Using Microsoft OneNote to Get Organised

I have discovered Microsoft OneNote. It usually only appeared when my printer wasn’t installed properly and a Word document would say Print to OneNote, which I dutifully then changed to my assigned printer. But then one day, I thought: Why not have a look what this programme actually does – apart from taking printing instructions from Word and Excel.

Wow, was I amazed. I suddenly had a really good organising tool at my fingertips. If you’re already using OneNote you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you don’t, let me show you what you can do with it.

In OneNote you create virtual notebooks. Just like a real notebook you can divide it into sections which contain pages. And that’s where the similarities with a real paper-based notebook ends. Because it’s virtual you are not limited to an existing number of sections and you can re-arrange them at your leisure. If you end up with a lot of section you can group sections together (into Section Groups) to form a higher level and you can have sub-pages to create lower levels of more detail if pages aren’t sufficient. And everything can be renamed and rearranged any way you need it.

You can easily copy/paste from any other programme including from web pages, import pictures, videos, sound clips, links, etc. You can take screen clippings which will be referenced where you got them from. You can add hyperlinks to webpages or other files or to somewhere else in the notebook.

You can mark any bit of text with tags like ‘To Do’,  ‘Contact’, ‘Remember for blog’ or whatever else you need, since the tags are also customisable. And you can also link to Outlook and schedule tasks.

That’s the how, now for the why and what for. If you ever needed something really versatile to catch all your ideas, references and random scribblings – OneNote will do the job. And here are just some ideas what you can use this programme for:

• create a wedding planner notebook
• use it for studying multiple topics/subjects
• a hold all for your goal setting
• a project planner
• a notebook to catch your ideas for a book
• a research project
• a moving house log
• the possibilities are endless …

There is a free trial version on the Microsoft website so you can have a play and see if it’s for you. The trial also comes pre-installed on lots of new computers. OneNote is also part of the Office Home & Student package and the Office Ultimate package.

Have some fun and try it out!

A Fun Time Management Technique The Pomodoro

First of all a very Happy New Year to everyone. How did the first couple of weeks of the new decade go for you? Did you do any resolutions and set some good goals? And are you still on track? If not, don’t worry. Simply start over today. You don’t have to wait until the 1st Jan, 2011. You don’t even have to wait until the 1st February this year, not even until next Monday. Simply start over today, now. Put that cigarette down now, start using your diary now, cut down on alcohol and fatty foods from your next meal or do some exercise as soon as you finish work today. Whatever your goal is, keep working towards it. A little bit every single day.

If your goal is time management I found a great little tool on the web recently. It’s called the Pomodoro Technique. The basics are that you use a kitchen timer (the Pomodoro is exactly that, a tomato shaped kitchen timer) and set it for 25 minutes at a time and work on your to do lists.

Here is a little excerpt from their website:

The basic unit of work in the Pomodoro Technique™ can be split in five simple steps:

1. Choose a task to be accomplished
2. Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
3. Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a check on your sheet of paper
4. Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
5. Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break

On the website you can download the workbook as a pdf for free and there are groups to join and Twitters to follow. You can even attend a workshop in Milan – combine a nice break in a beautiful city with some time management training!