How I Use Evernote to Maximize Productivity

About three months ago, I wrote this post about how I had decided to give Evernote a shot at keeping me organized.  I had tried using Evernote before, but hadn’t had much success finding my groove with it.  Always looking for a better way to keep my life organized, I decided to try some new strategies.  I can honestly say, that I have really started to find how I can make Evernote work for me and make me more productive at the same time.

So what do I use Evernote for?

• Managing my Creative Teams – I keep a separate notebook for every team I am on.  In those notebooks, I keep my layout credits and other important information for the team.
• My Personal Layout Credits – Since I had come up with such a productive system for keeping layout credits for my creative teams, I decided to start using the same system for my own personal layouts.
• My Books to Read List – I keep a pretty long list of books I want to read over time, so I keep the list in Evernote so that I can access it when I am out shopping or away from my computer.
• Recipes – If I find a recipe I like online, I send it directly to my Evernote notebook.  Then I can access all of those recipes in one place, as opposed to a variety of bookmarks.  Like with the reading list, it’s also useful when I am out shopping.  I can easily access the recipe to see just what I need.
• Blogging – I keep many articles about blogging in my Evernote, along with my detailed brainstorming sessions, a rough editorial calendar, and drafts of blog posts for the future.  This way, I always have a way to jot down some ideas if I am on the go.
• Other Projects I am Working On – Articles on time management, topics for possible ebooks or classes in the future, and other things that I am currently developing.
• Reference – I keep a reference notebook for those times when I am surfing the web and see an article or website that I want to reference later in my work.  I find this a lot easier than bookmarks because I have everything organized in one place.

I will admit, it wasn’t easy getting started, but once I had a grip on it, I am absolutely in love with my Evernote.  Evernote has given me a way to keep myself organized that syncs up wherever I go – online, on my desktop, on my Android phone.  If I am away from my computer, I can still access my files and work from any computer.  If I am waiting in the doctor’s office, I can access my files on my phone and continue working.  This flexibility is what makes me use Evernote for some of the most important things I work on.

Are you using Evernote?  What are you using it for?