I am a note taker, heartbreaker, dream maker.....you know the rest.
I scribble everything on whatever I can find. Fabrication orders, notes, thoughts, you name it for work and life. The office at the fabrication shop littered with scraps of paper listed with measurements, stuffed in folders or drawers for reference and invoicing ect. I would have notes from previous months just stacked up for no reason.
The whole disorganized situation and process became a metaphor for my brain in general. I needed something to get rid of the clutter and still keep me on task. My file system was stupid and broken.
Then I downloaded Evernote.
Wow! What a product and I am now kicking myself for not heeding the warning of others I had read or heard about who praised the service months before. Paper? What paper?
My desk and mind have been transformed into a cornucopia of organization. I can transfer from email, my iPad notebook app, take pictures of paper notes and drawings. Yes I still take good old fashion notes, difference being I immediately recycle the paper after. Nothing is stored in a folder, cluttering a cabinet.
The bottom line being, Evernote has made my daily life simpler in regards to organizing and getting things done at the fabrication shop. Errands are easier to remember and get done. Believe me, I have tried many calenders, task apps, the whole lot of them are mostly terrible. Evernote and a Chrome app I use, Workflowy, are the creme de la creme and have helped me get and stay organized.
Then today I read an interesting little tid bit. Evernote has made a deal with 3m company's Post-it note where you can take a picture of your post-its and Evernote's software can recognize and organize your sticky notes. No more sea of Post-it notes littering your desk and office.
From Wall Street Journal Digits Blog
Evernote’s software will be able to recognize the sticky notes’ distinctive colors and help organize them within the app. In other words, Evernote’s 75 million users may soon say goodbye to the legions of Post-its hanging from bathroom mirrors, car dashboards and computer screens in favor of thumbnail photos of their scribbling.
3M says the app partnership is a natural evolution for people who prefer to jot things down — but are looking for more efficient ways to organize all those ideas. “Paper really is still the easiest way to write a thought down and remember it,” said Jesse Singh, vice president of 3M’s stationery and office supplies division. “This partnership seemed an obvious choice for us for the brand.”I had read Evernote and Moleskine notebooks had struck a deal as well, which I use and love, with this same technology. I have not yet tried either the Moleskine or the Post-its, but it won't be long until I do.
If you're a note taker like me, run a small business where jotting things down is a must, then Evernote will be your best friend.
I love when technology and the real world make nice and come up with great and innovative things. People will always take notes with paper and pen. Evernote just helps to organize those musings in a simple and easy to use web based service.