This week I had a friend reach out to see if I had my notes from some meetings we had together approximately 3 years ago.
These notes were regarding resources for times of grief, so it was something I was quite conscious about storing. Thankfully I was able to find these when asked. As I reflected on this, I realized how there are areas where I have good systems in place for organization and other areas where I struggle to retrieve things I’ve deliberately saved. So this post will be about resources and systems for finding them when you need them.
Google Drive
I make use of my google drive to store documents that I am likely to want to retrieve from my laptop or my phone.
Microsoft OneNote
Microsoft OneNote notebook is what I use at work to record notes from meetings, for tasks, technical notes etc. A book that was very helpful to me in deciding how to organize this notebook was Getting Things Done by David Allen.
Good Ole Pen and Paper
There is a time and place for things that are just freeform. Using a good ole pen and paper is helpful for things that are more short term. Things like quick to-do lists, or processing thoughts and emotions are often well served by pen and paper. If later you decide something you’ve written down is worthy of longer terms storage, you can always type it in.
A Time to be Messy
As much as I love being able to find prior notes and resources, I firmly believe there is a time for messy. Brainstorming sessions are one such time. No filter, no organizing while trying to capture the ideas. The time for that can come later, if needed. If you are to get all of your ideas down, this is a time for messiness.
What are some of your favorite ways to capture thoughts? Do you find it easy to re-find resources when you need them?