Work Load task / note taking

nel

hey,

what do you guys use to make, store and organise notes for your jobs? As ive moved into my new job ive found im taking more notes than previously and are looking for different advice and tips about how to organise this in a better fashion. I work in a design role and interact with various project, people and external clients. I was thinking about something like evernote.

What are your thoughts? Any advice on methods available for efficient note and task list organisation?

paul78

Good topic..

I use post-it notes during the day. If there are items that are not done by end of the day, I transcribe them to a journal. I prefer using a paper day planner for notes. Any thing that is confidential - I stored electronically in encrypted files which I purge monthly.

Most people that I work with, I notice also use paper day-planners.

Claymoore

Microsoft OneNote

Once you start using it, you'll not only wonder how you got along without it, you'll kick yourself for not using since it was introduced. I have been hooked since a colleague introduced me to it and I have helped hook several other co-workers and clients. It was challenging to get used to notebooks, workbooks and tabs instead of files, but worth the effort to learn.

SteveLord

I use sticky notes on my keyboard or screen. Main reason is I see them all day, everyday and I try to eventually get to them before the days I bring my daughter with me and she makes a robot out of them all.

I agree that OneNote is a nice and underrated program. Especially for sharing a notebook. But anything on my screen usually gets buried.

rsutton

Pen and paper. If I want to remember it goes in to an Outlook Note.

nel

SteveLord wrote: »

I use sticky notes on my keyboard or screen. Main reason is I see them all day, everyday and I try to eventually get to them before the days I bring my daughter with me and she makes a robot out of them all.

I agree that OneNote is a nice and underrated program. Especially for sharing a notebook. But anything on my screen usually gets buried.

Yeah, i used to use sticky notes but this method isnt really sustainable as i could take a dozen or so notes a day. Plus, some are confidential etc, and i work on a floor with multiple companies on large projects so cannot risk everything being visible. One note looks nice, sadly i dont have it in my version of office 2007.

onesaint

In my previous role, I used Evernote, a lot. It can server multiple functions and is very dynamic depending on your situation.

The four main uses I had were:
work tasks - a local only folder were I would jot a task per note, then keep notes as the task went on. screen shots, notes from phone calls, etc. would go in there.
Next was work notes - a local only folder where specific work related projects or issues would be kept (e.g., Server004 is an HP z600 with such and such an issue, plus specific resolution notes for that server or a proposal with conversation and personal notes).
A Projects notebook - a synced folder (web based), where I kept R&D for future projects (web clips, personal notes, etc.). As I drew up my implementation plans this would go into the Work tasks folder which was local only.
Then finally a notebook for issues - a synced folder (web based) where I kept issues less specific and less sensitive security wise. There I would clip web pages related to fixes or detail out resolutions to more common issues (e.g., SElinux error fixes, MS Office tricks, etc.).

Otherwise I use evernote personally for a ton of easy organization. Evernote keeps everything from my class notes and exam preps to shopping and recipes. The plus side is how dynamic it is with web clips and MS Word like editing, the fantastic search capabilities, and how easily it is to get information into the program be it photos, PDFs, or word docs. Plus some of the available add ons are quite cool. The minus is security. Only certain things within individual notes can be encrypted. I would really love it if full folders could be encrypted. In lieu of that I keep more sensitive folders offline. Offline folders are stored locally only and multi-device accessibility is not possible. An offline note can be moved to an online folder easily which can possibly present a security risk or usability benefit, depending on use. Ultimately, I personally haven't found anything as easy and dynamic for organization of my scattered notes as Evernote. Personally, I've used Onenote, ticketing systems, Mediawiki, Acecad Digimo, spiral bound notebooks, etc.

Dr IT

+1 for One Note - i started using the Tool after reading a earlier post by some other TE member . Since then i have been using it for all my Cert Studies and as well for scribbling my office notes

Trifidw

I've not thought about a good system but I use Microsoft Notepad. If they need to be semi permanent (i.e. more than a days todo list, then I copy them into a blank email that is saved to drafts.) Most of my notes are just to keep track of what was said in a phone call or a reminder to tell someone else something so it doesn't really matter about losing them.

veritas_libertas

A sheet of paper. Old fashioned? Yes, but I remember things better when I write them down. I often use sticky notes, and e-mail myself as well.

Tackle

+1 for Evernote

RouteThisWay

I use a good old fashioned day planner. Writing things down helps me commit it to memory.

Anyone ever read Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books ? It talks about just general organization and productivity. It helped me a lot.

onesaint

Thanks RTW, I'll have to check this out on Audio. Good stuff for commuting!

malcybood

Claymoore wrote: »

Microsoft OneNote

Once you start using it, you'll not only wonder how you got along without it, you'll kick yourself for not using since it was introduced. I have been hooked since a colleague introduced me to it and I have helped hook several other co-workers and clients. It was challenging to get used to notebooks, workbooks and tabs instead of files, but worth the effort to learn.

Amen to MS Onenote brother!

it_consultant

Third for one note. We use it as our working documents for our projects. It is so good and smooth that I am sure Microsoft will cripple it's network share ability sometime in the future to make us us MS Project server or something.

destini99

keep a notebook that way you can always reference back easily