I’m trying to find a piece of information I recorded over the summer, and I can’t find it. The problem is that I don’t have one system. I save some thoughts in Evernote, some in Google Docs, and some in OpenOffice documents or text files. Usually, I remember where I entered a piece of information, but right now I feel flummoxed.
Unfortunately, the “cloud” is not always reliable, and right now the search function in Google Docs is not working. I like Evernote because information is saved both on my hard drive and in the cloud, and I can easily access it on my iPhone. However, I don’t record my every thought there. (It would be nice if they had a spreadsheet function!)
What system(s) do you use to record your thoughts and save your ideas?
Jeffrey Kishner is publisher and editor of Sasstrology.com and TechCoquette.com. At different times of his life, he has been a psychotherapist, an astrologer, and a WordPress enthusiast.
Hi Jeffrey, I’m an information dinosaur–a pen and paper! Of course, I have no discipline and write on everything–but the worst that can happen is I have to flip through a notebook to find it. Hope all your ventures are going well–jd
I tried Evernote but I deleted my account after a while because I wasn’t using it. I think I didn’t fully explore the options available though and I might have to give it another try. Windows 7 comes with a program called OneNote and so far I like it- but, I know you use Mac so it won’t work for you. I use pen and paper too though they’re absolutely useless when it comes to real organization and idea access.
Hi Jeffrey,
You should definitely try out Springpad (http://springpadit.com)–which is similar to Evernote in that you can upload any notes or clip websites and access all your stuff online or on your phone. We also have a spreadsheet/grid function, unlike Evernote! But, we take it a step further by putting all the info you store to work for you in our free apps. For example, you can save recipes from any website and then have them all neatly organized in your recipe box (http://springpadit.com/appdirectory/aboutapp/recipebox) and then use our free meal planner app to create a dinner plan and a complete list of ingredients. You can also keep track of all your wine notes (http://springpadit.com/appdirectory/aboutapp/winenotebook), keep a list of restaurants you want to try (http://springpadit.com/appdirectory/aboutapp/restauranttracker) or easily store all your travel plans like confirmation numbers, maps, places to go, etc (http://springpadit.com/appdirectory/aboutapp/tripplanner). You can also set alarms to send emails or text reminders. Other great apps include a budget tracker, a meeting notebook, a holiday gift planner, a date night planner, and other useful tools to help people get organized. Would love to get your feedback!