Remember when I promised that this site would be one part practicality? Well, I am working on offering tools that will ensure that my fellow twenty-sixers are not only inspired, but also producing real results. With that being said, welcome to the “Real Life Resource” segment! I think the name speaks for itself. Every Wednesday, we’ll take a step back from all the motivational talk and take a look at one tool to help us be more productive, efficient and…well, extraordinary.
Because we dream so big and work so hard, twenty-sixers are often juggling many responsibilities at any given time. And frankly, it can be difficult to keep things organized. In my quest to better manage all of my projects, I came across a Real Life Resource which has literally helped me do more in less time. It’s called Evernote, and like the website says, it helps me remember everything. This is one of my favorite programs of all time. It is literally an electronic notebook or binder. It’s like a Trapper Keeper for the 21st Century (Remember that little velcroed contraption from the 80’s? LOVED it!).
You can capture anything (photos, documents, notes, etc.) in one place and organize with tags, keywords, and the like. I create separate notebooks for each project or plan I’m working on, and simply drop every related document into it. So,when I’m ready to get to work, I don’t waste valuable time trying to gather a bunch of random materials that I’ve collected over a period of days, or worse, weeks. My favorite feature is probably the “web clipper.” It is a button you can install in your web browser. If you’re on a web page that you’d like to reference again later, you just click the web clipper button and the actual page is captured and added to the notebook that you choose. This is especially great if you’re web surfing or researching for inspiration. A few clicks and you can have a stack of information to review later without ever breaking your flow, printing anything, or using those cluttered bookmarks.
Other bonus features – a search box to quickly find things, a security encryption feature to lock confidential information, and the ability to search handwritten text that has been scanned to your computer. You can even forward emails directly to one of your Evernote notebooks without ever leaving your inbox! Lastly, you can access your stuff from ANYWHERE – the web, your computer program, or a phone app. So, while helping you stay organized, it also acts like a backup service for all of your “stuff.” Win-Win. While there is a paid version of this program, I find the free one serves all my needs. It is very easy to set up, although it may take some time to initially organize all of your documents.
Let me know in the comments section how Evernote might help you work smarter. If you have any questions about how I use the program, feel free to mention those too.
