “7 smart ways to make Evernote your best buddy”