Do you ever find yourself searching for that one note that you know you wrote down somewhere?
Perhaps, it is a last-minute frantic search for a piece of information that you need. Or you have been endlessly searching for days for that missing document.
You need to keep your notes in one place.
Where are Your Notes?
A complete time management system includes many productivity tools. One of the most important of which is a good note-taking tool.
You need the ability to capture notes and pieces of information. Equally as important as capturing the information is the ability to recall or finding specific notes at a later time.
A common trap is to write notes everywhere. Notebooks, pads of papers, Post-Its, and so on. This leads to too many tools, and a very complex note-taking system.
‘If you keep all of your notes in one place, then you only have one place to search later.”
Simply put, the more places you take notes… the more places you have to look later when you need a piece of information.
A better solution is to record all of your notes in one place, one tool. Not only does this simplify your system but it makes you more efficient both in writing notes and retrieving them.
Here are 5 Reasons You Should Always Keep Your Notes in One Place:
- Reduced Cutter – If your desk is covered in notebooks, pads, and loose pieces of paper, then you are taking notes in too many places. Having one note-taking tool reduces physical clutter and helps you keep your workplace clean.
- One Place to Note – You don’t have to carry multiple tools or notebooks. As well, you don’t have to even think about which tool to pick up when you need to record something. You have one place where you record important information.
- Easier to Search – When you have one notebook, it is easier to search for notes. You don’t have to recall “where you wrote that down.” As well, you can have one method of organizing and search your notes. (Made even easier if you are using an electronic method/app.)
- You Will Take More Notes – Note-taking is a skill. The more you do it, the better you get at knowing when to capture something important for later. With one place for your notes, you will be more proficient with your note-taking tool.
- One Standard for Your Notes – With one place for your notes, you will quickly find that you develop one format for your notes. It doesn’t matter if it is electronic or paper-based, you will begin to document information in a standard look and feel.
One Place for Your Notes
The fewer places you take notes, the fewer places you have to search when you need them again.
It really doesn’t matter if you use an electronic solution such as Evernote, or a paper-based one like a Moleskine notebook.
Choose the solution that works best for you.
Whichever note-taking tool you choose, always keep your notes in one place.
Question: Where do you take notes? Are you falling into the trap of using multiple tools and systems? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
That is certainly the truth! When I first started blogging, I got ideas all the time and I wrote them EVERYWHERE! It was such a pain when I needed to find something. Now everything goes in my Filofax or on my phone.
Excellent advice, Craig. Once you get in the habit of recording all your notes and ideas in one place, you save a lot of time by not having to look for where you put them. I’ve also found that paper-based solutions like notebooks don’t work well in the long run, since they’re difficult to search, unless you create an index for them. Note-taking software is easier to search.
I never lose notes anymore. Now if I could just find a system for locating physical objects I’ve misplaced.
Exactly Craig. Write notes everywhere and sync them to an unique repository.
Great post, Craig. I love Evernote (I used OneNote, but felt that it was less user friendly) and it’s definitely helped me get rid (almost..) of my bad habit of leaving notes all around. Moleskins have their charm, but unfortunately my handwriting isn’t always intelligible 😉
Can’t agree more. Though I actually use 2 note taking systems. I have one single spiral notebook that I always have with me. If I ever get stuck in an impromptu meeting (while say on the job) I can still capture my thoughts.
My primary note capturing system is OneNote. This is where all the good stuff lives. In fact, if something really good gets into my spiral notebook then I take a picture of that page and save it in OneNote.
Lovely post here. I carried around a notebook with me whenever I went out. There was less barrier to start writing. At the end of the day I took photos and added it to my Evernote account.
However for long note taking, OneNote is my note taking app of choice and preference, however at the end of that session, I then email that note to Evernote (as my repository) while inserting the necessary tags in my email subject.
This post has me thinking about expanding my use of Evernote. Yet, I do find that paper notebooks are valuable as “working papers” in some cases (especially when Evernote is not available due to corporate firewalls or lacking Internet access).
Great post! It’s a big lesson everybody must learn sooner or later.
I went out the other day and left my phone at home. I had an excellent brainwave and couldn’t write it down in Evernote where I keep all my notes. By the time I arrived at home I’d forgotten what it was. Even now I get furious when I think about it. Still, it’s not bad, considering that a few years ago all of my ideas were left uncaptured or captured in 20 different places and formats. Thanks for the post, Craig.
I have two places, but let me explain. OneNote for e-notes. Planner for everything else. Same theory, though – I always know where to look.
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