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As everyone knows, I’m obsessed with productivity systems and techniques. I’m even writing this article using the [intlink id="1033" type="post" target="_blank"]Pomodoro Technique[/intlink].
I also use Evernote extensively with the Getting Things Done productivity system by David Allen. I even suggested it in this review of [intlink id="797" type="post" target="_blank"]GTD for Designers[/intlink].
What I didn’t do was create an entire video series about the system I used. I really should have, because now it’s out there.
That’s right, now there’s an entire guide on how to effectively and efficiently use Evernote with the GTD system. It’s called The Secret Weapon.
I don’t know whether I should be pissed or thrilled that this happened before I published it myself.
I do know that the system introduced here is simply brilliant for organizing my life.
Before, I was stuck using various “Notebooks” in Evernote to sort everything. I also used a daily to-do list to organize my giant “Next Actionable Steps” lists. It was a bit intimidating sometimes.
Fortunately, TSW has introduced me to the super-power of tagging within Evernote. It’s brilliant. Now I have a powerful tag structure that determines when, where, who, and what a task is for – and a few clicks sorts every task within seconds.
This article wouldn’t really be complete with a little bit of a review on the system. I can’t criticize much, but I’ll try.
Yes, that was a very short “Cons” list, and they’re really just minor irritations that I shouldn’t complain about because the new system is so much more organized than the old one.
But I can address (part of) the second down-side on that short list.
There’s a very good way to get your Gmail messages into Evernote to work with the TSW system. It’s called ifttt.com.
Just sign up for a (free) account, use this ifttt task, and star the emails that you want to send to Evernote. You may have to let your emails sit in your inbox for just a few minutes (15 minutes at the most), but it’s much easier than copy/pasting all of your emails into Evernote just because you use Gmail.
You can also get the Evernote Web Clipper for Thunderbird. There’s no reason you should be stuck with Outlook.
Unfortunately, the newest version of Thunderbird doesn’t support the Evernote Web Clipper unless you get an extra addon to disable the compatibility check. You can download this Thunderbird plugin to take care of that issue.
Note: I can’t get this Thunderbird hack to work on Windows 7, but it does work on OSX. If anybody has a suggestion, please let me know in the comments.
The Secret Weapon is a great addition to the GTD system. There’s really no reason not to use it. My minor quibbles aren’t an inconvenience at all when I compare how easy it is to the way I was doing things before.
If the Evernote developers would add tag-sorting functionality to OSX and Mobile versions of Evernote and fix the compatibility issues with the Web Clipper in Thunderbird, it would be absolutely perfect for me. It’s close enough already.
Since it’s so easy to implement and use, even unorganized artists and designers (like I used to be) can easily keep track of everything they need to do, whether it’s at home, work, or out on the town.
Just give it a shot and let me know how you like it in the comments. Oh, and if you’re already familiar with GTD, you might want to skip the intro.
Jeff / March 24th, 2012 7:06
Josh,
Nice review of TSW. I am the author of the manifesto, and enjoy the satisfaction that my yearning to share this methodology and its benefits have helped others.
Jeff
Josh Johnson / March 24th, 2012 14:14
Hey Jeff,
Thanks! For the comment AND the great system. You’ve taken GTD to a new level. I’m still waiting on the power tips videos! I’ve read through some of the power tips in the manifesto, but it looks like you have something new in store for us.
Keep up the great work.
Killian / June 8th, 2012 6:25
What do you think are the pros/cons of using the secret weapon system just in Thunderbird and skipping Evernote? I like Evernote, but if I can minimize the systems I use then it might make things even easier. I don’t have much experience with Thunderbird so it might be a non-starter. I know that tags in outlook are very limited.
convictscott / April 1st, 2012 3:13
Hey thanks for posting! I tried to find your ifttt recipe, and its 404 not found. Could you repost it please
Thanks
Josh Johnson / April 1st, 2012 6:28
Hey Scott! Thanks for reading, and thanks for the heads-up. I’ve updated the link, and here it is again (just in case):
http://ifttt.com/recipes/27494
Let me know if you find anything else that needs my attention – comments are always appreciated.
247inktoner.com / May 6th, 2012 3:14
I use gmail with Evernote and to get emails into Evernote I simply forward the email to my Evernote account. Each Evernote account has a unique email address. In addition, if you know what tags to put on it while forwarding you can add them to the subject line proceeded by the pound (#) sign.
Josh Johnson / May 6th, 2012 3:33
That is another good option. I’ve recently added my Evernote email address to my contacts for every email that I use. Especially since the web clipper has quit working in Thunderbird.
Thanks for the feedback and advice, it’s always appreciated.
Glenn Dixon / December 9th, 2012 8:53
So recently the wife and I started using Pomodoro – recently, as in yesterday. She’s taken to it like a duck to water. I think a lot of the appeal is the non-digital aspects. She bought notebooks and pens! lol And then today I started wondering where I got the idea to use Pomodoro. So I fired up my browser history and found the source, but then I noticed an older entry. This one. I found and started using TSW based on your review here, but totally skipped your Pomodoro mention. So any way, thanks for all the productivity boosts!
Josh Johnson / December 9th, 2012 10:46
Hey Glenn! Thanks for commenting – I’m glad you’re getting some productivity boosts out of our posts. TSW + Pomodoro is a scary combo, and still the best I’ve been able to come up with.
Anyway, best of luck and stay productive.