How do i stop writing notes on paper??

[Alvin Russell 0]

I am trying my best to use this handy app, but old habit is hard to break. Any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Thanks

[gazumped 11,652]

Hi.  I still write notes on paper - I just take a picture of the note with my phone when I finish and save it into Evernote.  If writing works for you,  don't worry about it!

[DTLow 5,736]

On March 5, 2016 at 10:33 AM, Alvin Russell said:

I am trying my best to use this handy app, but old habit is hard to break. Any helpful hints would be appreciated.

Thanks

What devices do you have?
I have an iPad and I'm working to kick the paper habit.
However, I also carry pen and a paper notebook - sometimes its the better tool.

The first thing I noticed is that Evernote is not the best app for this.
There is Penultimate which has some Evernote connection; however the app I use is Notability.
When I'm finished, I save the result as a pdf and attach it to an Evernote note.

 

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

On 3/5/2016 at 0:33 PM, Alvin Russell said:

How do i stop writing notes on paper??

I am trying my best to use this handy app, but old habit is hard to break

Well, I suppose it is like any other habit you want to change:

1. Remove from your immediate sight/availability the "bad" stuff (paper)
   1. Do NOT have a physical notebook/notepad/paper on your computer desk
   2. Do NOT carry a small spiral notebook used to write notes in.
2. Force yourself to use Evernote until it becomes second nature
3. Setup your Mac/PC to make Evernote easy to use
   1. Make sure you know the global hot keys to:
      1. Create a new blank note
      2. Create a new note from the clipboard
      3. Do a search in EN from any app
   2. Keep EN desktop app running at all times
4. Learn the tricks/tips to easily create a new note on your mobile devices
   1. Use 3rd party apps that integrate with Evernote 
   2. Use the device OS, like with iPhone, use Siri to "send email to my evernote"
5. Maintain discipline -- don't give in to old "urges"

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

[Candid 167]

If your devices don't support handwriting or converting handwriting to text, you probably don't and might not want to. While it sounds great to be paperless, there is pretty good neuroscience that shows handwriting as opposed to typing embeds information more permanently/deeply. 

So my first suggestion is get a device that is built with handwriting in mind. I used both a Samsung Note and Surface Pro, both convert my handwriting into notes when I used their system pens. 

[JMichaelTX 4,117]

On 3/10/2016 at 6:16 AM, Candid said:

there is pretty good neuroscience that shows handwriting as opposed to typing embeds information more permanently/deeply

Interesting point, which, I admit, I had difficulty in accepting at first.  So I did a little research, and found this from Scientific American which confirms your statement:  A Learning Secret: Don"t Take Notes with a Laptop 

So, I accept your statement as fact.  However, I still wonder if handwriting is the best approach in all cases, particularly in non-academic recording of notes.  For me, I want to capture the most information I can, accurately, and be able to read it later.  My handwriting is not the best, especially when I am in a hurry.  And, like most others, I can type much faster than I can write.  If you are not a touch-typist, this may not be true.

So, when I am watching a online web cast or video tutorial, or on a phone call with a vendor or client, I am typing my notes directly into EN Mac.  I used to write notes into a notebook on my desk.  And now, I capture far more information that is legible.  My goal is not to commit it to memory as much as to have a complete record that I can review/study later.

Bottom line:  IMO it is still better to capture notes by typing into Evernote, or by speaking into a voice-to-text tool, than to write on a piece of paper.  Writing on electronic devices is still very difficult.

[DTLow 5,736]

On March 14, 2016 at 5:47 PM, JMichaelTX said:

My handwriting is not the best, especially when I am in a hurry.  And, like most others, I can type much faster than I can write.  If you are not a touch-typist, this may not be true.

>>handwriting
Sadly, my handwriting is poor, but that's another reason why I keep practicing on my IPad.
It is a skill I value, but I've heard it is dropped from some school curriculums.

I am fast on a keyboard and a touch typist, however this suffers with the onscreen keyboard.
Its also not the best workflow in taking notes.

I am also trying out the Myscript-Stylus, an alternate keyboard which replaces the onscreen keyboard with a handwriting area and converts handwriting to text.
This posting is done using handwriting.

[Candid 167]

On 3/14/2016 at 8:47 PM, JMichaelTX said:

Interesting point, which, I admit, I had difficulty in accepting at first.  So I did a little research, and found this from Scientific American which confirms your statement:  A Learning Secret: Don"t Take Notes with a Laptop 

So, I accept your statement as fact.  However, I still wonder if handwriting is the best approach in all cases, particularly in non-academic recording of notes.  For me, I want to capture the most information I can, accurately, and be able to read it later.  My handwriting is not the best, especially when I am in a hurry.  And, like most others, I can type much faster than I can write.  If you are not a touch-typist, this may not be true.

So, when I am watching a online web cast or video tutorial, or on a phone call with a vendor or client, I am typing my notes directly into EN Mac.  I used to write notes into a notebook on my desk.  And now, I capture far more information that is legible.  My goal is not to commit it to memory as much as to have a complete record that I can review/study later.

Bottom line:  IMO it is still better to capture notes by typing into Evernote, or by speaking into a voice-to-text tool, than to write on a piece of paper.  Writing on electronic devices is still very difficult.

I hear you on the handwriting thing. As DTLow does, I also use the convert to text tools in my devices to "improve" my handwriting. I had to relearn how to make a capital "G" because my devices consistently saw it as either a lower case "b" or "6". 

I think you make a good point about discerning what your purpose in taking notes is. If you need to do something precise and you are taking notes, probably typing it up and making sure all the details is captured. But if you read the article you link, you'll see that if what you want to do is recall something while in process of working, that it might be wiser to go the handwritten route.

I do not work in an academic setting and I find this to be true. Last year I coached debaters. To prepare I listened to a lot of youtube lectures on debate at the high school and college level. Debaters all have trained themselves to speak both fast and clearly (I have been told that in a debate some debaters have been able to get to as many as 500 words per minute!). What this means for me, making notes on a lecture or workshop is that it can be difficult to keep up. But the real value of having those notes is two fold. Sure I can look them up later and reread topics to prepare for my coaching sessions, but I also need to have some of that knowledge in my head when I am in process and they raise questions, ask for pointers, or encounter a new strategy from an opponent. I can't stop to look up, I must have some data in my head. That's where I think the handwritten notes are the advantage (especially as I use a system that converts them to text). 

You do raise an intriguing question for me. Are audio notes like typing or handwriting? I have not seen any research on that point. I suspect they are more like handwriting. I think one reason people talk out loud to themselves is to aid in processing information. Which means in some situations, you could use that method (obviously this method has limitations).