Creating Lists to be more productive

[Kasey 7]

I'm a big list maker, but my lists tend to get lost in a pile of a bunch of other stuff. Lately, I've started associating my lists with my calendar and tying them together using Note Links (http://blog.evernote.com/2011/10/21/did-you-know-note-links-and-how-to-use-them/). What are some of your best tips for getting more done in a given day?

[Brandie 6]

What a cool feature! I will definitely give this a try. Thanks!

[dasevilla 3]

I have a 'list' tag and a saved search for that tag so I can quickly find all my lists.

[fumisme 3]

I tried to use a note link in my gmail calendar in the Description category and the link wasn't recognized. Why was that??

[LifeasBryan 0]

I'm in the minority but with the new Mango update for Windows Phone 7 I just pin individual notes and you can with lists to quickly access them. You can do the same in Android and get more in depth and add all of them into folders too. Just adding something else

[davidward 13]

I tried to use a note link in my gmail calendar in the Description category and the link wasn't recognized. Why was that??

This is a limitation of google, not EN. You have to cut/paste the link into a browser window, hit Enter, and the note launches. Works with Chrome and Firefox; don't know about others.

[Jamie Todd Rubin 17]

I also use a tag; typically "Inbox" (as in GTD) and I'll tag any notes to take action on with that tag. Then I use a Saved Search to see the list. Once I've taken action, I either delete the note, or if I need the information, remove the Inbox tag and give it some other, more appropriate tag, that way it clears out of the list.

[altcountryman 0]

I have a 'list' tag and a saved search for that tag so I can quickly find all my lists.

Good idea! I have a ton of different lists in Evernote, and I could see this being helpful.

The other thing I do, for unfinished to-do items, is use a saved search with the syntax: "todo:false", but the "List" tag would be nice for anything that's a list and not necessarily a to-do checkbox.

[Owyn 457]

I tried to use a note link in my gmail calendar in the Description category and the link wasn't recognized. Why was that??

This is a limitation of google, not EN. You have to cut/paste the link into a browser window, hit Enter, and the note launches. Works with Chrome and Firefox; don't know about others.

Yeah. The link is clickable however in Reminder emails and published events.

[Nico Veenkamp 10]

I also use a tag; typically "Inbox" (as in GTD) and I'll tag any notes to take action on with that tag. Then I use a Saved Search to see the list. Once I've taken action, I either delete the note, or if I need the information, remove the Inbox tag and give it some other, more appropriate tag, that way it clears out of the list.

I use a notebook called INBOX. This is my designated INBOX where everything I jot down or take a note of will end up in first. This is also where my forwarded mail messages end up in. Then when I do my review I add tags and move them to other notebooks or they get moved to a specific notebook called DONE. This is my archiving notebook.

[jrcchicago 17]

I use the note links to tie individual notes to related tasks in Remember the Milk, which makes what was already a pretty good combination that much better.

[linz 4]

I use the note links to tie individual notes to related tasks in Remember the Milk, which makes what was already a pretty good combination that much better.

Same right now, although i am trying out zendone in beta and praying they add an android app sooner rather than later.

[fumisme 3]

I tried to use a note link in my gmail calendar in the Description category and the link wasn't recognized. Why was that??

This is a limitation of google, not EN. You have to cut/paste the link into a browser window, hit Enter, and the note launches. Works with Chrome and Firefox; don't know about others.

Thanks so much for the info!!

[jmayson 10]

I'm a big list maker, but my lists tend to get lost in a pile of a bunch of other stuff. Lately, I've started associating my lists with my calendar and tying them together using Note Links (http://blog.evernote...ow-to-use-them/). What are some of your best tips for getting more done in a given day?

That's a really good idea, I had never thought of doing that.

I set up a list of contextual tags (e.g. @office, @home, @walmart, etc.). When I find myself with a pocket of time I pull out my phone and scan these notes to see if there's something that needs doing that I can quickly knock out. I also like tagging a shopping list to a specific store. For instance say I need light bulbs. Many stories sell light bulbs so I give that note multiple tags. It also allows me to ignore items that aren't relevant. For instance Office Depot doesn't sell yogurt, so why have that on a shopping list when I'm not in a food store?

[Joshua Zerkel 7]

I'm the reverse of Kasey - I'm not a big list-maker. In fact, I almost never make lists - they just don't work for me. I hate having "homework" - which is what lists feel like to me. As soon as I have an idea or task, I try to decide immediately whether I'll actually get around to doing it. If it makes the cut, it goes directly on my calendar.

[Tracey Smith 82]

LOVE this idea! I just made a notebook called INBOX...but how do I set up all my new evernote notes/emails and such to go THERE first?

Sorry...am a newbie and trying to learn all I can on how to best utilize this great tool.

I use a notebook called INBOX. This is my designated INBOX where everything I jot down or take a note of will end up in first. This is also where my forwarded mail messages end up in. Then when I do my review I add tags and move them to other notebooks or they get moved to a specific notebook called DONE. This is my archiving notebook.

[Owyn 457]

You need to make it your "default" notebook.

e.g. using the windows client

Right Click (notebook) -> Properties -> Check "Make this my default notebook" -> OK

[ranee25 1]

Tracey - I have a saved search called "inbox" that searches for any note that has not been tagged (-tag:*). Everything will show in that search until I have time to process it and add the appropriate tags.

[funkiestj 3]

Tracey - I have a saved search called "inbox" that searches for any note that has not been tagged (-tag:*). Everything will show in that search until I have time to process it and add the appropriate tags.

After reading GTD and thinking about how to GTD in Evernote I settled on the same inbox approach -- capture in Evernote (or anywhere else) should be as easy as possible. What could be easier than NOT taking additional action to tag a note?

The one gripe I have about the alternate approach of having a separate "inbox" notebook is that moving notes out of the "inbox" notebook to other notebooks is more cumbersome (IMO) than simply tagging. I guess if I used different notebooks for more than defining visibility (local, cloud, cloud-shared) this "inbox" notebook might make more sense.

[Owyn 457]

The biggest value, to me, of the separate Inbox is that it makes the items that have not yet been processed very visible.

[Joshua Zerkel 7]

The biggest value, to me, of the separate Inbox is that it makes the items that have not yet been processed very visible.

I think having the separate inbox also is a metaphor that most of us are familiar with signifying things that are not yet processed - whether it's our email inbox, or our physical inbox on our desk or at home. Most people I work with seem to "just get it" that what's in their Evernote inbox has yet to be sorted or processed. It's a handy tool for those that are not comfortable/familiar with tagging.

[C6REW 416]

Some more useful information here and I like the idea of being able to use 'note-links'

No way would I want my email to come into Evernote. I received many hundreds of emails every day. I have Outlook set up with many folders. Emails from certain people/companies drop straight into the correct folder using 'rules'.

Anything that needs doing is simply dropped into a 'to-do' folder. A sub folder of this is for completed 'to-do' tasks called 'Quick Save To Max' where it links directly to my Maximizer CRM database and every now and then from in there I tell it to synchronise. Emails are then saved directly into my Maximizer database against the correct people. This way I have a permanent record of what they have sent me. Currently going back 14 years in this company!

Any emails that request me to do something get copied and pasted into the current days 'note' in Evernote. Once a task is completed and noted as so in Evernote then the email is dragged into the 'Quick Save To Max' folder. All done in a few key strokes and at any time I am able to see if there are tasks that need doing.

Regards

Chris

[deverill 54]

Joshua has a good point about the inbox being a metaphor that almost everyone can understand.

I have an Inbox notebook simply for the purpose of having somewhere for incoming things to land. I will frequently forward invoices, receipts, good informational, etc from my email to my Evernote email address. This goes to the default notebook if I do not specify on the subject line. I have notebooks like "Medical Information - docs/labs" which is detailed so I can remember that this is for lab reports and the "Medical Taxes" is for tax receipts. To put a name like this on the subject line is not practical so it is easier for me to just forward it as it to EN and then the next time I'm in there cleaning up (GTD would call it a review) I'll move/tag it as appropriate.

I'm not much for an email "inbox zero" approach but my Evernote inbox is mostly empty at any given time. It is just a landing spot for me.