Evernote, An Application to Save Your Brain

A colleague recently asked me if there was one app on my phone I would recommend, what would it be? It got me to thinking about the indispensable tools I use that others might want to know about. This is not a sponsored post. My opinions and only because I think you’d benefit.

One of my favorite tools I use downloaded onto my desktop and from my smartphone is Evernote. What’s great about Evernote:

• It’s like the big sticky note in the sky. Store all your “sticky notes” here.
• I can save text, audio, web clips, and snapshots.
• It has handwriting recognition so I can search for a term that I wrote in my own handwriting.
• I can take pictures on my phone and email them to my account. Useful so that you don’t have to write a lot of information down when confronted with a poster or document that you’d like to save.
• It’s on the cloud so you can access from your smartphone, desktop computer, or at any machine with access to the internet.
• It helps to keep you CLUTTER FREE!
• It is free of charge unless you need some serious uploading.

Ways that I use Evernote

• My grama gave me a big box of recipes years ago that I don’t think I’ll ever make but I just might one day! Because they are degrading with age, I decided to take photos of each (they were on 3×5 cards) and I have a recipe notebook should I ever want to go back to them.
• Regular recipes that I really like and actually use.
• I’ve scanned quite a few restaurant menus and can review them from my lazy spot on the couch.
• I have the measurements for both my child and husband so when I’m shopping no one needs to know because I don’t have to ask!
• I keep a list of the clothes that I need to purchase so when I’m in a store I don’t blank on the things I need and just buy what I want. Socks, t-shirts, black loafers, rain slicker, etc.
• Frequently while reading on the treadmill or recumbent bike at the gym, I want to make notes but it’s not conducive. So I take pictures of the sections of the book I’m reading and send to my Evernote account. That simple.
• Blog ideas. Book ideas.
• A chronological list of all my speaking engagements with title of speech.
• My bowling scores. Yes, I know.
• Saving special tweets. I can send them right from any Twitter client I use.
• I take pictures of handwritten notes I take during conversations with my clients. They are always on different sizes of pieces of paper and hard to contain in their regular physical folders. They don’t fall out this way.
• Whiteboard notes from meetings.

Ways I don’t yet use

• Taking pictures of all the purchases in the house for insurance purposes.
• I’m still thinking of more every day!

I couldn’t possibly list every way that Evernote is a brilliant tool. Do you have a great use that I missed? Or another tool I should be aware of? Please let me know in the comments!