How To Set Up Evernote For Gtd

WHAT WE KNOW:

Why Evernote for GTD - Part 1 (Page 2 of 7)

Reason i: Evernote brand positioning. An app whose trademark is "Call up Everything" and has an elephant (which never forgets!) every bit it's logo is a good candidate as a trusted system outside your brain.
Reason ii: Evernote is flexible in iii primal ways. All position Evernote every bit an app that can exist precisely tailored to your unique GTD tracking needs and evolve as your life ebbs and flows:
- Evernote works on multiple platforms
- Evernote can store any digital information format
- Evernote can be organized even so you want

Hither we'll accost the virtually powerful reason to employ Evernote for GTD: You can manage your entire life from one app vs many. Information technology's simpler. It's more than cost effective. And, information technology's more efficient.

REASON #3: EVERNOTE IS ONE TOOL (VS MANY)

When creating your trusted organisation outside your brain, you have a pick: build information technology with one app, or with a suite of apps.

To make a proper choice, you must start sympathise what the daily work of a GTD practice is.

Getting Things Done is organized into 3 parts. Part 2 – representing over 50% of the book – is titled "Practicing Stress-Gratuitous Productivity". These chapters particular out the 5 Steps of Mastering Workflow, the core of your daily GTD practice and a core tenant of the book.

GTD THEME: THE 5 STEPS OF MASTERING WORKFLOW

Getting Things Done defines these 5 steps as the methodology for mastering workflow and gaining control of your life:

The piece of work of the reader is to craft their own system using tools of their choice to support working through this process.

Which sounds more efficient: Using one tool for all 5 of these steps? Or having multiple tools for these steps?

With Evernote, yous can accomplish all 5 steps with a unmarried app (I've done information technology every day, for years now).

Imagine: Just ane tool to learn and only one subscription to pay. You're saving time and money already.

And, Evernote's features are brilliant in supporting a GTD do. Permit'due south now look at each phase of the v Steps of Mastering Workflow and inspect exactly how Evernote supports the GTD practitioner in getting things done and achieving stress-gratuitous productivity.

First up: Capture.

01: CAPTURE

It all starts with capture. The goal is to gather 100% of the "Incomplete's" in our lives and David teaches:

"Y'all should have equally many in-trays as you need and as few as you can get past with . You lot need this function to be available to you in every context, since things you'll desire to capture may evidence upwardly nigh anywhere."

Shouldn't your GTD tool be your ultimate inbox?

EVERNOTE: THE ULTIMATE CAPTURE TOOL

Evernote is widely recognized as the tiptop capture tool on the market and a central reason those who dearest Evernote really love Evernote.

Evernote enables users to easily and efficiently capture and centralize anything we come across twenty-four hours-to-solar day that nosotros may want to have activeness on – either now or in the future – or continue for whatever reason.

Ideas, work, abode projects, articles to read, travel…our brain finds "stuff" it wants to go on in so many places. And that's a huge part of the value proposition of Evernote. Anytime my brain finds something worth retaining, no matter where I come across information technology – on the web, as a thought, in a document, through handwritten notes, an email – I capture information technology to Evernote, with an effortless tap or click, and at the speed of thought.

It works like this for me:

In addition to illustrating my workflow, this graphic highlights why you're and so overwhelmed and cached under the crushing weight of information descending on you. In that location's A LOT coming at united states of america.

And, without a solid grasp on how to capture it all, information technology'due south like shooting fish in a barrel to retreat from battle and permit the "stuff" win. Next thing you know, sticky notes line your monitor, your email inbox has 200 (or 2,000) unread emails, receipts are busting out of the shoebox, your laptop desktop is a cluttered mess of icons, and y'all take to tell yourself 14 times to buy q-tips at Target.

Merely Evernote puts me in command. Information technology doesn't matter what context I'm in:

If I'm sitting at my calculator on a Zoom call – I take notes right in Evernote.
If I'grand driving to the gym and I have an idea pop into my caput – I speak my ideas into my Apple watch and it saves it in Evernote.
The hummus recipe I found online to exam out on Sabbatum – the web clipper saves it in a click into Evernote.
If I'm surfing the web and I discover a blog I want to read later – I just clip it to Evernote.
If the schoolhouse sends me a PDF of the soccer schedule via electronic mail, I forward the electronic mail into Evernote – both the email and attachment are there when I demand them.
If I answer to an email and want to save information technology, I bcc my Evernote account and it suddenly appears.
When I attend a conference, I tape the presenter by recording an audio note in Evernote and I scan the business cards of those I met right to Evernote – and the contact info is automatically extracted and saved to my contacts. That's side by side-level networking correct at that place!
The air filter at my house that I can never remember the size of when I'm at the shop? I merely share the photo from my camera roll straight to Evernote.
The abode warranty plan I need to access when the refrigerator goes haywire? I browse it to Evernote with my desktop scanner.
Those viscid notes where I jot down the telephone number of the vendor I demand to contact – I take a moving-picture show with the Evernote camera on my phone and save it in Evernote.

All of these are examples of open loops that – in order to finer do GTD – need to be off of my mind and kept in my trusted organization (non my brain). Evernote makes it easy.

Evernote really is the ultimate inbox.

And because all your "stuff" is now in a single spot – you've already captured a huge productivity advantage. Research shows that 20% of your calendar week is spent searching for stuff. What a waste product of time and precious brain energy!

By only centralizing all your stuff in Evernote, you're limiting the number of places you need to search. Imagine knowing that your car keys are only in i possible location. Y'all'd save boatloads of fourth dimension hunting for your keys.

And, since Evernote's manufacture-leading capture is matched past industry-leading search (more than on this afterwards), y'all've fix yourself upward for hours of efficiency gains by simply centralizing your stuff and reducing the number of places you have to search for things.

Yous're already way ahead of the game past just using Evernote for capture - Pace ane of the 5 Steps of Mastering Workflow.

CLARIFY & ORGANIZE

One time you've captured (and every bit a result, centralized) everything in Evernote, the adjacent two steps of mastering workflow are Clarify and Organize.

At present that you've captured everything, don't waste time switching tools. Clarify and organize in Evernote as well.

GTD provides this workflow diagram to summarize the work done in the clarify and organize phases:

Clarifying and organizing requires you to determine what the "stuff" is that you captured and put it in the appropriate spot. In GTD terms, typical spots include on a contextual next action list, in a folder, or on your calendar.

02: CLARIFY

Representing the middle column of the Mastering Workflow map, in the clarifying stage, you'll do the work to get to the bottom of everything you've captured in your "in box".

Coaching Success Tip: Each Evernote account comes with a default notebook. Rename this to ".In Box" – this is where you'll capture everything that has your attention (and learn why at that place is a leading period equally part of the notebook name).

EVERNOTE: YOUR DIGITAL Desk

Working from the Evernote desktop awarding is the digital equivalent to sitting down and working at a physical desk. Evernote is your master command centre for clarifying.

Coaching Success Tip: To effectively utilize Evernote for GTD, you must use the full-featured desktop version of Evernote for the clarify and organize stages of GTD. The desktop app provides speed, features, and efficiencies that you won't observe in Evernote spider web.

Simply like when you sit down at your physical desk in order to focus on what it is y'all saturday down to do, launching the Evernote app on your figurer is the digital space to focus on, and analyze your work.

You lot've already captured everything inside the Evernote app. Now you lot'll look at what you've captured – note by annotation – and:

identify it
decide what it is
decide what information technology ways
decide what y'all're going to do with it

And, considering you are only capturing to a single tool you only need to work from this unmarried digital desk to clarify.

03: ORGANIZE

The work of the organize phase is to accept each item you accept captured and clarified, and movement information technology from your inbox to a predefined spot in your system as represented by all the perimeter icons of the mastering workflow diagram.

It's at the organize phase where some GTD practitioners outset to balloon out of control by adding apps outside of Evernote to their trusted organisation.

They utilize Evernote for the capture phase (because it's the all-time capture tool on the market), merely they remember they demand a "task tracking" app and a "project management" app to manage their stuff.

This simply isn't true. It can all exist managed with Evernote. You just demand to know how – and near don't.

And before they know information technology, they have a web of apps that make upwards their trusted system. They are paying multiple subscriptions. They accept to learn the details of multiple applications. One app releases an update and the integrations they had with other parts of their organization suspension. Their information ends up fragmented across multiple apps. All because they didn't understand how to properly structure and employ Evernote to manage all phases of mastering workflow.

I'll get to what these people are doing wrong in using Evernote for GTD later in this article, but first, permit me explain why the organize step tin can exist managed entirely within Evernote.

Information technology's thanks to reason #2 to utilise Evernote for GTD: Evernote is flexible.

Every bit David Allen's workflow diagram illustrates, different contexts of information are grouped into different containers: projects are unlike from items to be incubated, which are unlike from items that you are waiting for someone else on.

Each of these contexts correspond different types of workflows, and different workflows should be organized in different types of ways.

Because Evernote'south lets yous organize data any manner you lot desire, you tin can structure the management and tracking of information within your account to each GTD context areas in a manner that's suited all-time to that area. So, you can mix and lucifer organizational strategies all within i app.

Within my Evernote account, I have distinct sections that track and manage:

What I capture
Projects
Processes
Daily tasks
Active project back up material
Adjacent activity lists
Waiting for items
Reference material
Checklists

And within these sections I accept the ability to organize, cantankerous reference, create associations between data, and more – all within one app. It the most efficient choice for managing a GTD process ane tin can create.

Using outside apps to organize is unnecessary extra piece of work. And, it complicates your GTD process and arrangement.

Instead, organize in Evernote.

04: Reverberate

The next step of mastering workflow requires you to review everything that's in your trusted organisation. By doing then at regular intervals you gain an understanding of how the current context of your life impacts your priorities.

GTD provides guidance on what to review when – ranging from daily tasks to long term goals. And the master focus of the reflect footstep is near completing regular weekly reviews:

"Once a week, do a thorough review of all your projects in as much detail equally you lot need to. If you practise, your systems volition work. If yous don't, no organization volition work." – David Allen

Centralization of your stuff in Evernote pays big dividends hither. If yous've captured, clarified, and organized your data in one tool, the process of reviewing is easy. No scanning and searching beyond multiple tools to gather a total understanding of what'south on your plate.

The weekly review is often thought of equally the most challenging role of the GTD practice (acquire why people struggle with information technology here). If you've practiced GTD for any amount of fourth dimension though, you don't need disarming. You lot know that anything you can do to simplify the weekly review process is an advantage. And centralization is simplification.

Coaching Tip: With any paid level of Evernote, you proceeds offline access to your data. This makes information technology possible to review your arrangement at any time (and, a great activity for when you are on an airplane without wifi!).

Centralize external data

Too, data doesn't have to alive in Evernote:

In another testament to the flexibility of Evernote – data doesn't have to live in Evernote for you lot to centralize it in Evernote, facilitating an efficient review.

This may sound counter to my earlier advocacy of capturing it all to Evernote. But, stick with me.

Even though Evernote has the adequacy to store digital data of any format, you might not e'er want to store something natively in Evernote.

For case, not everyone uses the aforementioned tools as you. Say yous're collaborating on a project with someone who has shared a Google Drive folder with you and they don't employ Evernote. In this instance, leave the documents on Google Drive, but grab the link to the documents (or folder) that live on Google Drive, and paste it into Evernote. And so, click on the link in Evernote. The document volition open up from Google Drive.

Example of linking to outside files from within Evernote

You lot can use this strategy for any service that lets you grab a link to the documents that alive there (as any cloud-based tool does).

Centralize Tasks in Evernote

The reflect step isn't just most the weekly review. It's also nigh your daily tasks. They're 1 of the key items to frequently reflect on in your organization.

You should be asking yourself daily: Are my tasks still relevant given the current priorities and context of today? Am I working on the correct things today?

"A few seconds a 24-hour interval is usually all you lot need for review, as long equally yous're looking at a sufficient amount of the correct things at the right fourth dimension." – David Allen

Nearly people exercise this poorly. Sure, each day they practice a quick scan of their lists to ferret out what catches their center in hope that they'll have the satisfaction of crossing it off that day.

But unremarkably, in that location'due south besides much on the task list. Your job list is simply overwhelming.

Let's investigate what causes this overwhelm so that you tin understand the solution.

The issue isn't the time. Time is an even playing field:

"Einstein had 24 hours. Then did Mother Teresa. So did Bach." - David Allen

The issue is that three things swirl together to create the perfect inferno of tasks:

Overcommitment: Humans chronically underestimate how much time information technology takes to get things done. It fuels our tendency to overcommit. This creates more tasks than you can reasonably complete in a day, and a crackling campfire of tasks that never runs out of fuel.
Chore management apps – particularly their automation features – fans the flames of overcommitment by making it likewise easy to create and collect tasks that don't represent the electric current priority. This is pouring gas on the bivouac of tasks already on your plate.
Habits: Reflecting on tasks isn't part of your daily routine. You don't know what yous're not getting to, and you continue to say yes (you lot overcommit). Your raging campfire becomes a massive Called-for Human being bonfire.

You likely don't need much convincing regarding overcommitment – the only fashion too much has concluded upwardly on your plate is that you've said yes to more than you have fourth dimension to exercise. And, even though we would love to not continue to overcommit, we proceed to do and so. Why is this?

I think it'due south considering y'all don't reflect as a daily habit, and you lot try to solve the task overwhelm issue with automation features present in task manager apps. Permit me explain.

What GTD teaches is true:

Yous tin can simply feel proficient about what y'all're not doing when y'all know what it is. - David Allen

And, if you aren't reflecting regularly, you're trusting your brain (which is non your trusted organisation) to know your capacity. But your brain lies to you! It's hands swayed by want or fun or emotion. It forgets all the stuff yous put on your someday/maybe list, is certain that will exist an "piece of cake" projection, and forgets almost the less fun projects that are no longer due in 3 weeks – instead they're due tomorrow.

When you're not aware of what you're non doing, you say aye to new opportunities that come your style. You lot fall into the trap of expecting your encephalon to call back everything that y'all want to proceed rail. And, by doing so, you suspension a rule that undermines the integrity of your trusted system.

And the consequence is that you terminate upwards with too many tasks on your list.

Then, y'all look to solve this problem. You decide a chore direction app will help.

Certainly yous can clasp more than into a twenty-four hours if your tasks were in an app that moves uncompleted tasks to the adjacent twenty-four hours and reminds you to bank check in on that project on the 18th of next month while hiding it from your sight until then. Overwhelm solved, right?

Except it'south not. Instead, the automation that task manager brings you:

Repeated tasks that automatically roll over and when you lot don't bank check them off as consummate. Eventually, y'all look past them because they lost their effectiveness. But, they notwithstanding appear on your lists.
Incomplete tasks that roll over in abundance and put you lot behind on the next twenty-four hour period before you've even finished today.
Reminders of tasks you lot delayed and so y'all snooze for another week then they can interrupt you again.

The truth is, task manager apps provide a level of organization and automation that works against effective task management. And the result is more stress for you!

"Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come up from having likewise much to practise. It comes from non finishing what they've started." – David Allen

Y'all think y'all want automation, merely what you lot really need is focus and clarity on what to do next. This is just what the Reflect stride provides.

And so, put out the burn!

The answer: Manually create your daily job lists as part of your daily reverberate habit – all inside Evernote.

This is easy to do if you lot have captured, antiseptic, and organized your stuff inside of Evernote. Y'all just review what you've organized, and determine your daily priorities based on the availability and energy you take for that day. It takes only a few seconds each day.

This likewise presents the reward that your tasks are kept in the same app equally all the stuff yous've captured in Evernote – the projects, notes, and other supporting materials that your tasks emerged from. Since these things are all related, it's clearly most efficient to have them all in the same tool (and sets you upward to practise some cool stuff with note links).

Automation is fueling the task overwhelm burn down. Simply drop it. Become out of your "task management" app, and organize your daily to-do's in Evernote. There's checkboxes that yous can tick off as you complete your tasks. And y'all can build the right workflow structure in Evernote to support task management. It's manual. It's easy. And, it works.

And, it'southward how to use Evernote to reflect - the 4th step of mastering workflow.

05: Appoint

At this bespeak, all that's left to do is to engage – or merely do what yous need to do. Go to your task lists and become started getting things done!

When Evernote is your sole GTD app, in the engage step, y'all utilise it equally the main dashboard to your life. It's your control eye providing access to everything you lot demand to make decisions on what to do next.

Evernote's feature set continues to support in the engage phase in two ways:

Beginning: Evernote'due south anytime, anywhere, whatsoever-device access ensures you tin engage whenever yous want. If you find xx minutes to piece of work at the car wash, pick up your phone and you lot can have access to your full GTD organisation – even if you're offline. Be productive someday you lot like — WiFi or non!

2d: The GTD methodology provides different models making the all-time action choices for yourself in the engage phase. So again, the flexibility of Evernote shines. When you empathise it, you tin utilize Evernote to organize, view and retrieve data in a way that supports the appoint model you comprehend.

Engage should be easy. If you struggle to "exercise", the issue isn't Evernote. Instead, it's a symptom that you need to acuminate your GTD practice – by strengthening one of your GTD success factors, or better executing a preceding pace in the 5 Steps of Mastering Workflow.

Y'all can now see that multiple apps aren't necessary for GTD. Evernote's powerful and flexible plenty to support all 5 Stages of Mastering Workflow – the foundation of an effective GTD practise.

And by centralizing your GTD practice in Evernote, you minimize app subscription fees, simplify the apps you need to capture, organize, reference and search, and you fix yourself up for an efficient GTD practice.

By selecting Evernote equally your GTD app, you lot've fulfilled step #2 on the path to GTD success.

The next question to ask: How exactly should I use Evernote for GTD?

The flexibility of Evernote is a double-edged sword. It'due south clearly a key reason to use Evernote for GTD, but it also opens the door for errors in organizing and managing a GTD do inside Evernote.

To avert these pitfalls, bring together me on the next folio where I address what you're doing wrong in using Evernote for GTD side by side.

Trademark Discover: Neither Stacey Harmon nor Harmon Enterprises, is licensed, certified, approved, or endorsed by or otherwise affiliated with David Allen or the David Allen Visitor which is the creator of the Getting Things Done® organisation for personal productivity. GTD® and Getting Things Done® are registered trademarks of the David Allen Company. For more than information on the David Allen Company's products, please visit their website: www.davidco.com.