This summer, it’s time to get serious about digital notes, and you’ll need the tool to do it. Most people don’t realize there’s a crucial difference between digital notes and digital documents—and understanding this difference will transform your productivity.
Digital notes are this month’s theme, and for good reason. In my work, I make a clear distinction between digital notes and digital documents. One concept we’ve handled since the mid-1980s. The other is newer but growing in importance daily.
Understanding the Difference: Notes vs. Documents
Your grandmother understood the difference between notes and documents perfectly. Let me explain these two concepts:
Characteristics of Documents:
- Produced on a typewriter
- Composed on standard paper (like 8½ × 11 inches)
- More formal in nature
- Pages stapled or bound together
- Considered in their “final form”
- Stored in file folders inside filing cabinets
Characteristics of Notes:
- Handwritten
- Written on paper or index cards of any size
- More informal in nature
- Pages could be loose, paper-clipped, or in notebooks
- Considered “fluid” with margin annotations
- Often found in desk drawers or briefcases
Grandma got it. She jotted her special dessert recipe on an index card. That card went into a 3 × 5 file box with other recipe cards. Grandma was producing “notes.”
What happened when the local chamber of commerce wanted to publish a town cookbook? Grandma hauled out the typewriter. She carefully typed her best recipes on 8½ × 11 pages with one-inch margins. She submitted her “documents” for the cookbook. Grandma understood the difference between “notes” and “documents.”
The 1980s, 1990s, and Muddied Waters
Personal computers let users compose and edit on-screen. Mistakes became easy to fix. Liquid Paper was no longer necessary. Documents lost their air of permanence. Loading, editing, and reprinting became simple.
Internal hard drives reduced the need for printing. Users created digital filing systems. Suddenly, we were making folders within folders and storing digital documents in hierarchies. The hard drive became the “digital filing cabinet.” The computer became the center of our digital lives.
Little by little, all digital information became “digital documents.”
Confession Time: I Didn’t Understand It Either
The first time I heard “Evernote,” someone explained it as “a way to organize your information.”
“I don’t need it,” I responded. “My information is perfectly organized in file folders on my computer.”
“But you can access it from anywhere,” they said.
“I have a Dropbox account,” I replied. “Anything I need from anywhere can go there.”
I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand the difference between digital notes and digital documents. I didn’t see the need for a difference. That opinion has changed.
Why Digital Notes Matter
I’m going to talk about Evernote because that’s what I use. Evernote can be expensive, but we should invest our money where it gives the greatest return. An organized system of reference information gives you incredible returns. If you’re looking for free options, others exist. I challenge you to pay attention to the concepts I discuss and research how you can do these things on your chosen note-taking app.
Let me give you one example of how important digital notes are in my life. Think about conversations you have with people and the rich information shared about their family, accomplishments, and challenges. Imagine having one place where all information related to that person is stored in reverse chronological order. That’s what I have in one of my Evernote notebooks. Each important person has their own note titled with their name. As you read the contents, you see important conversations and events in reverse chronological order.
When you get off the phone with someone, it’s easy to remember what you talked about. But three years from now, will you recall that conversation? Even major points are easily forgotten. What about the beautifully written note you received from your friend, or the note you sent them? With Evernote, it’s as easy as opening their note on your phone, tapping where you want that handwritten note placed, and touching the camera icon. That image becomes part of the permanent record.
Here’s another example. Think about all the times you’re working at your desk and the phone rings, or someone interrupts you with a quick thought. You want to jot that down so you don’t forget it. At the same time, you want to get back to work quickly. When I started my career, the answer was having a memo pad at hand. With Evernote, I have the digital equivalent—something called the Evernote Helper or Evernote Quick Note. I have a keyboard shortcut that summons that Quick Note. It appears in the corner of the screen. I type some text quickly, and when I click somewhere else, that little notepad goes away. Anytime I hit that keyboard shortcut, it returns. Later in the day, I go through and put all those random thoughts where they belong, just like I would have done with the memo pad 40 years ago.
Resources for You
The rest of this episode is my attempt to spark your interest. I’ve created an Evernote playlist on YouTube.
In that playlist, you’ll see specific use cases for Evernote. You’ll learn about how I use tags, the magic of the web clipper, and strategies for students on how their digital notes in Evernote will make them more successful.
The final resource I have for you is an ebook I wrote called “Evernote Made Easy.” You’ll find it in my Gumroad Store.
Your Next Steps
In an information age, your information is important. Where do you keep it? Can you get to it easily from everywhere? Can you add to it from everywhere? Will the system scale in years to come?
Watching the videos I’ve made for you is a great start. The real value is you spending time making your note-taking system stellar. There’s no better time than summer to immerse yourself in something that’s going to make a difference. I hope your mastery of digital notes will make this the summer to remember.
“The art of being organized is the art of making the complex simple.”
– David Allen
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