Coach’s Review of Evernote
A lot of people ask me about Evernote. Should they use it for tasks? Should they use it to go paperless? Should they use it for everything? How will it help them? Here’s what you need to know.
What is Evernote?
Evernote is a virtual filing cabinet that lets you see your files on any computer, your phone, or your tablet. It can also take screen captures and remember web sites you’d like to revisit. Everything is searchable, making retrieval easy, even if you have a lot of information. It is also a great file-sharing tool. (More about Evernote.)
Evernote for Tasks
In a word, don’t. Yes, it’s possible to creates lists of tasks or do GTD with Evernote, but you have to do it inside of documents. You risk losing your tasks somewhere in all the files and notes. In order to make sure you haven’t missed anything, you have to check every document every day. That’s too much work.
Hundreds of existing applications can help you manage, prioritize, and even collaborate on tasks. The best of these will save you more time than Evernote, and some even link up with your Evernote files. Use the right tool for the job. Evernote’s job is file management, not tasks.
When to use Evernote
Use Evernote as a repository for information, especially anything already electronic or for things you might need away from the office. For people who travel, collaborate with a team, work from multiple offices, or who are seeking a paperless office, Evernote is a great system for storing and accessing resource information. Do not use Evernote for sensitive information, which could be “shared” into the wrong hands or accessed on a stolen phone.
Going Paperless
Be careful in seeking a paperless office. A messy office is often the result of poor personal task/time management, and creating good personal systems usually solves the problem. Converting/filing documents usually takes longer than simply filing paper.
Learn more about going paperless.
Coach’s Recommendation
Evernote is a fantastic program. Just make sure you’re using it for what it is: a resource-filing system. If you want a task manager that integrates with Evernote, try Nozbe. With other task managers, you could save links to important notes using the share feature. Evernote is particularly good for teams who need to share files in a variety of locations.
But don’t force yourself into Evernote. It is an optional tool, and if it doesn’t work for your situation, use something else.
