Maybe you heard Adam Faughn rave about Evernote. So you created an Evernote account. You downloaded the apps.
Now what?
Well, this is my practical guide to using Evernote. I've been a user for the last few years, and in trying and abandoning a lot of things, I've come up with my own personal uses for Evernote. I'm going to share those with you.
Now keep in mind that just because I do or don't do something doesn't mean that you and Evernote should, can't, or could do the same. This is just what I do. Feel free to experiment on your own.
Here we go!
The Evernote App
Really my favorite part of the Evernote experience has been the mobile app. The latest edition of the iOS app is incredible.
Some things I use the app for:
- Voice notes for sermon ideas, writing ideas, or anything that's coming to me "stream of consciousness." I'll then transcribe it in the desktop app, if there's a need.
- Document Scanning using my iPhone's camera. The latest version of the iOS app actually has an option for processing pages when you photograph them (by cropping down to the page and increasing the contrast). Couple that with Evernote's OCR (Optical Character Recognition), and any image of words becomes searchable.
- Quick Notes remind me of thoughts, ideas, quotes, and other things. I can tap one out in a hurry on my phone.
- Access to ALL My Notes means that I always have my repository of Evernote clippings, images, audio, and text notes available to me, no matter where I go.
Some of my favorite extensions/apps:
Evernote works well with a lot of different apps. There are also quite a few web browser extensions available which let you "extend" the usefulness of Evernote outside the app itself. Here are a few I like:
- Web Clipper (Chrome) - If I see it and want to keep it, I clip it.
- Clearly - Gets all the "junk" off of a webpage, so I can read clearly. Also has links to clip what you are reading.
- Skitch - Allows you to make annotations to images. Very handy before a trip to Lowe's.
- IFTTT - Stands for, "If this then that." Allows you to create "recipes" for things, using web "channels" (Google, Facebook, Gmail, Craigslist, Twitter, Google Reader, Calendar, etc.). You can set up certain "triggers" to automatically send things to Evernote. Haven't used it much yet, but it has some neat possibilities.
Be sure to check out the "Trunk" for more apps that integrate with Evernote.
Some of my notebooks:
Notebooks in Evernote can relate to notebooks or file folders in the physical realm. Here are a few I keep, and find handy:
- Ministry Log - I keep a notebook of ministry related notes, including my weekly log, sermon planning notes, contacts, etc.
- Kindle Notes - when I read a Kindle book, I'll go to kindle.amazon.com and copy/paste my highlights and notes into notes in this folder.
- Illustrations - When I come across a good illustration, I will clip/photograph it and place it in this folder.
- Articles - interesting articles (doctrinal, etc.) that I read and find will be clipped and placed in this folder.
- 2013 Ideas - This is sort of a rotating folder - ideas for the year go in, and hopefully come out and go into use.
- Seminars - When I go to a workshop or seminar, I usually transfer my notes into Evernote for safe-keeping and ready reference.
- Media Work - This is the hub of my media work. Ideas go in and get added to as my time allows. Evernote is a great stewing pot.
Some of my lists:
Outside of my wife, and Siri, Evernote keeps me on track and on task. Here are a few of the lists I keep:
- Weekly "Ministry Log" - This contains a checkbox list of all of the things I MUST get done in a week. I have a note file for each week. I also keep track of visits, and other ministry related things that take place over the couse of that week.
- Sermon Planning Notes - I have a note file for each month. I'll use this to do my sermon planning (a few months in advance), and then I'll keep the notes so that I know what I've preached on a given Sunday.
- Ideas/Plans - Exactly what the lists suggest. Except these might be audio files or images. Anytime I get an idea, I put it into Evernote. This is where the mobile apps are handy, and it's also one of the single most valuable things about Evernote - I never forget a good idea!
- Books I've Read - I keep a dated list of the book title, author, and a few of my thoughts and observations from the book. If I take written notes, then I might snap a picture and add them to the file.
- Others - Member contact information, WiFi access information, any random snippet of information that doesn't warrant having its own word processor document.
Things I DON'T use Evernote for (but you might):
Since I've been using Evernote for the last few years, I've had some time to experiment with different ways of using it. Some things just didn't work for me in the long run. That's not to say they wouldn't work for you.
- Writing Sermons - Yes, Evernote has a rich text editor, and I've used it in the past for sermon writing. But it can be finicky when it comes to outlining. But it could be one way to use a "cloud based" service to work at home and in the office.
- Archiving Sermons - I've found that Google Drive works much better for this, because of its searching capabilities.
- "Margin Notes" - For quite some time I was using Olive Tree Bible Reader. OTBR would allow you to sync your "margin notes" to Evernote. Well, that was great, until they stopped supporting it for a while. In that time, I switched over to a MUCH improved Logos Bible app (which syncs to my desktop version of Logos, too). Even if you don't use an app, though, you can Evernote WOULD make a good repository for your Bible study notes. Just make a note for each verse, and use the search to find the reference when you need it (Tip: Be consistent in your usage of abbreviations).
- Anything LONG - Evernote is great for lists, and short snippets of information. Anything that's long form, though (e.g., a book) likely needs to be written in a word processor.
I hope this gives you a start! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!
-Daniel
