Just like you, my life is filled with details. Details that can bring my life to a screeching halt if I don’t have them when I need them.
Ever been to the bank and have the manager ask you for your Taxpayer ID and you have no idea what it is? I have. Ever been working on a project and need some specific, difficult-to-Google info that you discovered months ago? Me, too.
I’ve tried all kinds of systems to keep organized over the years: Palm Pilots, spiral notebooks, 3 x 5 cards, folders on my computer, and Post-It Notes. Years ago, I even designed a database to keep things in order, but I had to be at my computer to use it, so that didn’t last long.
About a month ago I was at my colleague Mark’s office, and he asked if I’d heard of Evernote. I told him that I had downloaded it weeks ago, but didn’t really know what it was for. Once he told me how he was using it to organize his life, I had to look again. I loved it.
Here’s why I love Evernote:
- Every piece of information I add to Evernote can be accessed from my computer, a browser, or my iPhone. That means my information is everywhere I am, when I need it. Synchronization is automatic and instant.
- Every file, article, or e-book I download can be put in Evernote. I can’t tell you how many articles or e-books I’ve downloaded to my hard drive, and then have no idea where it is 6 months later. Now I just add it to a note in Evernote and not only are they easy to find, they’re completely searchable.
- When I search in Evernote, it searches every single piece of info, including handwritten notes. So even though I can categorize and organize my info into folders, nothing can hide during a search.
- Now that I have Evernote, I no longer have 3 x 5 cards all over my desk and post-its in my notebooks to remind me where my information is written. I have organized, searchable to-do lists, addresses to valuable websites, and every other piece of information that lived in my head and on my desk in one completely searchable place.
Oh, and did I mention that it’s free? Check it out on the Evernote website.