Thoughts On Evernote: How It Changed My Life
February 4, 2009 – 9:58 pm | by Daryl Tay
Evernote
I’ve been a user of Evernote since 8th December 2008, and I don’t think there’s been a day gone by since then that I haven’t used it either on my desktop, laptop or iPod Touch (they have a version for Windows Mobile too).
The premise of Evernote is simple. It’s your second brain. Everything you need to keep track of, or remember, you key it into Evernote and it’s stored in the “cloud”, which then can be accessed via web, mobile or even the Evernote client that can run straight off your desktop. All of these are synced centrally, so you always have the latest version of your updates when you access your notes.
Evernote comes complete with the ability to recognise words within images, the ability to tag and geotag notes, include photographs and voice, and for the premium (paid) version, to sync the same version of files everywhere, which can be useful for people editing documents on the go.
I first really realised the power of Evernote when I clipped some details of my flight on a whim, and then was at the airport trying to check in, but they couldn’t find my name. My e-ticket had the flight number, full name etc, but not the booking number. Luckily, it was a matter of taking out my iPod Touch, checking the tag that said “flight” and all was solved.
Since then, my Evernote usage has evolved in several different ways:
- As a fan of GTD, I have a “tickler” tag in Evernote where I keep track of things I need to pay attention to each day. So I can open up Evernote and know I have a presentation due in 2 weeks. You can read about more about using Evernote and GTD here.
- I’m obsessive about keeping track of what money I spend. I used to key it into my phone, but then would have the hassle of switching between my phone screen and my computer screen (where I key expenditures into an Excel sheet). Now, I just key it into my Touch with the tag “todo”, sync it up, and when I open my Excel sheet, it’s right there on the same computer.
- I keep an “archive” folder in Evernote, where I put things like Amazon shipping costs (so I don’t have to keep going to Amazon and searching for the shipping page), quotes from books, my Sony service number and other things that might be useful.
- I keep track of new books/music/games to check out when I’m at the store, and when I get home it will be on my Evernote so I’m reminded to check out reviews of it to make a purchase decision later
- I used to take notes in class and save them as “week 1″, “week 2″ and so on. Now I just open a note with the tag “comm250″ and type everything in there in chronological order, which makes revising so much easier.
- Everytime an idea pops into my head, I label it “todo” and key it in. When I start up my computer, the “todo” tags are usually the first things I look at, so it helps me focus.
As you can see, the uses and benefits of Evernote really are like having a second brain, and being able to tap into that literally anywhere. I’m rarely in the situation where something important flashes into my head, and I’m stuck trying to recall it two days later.
Because I’m using an iPod Touch, there are a few functionalities that I’m limited from using. Geo-tagging, for one, which can be very useful. For example, if you always have the same type of meeting at a particular spot, you can tag that location, and everytime you’re in there for a meeting, you can call up that tag and see previous meeting notes.
Similarly, if there’s something that needs to be done at a particular store, you can geo-tag it and when you’re in the vicinity, use that to remind you.
Still not convinced? Check out Evernote’s short introduction video. You’ll be sold.
Tomorrow, I’ve got another post lined up with some thoughts on the lessons that can be learned from Evernote, so if you’re a fan, check back for that. Meanwhile, how do you use Evernote? What tips and tricks do you have?
Tags: airport, archive, cloud, desktop, evernote, geotagging, getting things done, gtd, ipod touch, mobile, premium, productivity, sync, tagging, tags, tickler, todo
9 Responses to “Thoughts On Evernote: How It Changed My Life”
By Karen on Feb 5, 2009 | Reply
Hey Daryl,
Nice post on Evernote! I have been using it on my iPhone and my laptop. Only grouch I have is I have no idea how to keep the Internet connection on my iPhone alive in school since it seems to auto-logout every now and then. Anyway, I look forward to your next post on Evernote!
By Daryl Tay on Feb 5, 2009 | Reply
@Karen: I’m glad you like it! I wish I could help you with that but I’m using an iPod Touch and have no idea how to do that. The new post is out!
By Tintin on Apr 17, 2009 | Reply
Hi Daryl glad you like the Evernote. I was quite excited when I heard it. But then when I tried it, it seems it didn’t meet my expectations. I have iPodTouch and I thought it will easily sync my notes, pdf files and the websites I’ve visited even if I’m offline. But I was wrong. I always need to have Wi-Fi to access the notes I’ve uploaded in my Evernote Account.
You’re lucky that you’re always online if you’re using Evernote.
By Daryl Tay on Apr 17, 2009 | Reply
@Tintin: That’s right, I did have an iPod touch initially, and the experience isn’t quite the same as having an iphone where you’re online all the time.
By Tintin on Apr 21, 2009 | Reply
Hi Daryl
that’s why. I uninstalled the Evernote and stop using it. I also wanted to close my account and they sent me the same thing as yours, to confirm that I would like to close it. I have to email them again.
I just bought another tool called PDF+ which I found it easy. I can upload my PDF’s and I can access it even if I’m not online.
regards
Tintin
By Ben Anderson on Sep 9, 2009 | Reply
Daryl, excellent write-up on many of the fantastic uses for Evernote. I wanted to comment because you mentioned GTD and using Evernote as a tickler. I wondered if you’d ever considered loading more of your GTD system into Evernote.
I’ve been using Evernote for all aspects of my GTD system for a little while now and it really works great. You can read about how I have my system set up (http://examinehealth.com/personal-productivity/69-gtd-and-evernote.html) and see if there are any components you like and might want to integrate into your setup.
By Daryl Tay on Sep 10, 2009 | Reply
Thanks, Ben. Yours is incredibly detailed! Going to set aside some time to digest it properly =)