Evernote T-Shirt Design
We only have a couple of more days left in our 12 Days of Giveaways where we have been giving away some of the best productivity apps, services, and products that the web has to offer. We are quickly approaching the end of our giveaway and today we have one of the best offerings to date from our friends at Evernote. But, we first need to congratulate the three winners of Patrick Rhone’s “Keeping it Straight” books.
First, aaron_z in the comments from yesterday’s giveaway talked about keeping college and life straight. He’s getting the ebook version of Keeping It Straight. Here’s an excerpt:
“Walking is like meditation for me. A morning walk will allow me to clear my head and focus on what I am going to do *today* and go to college with a smile on my face. :)”
Mario Kroll commented on Facebook about how he wants to clean the cruft out of his life. He’s getting the print version:
“I’m going to try and keep straight what is most important in my life, my work and my interpersonal relationships and focus on those, while passing on or reducing the many things that add very little value to those aspects or even take away from them.”
And then Erin Feldman commented on Facebook about responsibility. She’s taking home the signed copy of Keeping It Straight!
“… Another item is to stop apologizing when I shouldn’t. I need to learn to balance my own sense of responsibility with the realization that I’m not always to blame.”
Congratulations to our three winners! We hope you can gain some insight that helps you simplify your life and productivity in 2012.
Today’s Giveaway
I have been an on-again-off-again user of Evernote for years now and in the past few months I have added it back to my list of daily productivity tools (with some recommendation from Mr. Mike Vardy).
To be absolutely frank, Evernote is the best digital notetaking and information management application I have used to date. What makes Evernote so darn good is that I can use it on my Mac, my PC at work, my iPhone, or even my Android device. I can even use it with my Livescribe Pen. Talk about ubiquitous capture.
Evernote allows users to take notes (rich text too!), send and keep pictures, tag pretty much everything, create notebooks where you can combine notes, and much, much more. Also, Evernote has been picking up its game lately with the addition of the new Evernote Food (for tracking your food choices in Evernote) and Evernote Hello (for keeping track of all the faces of the pretty people you meet). These two apps show that Evernote is trying to place itself as the “one” app that you need to keep track of everything.
But, instead of me telling you about the awesomeness that is Evernote, we are going to be giving away some prizes that do that much better. Today we are giving away one lucky Lifehack reader
- A 1 year subscription to Evernote Premium
- A stylish Evernote t-shirt (Editor’s Note: If the winner is from outside the continental US, the shirt will not be part of the package due to shipping restrictions. Rather than limit the whole giveaway to this area because of this, we decided to make it global with this exception. Thanks for your understanding.)
- And the be-all-to-end-all getting started guide for Evernote, “Evernote Essentials” by the infamous Brett Kelly.
With this prize pack you will be set to use Evernote to become and stay more productive in 2012.
How to Enter
In order to enter to the giveaway, you need to leave a comment below or on our Facebook fan page that answers the following:
“How will you use Evernote in 2012 to stay more organized and become more productive?”
Leaving a comment on both our Facebook fan page and here at Lifehack.org will get you 2 entries, so but you need to give us two items that you like the most – no copying and pasting!
The Fine Print
Employees of Stepcase and Evernote (including current independent contractors of both) are not eligible for this contest. The winning entry will be judged by the Stepcase Lifehack editing team and the winner will be notified on the platform in which their winning entry was placed (either on the Lifehack.org Facebook wall or by email through our commenting system here on the website). For those entering the contest with a comment on our site, in order to be considered eligible, you MUST leave a contact email when leaving a comment (it’s the only way we’ll know how to contact you). Entries must be submitted by 10 am Eastern the following weekday and winners will be chosen by 12 pm Eastern time on the same day. The winners will be announced the same day on Lifehack.org, and will be notified beforehand.
Good luck!
I would use Evernote to curb the never-ending articles and papers that try to take over my life. Going paper-free is an ambitious goal, but I can’t think of any better way to capture all the info into one centralized place.
I will use Evernote to take notes of all the projects I’m working on and meetings I’m involved in.
I am starting my final semester of school in January, and have to write my capstone. This would be perfect for organizing my research and notes as I prepare for graduation. It would also help me transition from an organized student to an organized professional.
I would use it to capture of the web content on belly button lint for my thesis on the design of bbl.
My job involves lots of study and weekly presentations. I’m losing what little hair I have left trying to keep up with it all. A tool like Evernote, particularly with the tutorial included, would rescue me from further baldness. I need this prize pack in so many ways!
I will use evernote in 2012 to organize my blog post ideas.
I will use evernote in 2012 to finally digitally organize all of the paper notes torn out magazine and web pages and ideas I am always collecting
“How will you use Evernote in 2012 to stay more organized and become more productive?”
I need to change how I take notes and make them searchable. I love the ability to take a picture of my notes and OCR them. I have some conferences in 2012, I am going to take all my notes in evernote while at these conferences.
I will use Evernote to “braindump” no matter where I am! It looks like they have a DROID app available in addition to being web-enabled so no matter where I am, I’d always have access to offload whatever thoughts/ideas are stirring in my head.
I just started using Evernote to implement my to-do list. I think that my technique is a subtle modification of something that I read on this site (I know I got it somewhere, just don’t remember where):
1. Create a new note with today’s date in the title.
2. List all the things you have to do, then insert a line or put a few spaces.
3. Throughout the day, work on whichever items from the list are appropriate — things you can do right now. I use one list to track both at-work and at-home items, so I bold the items on the list that are relevant for where I am at the moment.
4. If I finish an item, use the strikeout font effect to leave it on the list, but obviously done.
5. The next day: Copy and paste the existing list into a new dated note, and in the new note remove the separator between the Old and New items, and remove all the items that have strikeouts.
6. Now, repeat!
The best part about this is I have a detailed log of everything I accomplish on any particular day, and it’s all searchable.
I don’t need much from a word processor in my line of work. Evernote has become my de facto word processor. No need to save, Evernote handles it all for me automatically. And when I’m away from my own machines, all I need is my phone or access to virtually any computer and I have everything I need with the web client.
It will be convenient to able to have my notes anywhere I go, whether it’s on my iPhone, Macbook, or my desktop PC will benefit me to always be on top of things. I would want to to use the audio recording feature to record group discussions with my colleagues and friends for creative projects. Also I can use the recordings as a fun little podcast and I can take notes on the main points discussed within the same note in Evernote.
Oh wow! I’m afraid that when I had used Evernote right now, my work had been lots and lots easier!
Right now I’m working on my qualitative social research project (lots and lots of unstructured data…) and my whole floor and two tables are covered with a shitload paper, notes, books, thoughts-on-paper-about-the-books, pictures, printed emails… Just for the sake of my analises. It’s sometimes hard to find certain pieces of text, quotes, ore other stuff and a precise. Although I’m gonna miss this old-school chaos, I think organising with Evernote would really help me structuring everything.
And since this kind of research is something I really like, I have to solve this problem many times ;-)
Evernote has my whole life in it. From Stepcase Lifehack articles, to documents, to receipts, evernote is the one tool I cannot live without. In 2012 I hope to use evernote to declutter my home by scanning anything that is important and recycling/shredding all the hard copies
My new year’s Goal is “Journaling for 365 days”. If I won, I will write / save all my journals in Evernote.
Evernote will help me to not only organize my journals effectively but also it will help me to save my precious journals forever without the fear of losing them.
I will use Evernote to organize myself for grad school applications, as well as my research projects at work and the miscellania I pick up in everyday life. I currently archive a lot of stuff I find while rambling around the web, and I will become more focused as I start collecting application information, professor bios, and research papers I need to read to inform my personal statement. Since I’m also now in the business world, getting ready for my move back to school, I can use it to organize the business cards and photos of people I meet along the way. It’ll help me build a professional network that will ease my transition into graduate school.
The tags are my key feature. They allow me to associate similar items without limiting them to a folder, and they make searching easy, which is essential when facing deadlines.
Sweet! I am in serious need of some organization. I plan on officially launching my new baking business in the next few months, so this tool would be a fantastic way to keep me on track!
I currently use Evernote to keep track of quotes, recipes, and brilliant ideas. In 2012, I plan on adding class notes to that list. Law school is hard enough as it is, but using Evernote to access class notes on my phone or on another computer will make life–and studying–a lot more convenient. :)
I will use Evernote to help organize my life, period. I use it to organize creative thoughts for work, preparation for speeches, ideas for meetings, and to record notes during conferences and workshops. I also use it to record notes regarding my finances, date night ideas for my wife, and new workouts to try. I use it to organize helpful articles I read on the net by clipping them to my evernote application. I use it on my phone, and all 3 of my computers (between home and work). I am a huge fan of Evernote. I just introduced another person to Evernote today!
I need the Evernote Book, “Evernote Essentials.” I’m using Evernote everday, but I know I could get a lot more out of it with a little more instruction. Thanks.
Evernote is the one place I know I can put things and actually find them later. I am trying to organize my life one area at a time and right now I am putting in all my crafty projects that are on my to-do list. I also keep my ancestry notes here so I can easily access them no matter where I am! Thanks for the great product. I am going to look over Evernote Food next so I can incorporate it into my New Year’s Resolution to change my eating habits.
I too have been an on-again/off-again Evernote user. I love the fact that it can be used on my PCs, Mac, iPad, and Android smartphone. The main reason I shy away from using it is that I am constantly mind-mapping or documenting ideas and it’s so much faster for me to use traditional pen and paper. My goal in 2012 is to use Evernote more as I believe it, when used right, is a powerful tool to keep everything organized and productive. First, I no longer have to worry about physically losing thoughts or ideas because they are stored digitally, Second, I no longer have to “hunt” for whichever piece of paper contains the particular thought or idea — I can easily pick up one of the previously mentioned devices and quickly find what I need. What’s not to like about Evernote?
I use Evernote to collect my ideas. It’s useful to my song-writing process, and a big help in my restarted studies at the University. I replaced the dropbox-onenote pair, and I’m really satisfied. For the next year I’m planning to restart my blog, and Evernote will be the perfect tool to write articles and store them before publishing.
I am just diving in to the Evernote world, and I love what I see. I am constantly creating new projects and writing list after list trying to keep track of my ideas. Many lists get lost within 24 hours. Evernote would be the place for me to store everything. I wouldn’t forget anything anymore. Plus, I would be more creative. Plus, my husband would like me better.
laura . w. bean gmail com
Since I finally got off my ancient smartphone and onto a new one and have multiple devices with my info — Evernote can manage my info without any putting up any barriers to accessing the info or having to email copies so I can have it on other devices.
I’d use Evernote to sharpen my organization from work to blogging to leisure reading to …
I’ve been collecting images and articles all year in various forms and places to get inspiration for a business idea. I wanted to see what interested me most without actually “thinking” about it. I’ve just collected things that appeal to me. It’s time to organize all those collections and see what to pursue next. Wish I had found Evernote earlier this year! I’d already have them all nice and organized to see.
I will only use Evernote. I recently found it and have begun using it. Unfortunately, I’ve probably spent $100+ in apps that supposedly do the same thing, but don’t. I’ve just begun to learn the Evernote way, and I need more lessons to maximize it’s potential in my life. While it’s user-friendly, the Evernote Essentials guide would be like a grand prize to me–the other prizes would be icing on the cake, and I’d be forever grateful. No more written planners, Franklin Covey, GTD, RTM, Omnifocus, Things (to name a few–they’re sooooo last year)….moving forward, only-Evernote. Across my Mac, iPad, and iPhone. That’s all I need, I think!
At age 60 one’s hard drive can get overloaded, despite defragging through yoga and meditation. A couple of years age, my husband (40 years!) and I decided to make the most of our recreation opportunities while we’re still able-bodied. So far it’s working wonderfully, and we’re in the best shape of our lives. But the time is coming when we’ll have to go back to work; then, instead of being retired, we’ll be simply…tired.
Evernote basic is helping me forestall that day. I’ve not yet learned to use it to its fullest, but I’m slicing through decades of records, organizing the household inventory, stashing reading material, etc., and Evernote is a constant help.
Voracious blog and feed readers like me need something lightweight, portable, and ubiquitous to store all of the handy tips and information we daily come across, and Evernote is the only tool for the job! In 2012, Evernote will help me collect all of the scattered bits of reading I would lose otherwise, from how-to articles, recipes, and DIY projects to, of course, Stepcase Lifehack posts. I’ll have more efficiency, more organization, and ultimately more time. Not to mention the compliments I’ll have with that snazzy t-shirt.
I have had Evernote on my computer for some time but I keep forgetting to use it now that it has disappeared into my Finder icon. I need to change that like right now! I really need someplace that I can access from anywhere to help me keep myself in order as I am scattered all over the place. I never know what to do next or what is really important. I am begging for help here. I could really use the getting started guide so I can start the new year off the right way.
I will use Evernote to better track my research into my work related research…I sometimes have great resources that’s hard to link together, with bookmarks or copies into Word or as PDFs. And do you use our Disquz login somehow to email us when we win? If not, robert.ragland@gmail.com.
My life is about to go topsyturvy–my husband and I are launching a complete remodel of our house. But the rest of my life will continue on: freelancing as a book editor; taking classes at the local college (I just finished up with some graphic design and Emergency Medical Technician training), working in Search & Rescue. I need to stay on top of my schedule, my finances, various sorts of information. The mere idea of having everything I need for my Search & Rescue and EMT work always available in one handy place makes me quiver with delight. But to have everything else at hand as well, and organized–oh, bliss! I’d love to make Evernote a regular, can’t-do-without-it part of my life.
I was at Evernote’s website right before I opened this email! I’m going to go paperless this year. I want a place where I can store all the randomness that inspires me.
Evernote is already helping me organize my blogging. I would use Evernote in 2012 to publish more e-books in the new year.
I used Evernote this year to organize my blogging. I would use it in 2012 to continue my writing and publishing of e-books to expand my reach.
2012 is the year I cut the paper and keep most of my documents on-line. Evernote is how I intend to keep many of those documents.
I was use Evernote to keep track of all the tasks I have to accomplish at work
Big fan of Evernote. I’m a new user, but I am getting the hang of it.
2012
is going to be mental. I’ve realise how great EverNote is for making
up for my lousy memory, it’s my brain dump, my storage silo. In 2012 I’m
going to jump out of the doldrums my life has been in by making use of not
just being able to memory dump stuff
but use some of the apps from the trunk to process and organise the way I
get things done. I think it’s going to be my key tool for lifiting my
productivity to a new level. EverNote is such a great find; no matter
what device I have close to me, it has EverNote on it.
I have need to store my son’s full and detailed medical history
somewhere such that we can access it from home, when out and about or
from a hospital and a premium account would allow me to scan the
numerous documents in and be able to search it as required wherever we
may be.
I have been an avid user of Evernote for almost 2 years! My memory is not exactly stellar and so the Evernote Elephant is my support! I am currently a Premium subscriber and am using it for Personal, Work and other Volunteer activities.
Work
We get PDF files daily from a testing agency which has results for various lots of incoming goods at our facility. These are stored in Evernote and now I can easily search for the results. Earlier it was impossible to search emails with PDFs and so we had to make hard copies and fill files upon files. Now it is all in Evernote and shared with my colleagues.
Details of shipments are text messaged and subsequently emailed out to several people in the organization and now that email is also CCed to Evernote bound for a specific Notebook and tagged. Easy to find and easily accessed by all.
Recently we have started using Evernote as a storage for Contracts and other document copies for our indenting division. Since we serve as the middle man between the buyer and seller we must keep copies of all contracts. Since the contracts are scanned PDF / JPG anyways it just makes more sense to have them in Evernote and be easily searchable!!
In 2012, the plan is to slowly create a digital archive of files older than a certain time period that would be great to have easily available but that might not be very convenient to store physically anymore.
Personal
I plan to scan in all my momentos from the past (old event tickets, cards, old published articles, etc) that I would love to keep but are no longer possible to store. Also hoping to use Evernote as a place to store my digital photos.
I plan to start using Evernote as my primary reading reserve. I read a lot of blogs which I received via email and I usually star them in Gmail currently for reading later. However, these tend to accumulate and often I procrastinate reading them as they are not organized. If they were in Evernote (forward those that I need to read via email to Evernote) and tagged then it could be read on my Blackberry, any computer with web access etc. Still working out the logistics of this!
My memory (or lack thereof) has been noticeably hindering me, and I would use Evernote as my armor. For example, I always knew I was bad at names, but since going to college I also realized I’m bad at faces. I have found myself in numerous situations where I am unable to represent the depth of my knowledge because of a bad memory for facts and figures, making it difficult for me to move the conversation forward and expand my knowledge. Even at the most basic level, I’ll forget to eat if I haven’t written it down. I’ve realized I can’t rely on my memory and want to use Evernote instead.
I’m not sure if this is necessary, but my email address is amiti@uttarwar.org
I’m a librarian and I am always gathering information from multiple computers about books, ideas for storytime, movie reviews and more but finding that info again is challenging. I’ve been using Evernote but not to its full capacity I’m sure – what I’m excited about in this contest is the book Evernote Essentials so I can get a handle on how to use Evernote better. Thanks!
I would start storing and organizing my private and business stuff to enable e.g. a better preparation for meetings and having everything in one place.
I love using Evernote because of it’s overall free form structure which matches my thinking patterns. If I want to sort and categorize my note taking I can use notebooks, notes and tags. I can also just dump everything into a few notes and use the search feature.
I will use Evernote for taking notes at my lectures and meetings at work.
Hmm, never heard of Evernote, but being a runner, and a husband and father of two children under three while working a full time job in process improvement/change management is challenging enough that I need all the tools I can get. I have played with different systems to keep myself organized, but somehow every system has broken down for some reason or another. Part of it is me, I am sure, but I know that having the right tool for the job can make a huge difference. Thank you for the blog.
I use
Evernote for a long time,on several platform(PC,ios)
I already use Evernote for almost everything, but I would put absolutely everything in it with a Premium subscription to add any filetype
I would use Evernote to help me aggregate the things I see in my daily life into content I can use for my blog, @cubesapien:twitter
I’m a freelancer and blogger by choice and have a day job in a complete different domain. While at work I would be coming across some random good articles related to my business that gets my attention and tempted to get disturbed. Obvisouly its good to have to evernote as a handy tool at that time so that I need not get diverted and do justice to my employee and at the same time save it to keep track of it after i reach home.
This way i can be more productive at office and at home too.