How to use evernote for a diary

[ikukuru 0]

Hi,

 

I want to use evernote as a traditional diary. i.e. text only and one or more entries per day, organised in chronological order.

 

There are tons of threads about something similar, with conflicting suggestions.

 

Entry methods will be web, OS X, Windows and iOS.

 

Is there any concenus on the "best" method? 

 

I have problems with Evernote as it is, see my other thread from today, so I'd like to keep it simple.

 

Thanks

[C6REW 416]

Hi,

 

Here are details of what I have put on the forum before, but with a few little updates.

 

This has worked exceptionally well for me and my company, allowing an easy way of tracking tasks and keeping them neatly in a Diary in a simpler way than I have found before.

 

Using a similar method in the past with OneNote I have instant diary related information going back to 2007. This has proven so useful when out and about and being asked for information I have worked on during that time. The upgrade to Evernote and alteration to suit it's system has proven so successful I freely give this information about another huge benefit of using this amazing software.

 

 

 

CREATION AND KEEPING OF A DIARY IN EVERNOTE

I have a Notebook called 'Diary 2014' and a Notebook called 'Diary 2014 - Completed'

 

As tasks arrive on my desk they go into my diary in one of two ways.

 

Simple tasks go into a new Note which is created every day. The Note would be titled '140319 - General'  for today.

The task is typed or copied into the Note and then a check box is added to the bottom and a line.

 

The next task that arrives for me goes below this line.

 

Addendum.

To be fair the above set up worked well to start with but I have now found it better to create a new 'Diary Note' using the above naming system and as described below for every task. Whilst this increases the quantity of Notes, it helps when searching for information.

 

Any emails that need dealing with get sent to my 'Diary 2014' Notebook. I do this by either clicking on the 'Evernote' icon in Microsoft Outlook, or clicking on a 'quick step' in Microsoft Outlook which I created. It adds @Dairy 2014 to the end of the title and then moves the email to my archive file. I add the date code manually to the front of the email title. So by way of example lets say I get an email with the following title:

 

Quotation Required By XYZ Company

 

This will be forwarded and the new title will be:

 

140319 - Quotation Required By XYZ Company

 

With tasks now in various Notes I begin to work on them.

 

Any communication from a customer is highlighted in Green

 

Any communication from a supplier is highlighted in Purple

 

Any communication from me is highlighted in Red

 

This allows easy viewing of notes within a Note. 

 

All emails to and from customers and suppliers are copied into the Note, with the newest information shown at the top. The original opening part of the Note and any relevant details such as pricing information always stays at the top along with the Tick Box at the bottom of that section and a line.

 

Once the task is completed the 'Tick Box' will be ticked meaning the Note has been completed. The Note is then moved to the 'Diary - 2014 - Completed' Notebook.

 

It becomes an easy way of dealing with tasks as I go through my day and I can easily see how many 'tasks' I have to complete by the quantity of 'Notes' in the Diary 'Notebook.

 

What this method does for me is keep all of my tasks in one location and by keeping the date code (thanks again for the suggestion GrumpyMonkey) the Notes are in date order.

[ikukuru 0]

Thanks for the reply!

 

i guess we are running into language issues over what i mean by diary. 

 

I mean diary in the sense of 'dear diary', but for management, to write down scenarios experienced and draw out lessons learned, etc.

 

not an agenda or list of things to be done. i use todo lists for that. 

[C6REW 416]

Hi,

 

I tend to think of a Diary in business terms. I think you mean a Diary in 'personal' terms.

 

You could probably still use the basics of what I have given you. Keep the naming of each Note by date code mentioned. That way the Notes/Diary entries will be easy to follow.

 

Best regards

 

Chris

[Don Sakers 98]

Here's what I do: http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/24814-updating-a-diary/?p=131701

 

I have over 14,000 notes, one per day, covering pretty much my entire recorded life.

[ikukuru 0]

Hey Don,

 

Thanks for clearly explaining how your system works. 

 

Unfortunately I find it cumbersome and I am surprised that evernote doesn't handle this more intuitively or that there is not some alternative app using evernote syncing that handles it better.

 

Thanks again for making everything clear.

[megsaint 441]

I use a number of different tools. However, you might find, from iOS devices, something like PostEver is useful. It allows you to make entries throughout the day and posts them, location stamped if you like, to a single document per day. 

 

You might also take a look at this:

 

http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/25369-howto-journal-in-evernote-vs-dedicated-program/?p=250102

 

You might also consider, if you're primarily using Mac and iOS, DayOne. It's a beautiful, simple journal app that syncs across Mac OS and iOS. 

[ikukuru 0]

i do have dayone and maybe that has spoiled me. unfortunately i need windows and web input, with syncing across all platforms.

 

and infact, what i want, is a 'captains log'!

 

and i was ready to try this method using IFTTT until this: 

 

 

There is one critical log maintenance operation that I haven't yet figured out how to automate.  If you prefer a daily log note as opposed to single log that goes on forever, you will have to go into Evernote at the end of every day (or early the next morning) and manually change your log note title so that the next day's items are appended to a new log.

[megsaint 441]

I haven't found that to be the case. ifttt.com seems to create a new note every day without my intervention.