Evernote & GTD
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Chris asked on twitter about how people are using Evernote for GTD. I’ve read some ways people are using it and some tips, but none of them to me seem like more than just “Hey! Lookit what I can capture and how.” But that’s entirely unfulfilling as it just amounts to more STUFF.
First off, in case you don’t known. Evernote is a great web application as well as desktop and iphone application for capturing information and storing it in a central location. As such it’s my new inbox. I put PDFs in there, pictures, text documents, and notes.
I’ve got 3 files I use all the time that are always current.
- Screaming Baby file
- Big Ole Project List
- Some Day Maybe
My Screaming Baby file is my immediate capture file or things that I jot down (I open it while I’m on the phone and capture things we talk about and them either do them, file them in the appropriate slot, or store them in a reference file at the end of the day and as the day goes on. If I have a second I open and process this screaming baby file. A screaming baby always needs attention to make it stop. This file should not be more than a screen long. If it is you’re not processing enough. You’re just capturing. Take a minute to organize or you’ll get overwhelmed and nothing will ever get done.
My Big Ole Project List file is where my next actions go. I hate not having what the next actions are associated with being there so I tend to have projects with the projects’ next actions indicated. I indent if I’m waiting on something and if I have next actions after the wait and want reminders I indent that as another indent. Once I’m no longer waiting I move the indent over back to the left. Once a project is completed I move it to another file, it would be a 4th, but it’s not that important, I just hate deleting anything. The 4th file is called “Done Done Done” I copy/paste the completed project over to there at the bottom, and add the date to the name in parenthesis so I know when it was completed in case later someone wants to know. This list gets gone over thoroughly at week’s end. Some projects can sit for a while, but if it sits for 2 weeks with no action I scratch it. Obviously it wasn’t important. It goes to my Some Day Maybe file from here. I want it capture, but want it off my mind nagging me. This works for me. But, I have to do it weekly or it gets big and unwieldy and I start to have anxiety attacks.
The Some Day Maybe file is just like in GTD except where I mentioned above I put things from my Project List on here if I’m not moving on them. Sometimes priorities on a project change and things go from really important to back-burner. I don’t want to forget them, and if I get caught up (lol) then I have my Some Day Maybe list to check on, and I DO check it on my weekly review, to see if any of the priorities have bumped back up.
Otherwise I use it as a huge dump bin. I file all sorts of stuff in here and tag the snot out of it. I also have folders where things should belong, and I put things in multiple folders. In the above example is a PDF of our Safety Meeting topic for June. I tagged it with Safety, work, Safety Meeting, meeting, stress, and HR. Then I filed it in Work. Where I file it doesn’t matter as much because I use the tagging a LOT more than I use the folders. I have 2 folders total, Work and Personal. I try and keep my main folder, my collection folder empty and uncluttered, just like we’re supposed to do with our inboxes. Periodically, if I’m bored I’ll click through my “stuff” that I have filed and throw out the garbage that I don’t need any more.
So, that’s how I use Evernote as my implementation of GTD. It’s working pretty well for me so far. It keeps the stuff there once I check it off, and that’s helpful. It’s searchable which is helpful, and it’s fast for me. It also allows me to play with whole projects and not just “next actions” which to me has never been entirely satisfying. I like projects as well as next actions.
Oh, and if you’re wondering, I REALLY like the screen capture and “Copy to Evernote” parts of it. I grab webpages that way for reference all the time because it keeps the links and is searchable. Even pictures/photos are word searchable after they’ve been marinating in Evernote for a while.
The post: Evernote & GTD by Rich Griffith, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
