(Archived) Use Evernote to Get Organized or Use it to Avoid Getting Organized?

[Analyst444 182]

A couple months ago, I started using Evernote and have become an avid user. I've even gotten a couple other people to use it. I've also watched a variety of videos and read a couple articles and a book on Evernote.

 

In my reading and watching, I came across two opposite approaches as to how to use Evernote. The predominant one is to use Evernote to get organized. The other is to use Evernote to avoid having to get organized. While the latter approach is less common, a couple prominent people, including Guy Kawasaki, use it.  If I describe these as two extremes, it nets out to something like this:

 

Use Evernote to Get Organized

• Create a well-designed set of Notebooks (and Stacks) and place each Note in an appropriate Notebook.
• Create a well-designed set of Tags and tag every Note.

Use Evernote to Avoid Getting Organized

• Use just one Notebook.
• Don't use any Tags
• Find Notes by doing keyword searches.

Between these two extremes, there are, of course, many variations.

 

I liked to hear from other Evernote users as to what they view as the pros and cons of these two extreme approaches.

 

[gazumped 11,667]

Which version appeals  to you? 

 

There isn't a 'right' or a 'wrong' way to use Evernote;  the only effective way is to mirror whichever process fits your lifestyle and your intentions.  Pick a version that you're reasonably happy with and try that.  The great strength of Evernote is that if your first try doesn't work,  you can try another,  and another..

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

A couple months ago, I started using Evernote and have become an avid user. I've even gotten a couple other people to use it. I've also watched a variety of videos and read a couple articles and a book on Evernote.

 

In my reading and watching, I came across two opposite approaches as to how to use Evernote. The predominant one is to use Evernote to get organized. The other is to use Evernote to avoid having to get organized. While the latter approach is less common, a couple prominent people, including Guy Kawasaki, use it.  If I describe these as two extremes, it nets out to something like this:

 

Use Evernote to Get Organized

• Create a well-designed set of Notebooks (and Stacks) and place each Note in an appropriate Notebook.
• Create a well-designed set of Tags and tag every Note.

Use Evernote to Avoid Getting Organized

• Use just one Notebook.
• Don't use any Tags
• Find Notes by doing keyword searches.

Between these two extremes, there are, of course, many variations.

 

I liked to hear from other Evernote users as to what they view as the pros and cons of these two extreme approaches.

 

Lots of pros and cons to list, and I think this has been discussed at length on the forums. As you can see by my website (see my signature) and my comments on the forums, I fall into the second category. I don't avoid getting organized, though. I just take a minimalist approach to organization. At the very least, I am organized chronologically, because I start most of my notes with YYMMDD in the title. There are other things I do with note links and so forth that make my account navigable. What are the pros and cons for your use case?