Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums

ray541 · 09-12-2009, 10:30 PM

Does anyone know some form of electronic 3 x 5 card system that will help me retrieve my notes, ideas, references when I need them?

I have notes, and ideas floating in my notebooks, my head, everywhere. I want to get past that ... I know I saw that referenced somewhere ... experience.

Thekla · 09-13-2009, 05:05 PM

Google Docs can actually be great for this. I keep my notes there on all kinds of different things, and can do powerful keyword searches across all my Google documents. You can also set up folders which offers another way to categorize the documents you create. Good luck!

sidsavara · 09-16-2009, 03:54 PM

I like to use electronic things to organize my ideas myself. There is some windows based software called Keynote that allows you to build visual trees of ideas. Mindmeister is a good online mind mapping tool I enjoy as well.

If you are looking for a paper based solution, I keep a journal by my bed but it is really not organized. It's just there so I can quickly write my thoughts in it.

My 2 cents is that its' always harder for me to keep physical files organized than digital ones. I agree with the Google Docs recommendation as well.

One thing I've been using since forever is a text file that I just keep open 24/7, and a second text file for my "archives." I type all my notes into that text file, and periodically will transfer notes from that file to my single "archives" text file (with a date marking the day that archive input was made). This is not a very well organized system, but my immediate data I need is right in my small current text file, text based search makes the archive manageable.

horacioemilio · 09-18-2009, 11:53 AM

the gnu mindmap software Freemind

RipIt · 09-21-2009, 04:07 AM

Something you might want to check out is Evernote. Its just a great (free unless you're storing tons of stuff) way to keep track of everything online. I used to just make notes in notepad and lose them, now I just paste those notes into Evernote and find everything. I absolutely love it. PLUS it has an iPhone app....if you're that kind of person

Shane · 09-21-2009, 08:48 AM

I've recently started using Evernote. It's a great tool, as long as you don't overdo it and start saving all kinds of rubbish to it.
But if you can organize your notes well, then Evernote is brilliant.

09-12-2009, 10:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
ray541 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1	Looking for a system to organize and retrieve my ideas Does anyone know some form of electronic 3 x 5 card system that will help me retrieve my notes, ideas, references when I need them? I have notes, and ideas floating in my notebooks, my head, everywhere. I want to get past that ... I know I saw that referenced somewhere ... experience.

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09-13-2009, 05:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Thekla Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 115	Google Docs can actually be great for this. I keep my notes there on all kinds of different things, and can do powerful keyword searches across all my Google documents. You can also set up folders which offers another way to categorize the documents you create. Good luck!

09-16-2009, 03:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
sidsavara Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 151	I like to use electronic things to organize my ideas myself. There is some windows based software called Keynote that allows you to build visual trees of ideas. Mindmeister is a good online mind mapping tool I enjoy as well. If you are looking for a paper based solution, I keep a journal by my bed but it is really not organized. It's just there so I can quickly write my thoughts in it. My 2 cents is that its' always harder for me to keep physical files organized than digital ones. I agree with the Google Docs recommendation as well. One thing I've been using since forever is a text file that I just keep open 24/7, and a second text file for my "archives." I type all my notes into that text file, and periodically will transfer notes from that file to my single "archives" text file (with a date marking the day that archive input was made). This is not a very well organized system, but my immediate data I need is right in my small current text file, text based search makes the archive manageable.

09-18-2009, 11:53 AM	#4 (permalink)
horacioemilio Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 40	the gnu mindmap software Freemind

09-21-2009, 04:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
RipIt Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 20	Something you might want to check out is Evernote. Its just a great (free unless you're storing tons of stuff) way to keep track of everything online. I used to just make notes in notepad and lose them, now I just paste those notes into Evernote and find everything. I absolutely love it. PLUS it has an iPhone app....if you're that kind of person

09-21-2009, 08:48 AM	#6 (permalink)
Shane Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Switzerland Posts: 65	I've recently started using Evernote. It's a great tool, as long as you don't overdo it and start saving all kinds of rubbish to it. But if you can organize your notes well, then Evernote is brilliant.

Personal Development for Smart PeopleTM Forums

Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums