For a while, you've been able to add basic tables to your Evernote notes. These boards have never been powerful, and have always been pretty clumsy. But things are starting to change. Very recently, Evernote released a much-needed update to its tables feature, breathing new life into this often-overlooked feature.
At the time of writing, these updates are available to all Windows users, but only through a beta version of Evernote for Mac users. If you're a Mac user and want to download the beta, go to Evernote> Preferences> Software update> Update to beta versions when available .
First of all, Evernote tables are not a replacement for Excel or Google Sheets. These are just tables, not full-fledged spreadsheets. Ideal for displaying and organizing data (including images), but not manipulating data. That means they can't handle formulas . However, with their new redesign, they are less visually boring and much more intuitive than the old tables, and they have a lot of uses.
With the new redesign, you can now add new columns and rows by simply clicking on the points where you want to expand the table.
You can also drag and drop entire rows and columns to reposition them within the spreadsheet, merge cells, and set background colors.
But that's enough on how to create and customize these tables. That's pretty easy to understand. A much more useful question is What can I use these tables for?
The Kanban Technique How to Manage Tasks with the Japanese Kanban Technique How to Manage Tasks with the Japanese Kanban Technique Kanban is a Japanese recipe for getting things done. It is an organization technique originally developed for the Toyota production line. We show you how you can implement it for yourself or on your team. Read More is a Japanese productivity system, based on a Kanban board..
A Kanban board is essentially a linear way of managing tasks and projects. On the left is an accumulation of pending tasks to be done. Then, as tasks are tackled and completed, they move to the right, to the appropriate column.
There are many places where you can create Kanban boards. Goodbye Trello! 5 Free Kanban Board Tools Goodbye, Trello! 5 Free Alternative Kanban Board Tools Trello is an amazing app for managing projects and organizing your tasks. But there are other kanban apps that could be ideal for your tasks. Let's talk about the best Trello alternatives. Read More But if you already use Evernote, why introduce another app?
The table above is a Kanban board in its simplest form. For your own workflow, you should include the columns you need and the ones you need.
If you want to keep your to-do list fairly simple, a template like this might serve you well. Keep the list up to date with task status and priority column. And you can easily reorder the list by dragging and dropping rows to a different location.
If you want a more feature-rich solution that includes integrations with other apps, reminders, comments, and tagging, you'll probably want to check out an app like Todoist, Wunderlist, or Any.do To-Do List Show App Showdown:Any.do vs Todoist vs Wunderlist To-Do List App Deployment:Any.do vs Todoist vs Wunderlist Some to-do list apps are head and shoulders above the rest. But how do they compare and which one is best for you? We'll help you find out. Read more.
Although there are feature-rich apps like Coach.me to help you build habits How to Use Spark Massive Microhabits and Personal Change How to Use Spark Massive Microhabits and Personal Change Creating new habits is hard. Habits are usually built over weeks or months of repetition, and the motivation is the challenge. When the going gets tough, microhabits can go a long way. Read More
The table above is just an example to help you track habits over the course of a week.
If you want something different, check out Evernote's list of calendar templates, which you can download directly to your account. These include weekly, daily, monthly, and yearly calendars, so you've got all your bases covered. All you need to do is add checkboxes, like above.
For an easy way to plan and/or record your workouts, a table like the one below would work.
However, if you need something much more complex, you'll probably want to use a dedicated app. Alternatively, create your own spreadsheet that can do whatever calculations you need.
To limit household arguments, how about creating a simple chore calendar so everyone knows what they're responsible for?
Once created, you can print it out so everyone can keep it up to date. Or, if you're weirdly organized and your whole family uses Evernote, you can also share your to-do calendar with everyone so they can access it from their own account.
We've all gone on vacation only to find that we forgot to bring something obvious. To prevent this from happening again, create your own list of packages. You might just have one master list, or you might create a few for different types of trips:day trips, winter vacations, weekend getaways, etc.
Divide the list into different categories to help you keep everything organized. This also helps make packing more streamlined and your vacation more enjoyable. How to Make Your Next Vacation an Adventure How to Make Your Next Vacation an Adventure Adventure is a state of mind. Take some ideas from here when you want your vacation to be a compromise between new emotions and familiar relaxation. Read more.
Many health professionals agree that creating meal plans in advance can really help you stay on track with your healthy eating and weight loss goals. Diet vs. Exercise:Which Is Better for Fast Weight Loss? diet vs. Exercise:What is better to lose weight fast? When you want to lose weight, there are two options:you can start dieting or you can start exercising. Ideally, you should do both. But which of the two helps you lose weight faster? Read more.
A simple template like this one offers pretty much everything you need. Photos to make your mouth water, and links to recipes..
If necessary, you can also include the nutrient content of meals to help control food intake. This daily food tracking habit can transform your health. This daily food tracking habit can transform your health. Tracking the food you eat can change your health. The benefits of life include losing weight and sleeping better. And keeping track of food isn't hard - you can do it easily with a few easy tools. Read more.
This is a very broad suggestion, but we all have lists of things we want to keep track of. Books To Read 5 Essential "Best Books" Lists:How Many Have You Read? 5 Essential "Best Books" Lists:How Many Have You Read? "What should I read next?" It is the most common question. And so you search the lists of the best books. Find the right list with these resources. Read more and movies to watch, albums to listen to, and projects to start.
Whatever list you want to keep track of, an Evernote template could help you stay fully organized.
Use a template like this to keep track of the hours you've been working each day.
This can really help you double check that your payslip at the end of each month is correct.
To help you figure out where you're wasting your time and where you could be improving the way you get through your day, time tracking is invaluable. It's also great for helping you discover your most productive hours. Or maybe you just want to track your time to help you bill clients each month.
Whatever the reason for time tracking, for some people, the simpler the solution, the better. Simply collecting data, as stated above, will not give you much information by itself. But it's a great way to record that data. It's then ready to export to another application (like Excel) when you're ready to dig deeper and uncover some findings.
If you ever find yourself in a frenzy, desperately trying to find the perfect gift for the next birthday celebration, you need a list of gift ideas!
Create a list like this, and whenever you find something you think would make a great gift for a specific person, add it next to their name. This way, you'll never run out of gift ideas again!
Organizing an event can be stressful. It is very easy to find yourself inundated with tasks, things that are delayed and everything falls apart..
The solution? A checklist, of course.
The checklist above is obviously simplified. If you were addressing a wedding, the list would be 10 times this size. But the concept works for events of most sizes. Break your tasks down into things to do before, during, and after the event, and you can't go wrong!
Evernote is a powerful, feature-rich tool Maximize Evernote with 5 Powerful Features Maximize Evernote with 5 Powerful Features With over 100 million users, Evernote is arguably the web's favorite note-saving and productivity tool. We're spotlighting 5 underappreciated Evernote features and detailing their value. Read More And as you start using Evernote more and more, you'll start to organize your notes more carefully. The Best Way to Organize Evernote:Using Tags The Best Way to Organize Evernote:Using Tags Is your Evernote one big mess? We show you a simple tweak that will help you organize your notes like never before. Read more . This is when the app becomes even more powerful. You can pull summaries of articles you've read online, receipts from previous years, and much more.
In addition to the ideas above, what do you think Evernote tables could be useful for? And do you think you will use them from now on?
