I’m a list maker through and through.
On any given day, you’ll find me with a to-do list, a shopping list and a random reminders list. And, don’t even get me started on all of the other ones I have stored on my devices—from books to addresses to random stats, I have a running list for nearly everything.
By far, my favorite tool for making lists is Evernote. But, here’s my confession: I don’t use it to its full potential. Not even close.
If you were to look at the majority of my documents, they’re pretty simple. We’re talking black text with bullets or checkboxes. Occasionally, I’ll get really fancy and insert an image (have you ever met someone so tech savvy?). But, that’s about the extent of it.
Don’t get me wrong—my straightforward lists get the job done. But, deep down, I always knew that Evernote was capable of way, way more.
Fortunately, before curiosity could get the best of me, I connected with Evernote’s Director of Global Community, Joshua Zerkel, to get the lowdown on one handy Evernote feature that’s always appealed to me: Evernote templates.
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Utilize these Evernote templates
You’re likely familiar with what a template is, so I’ll spare you a really detailed lesson. Put simply, Evernote has templates for all sorts of different things.
You can browse and choose a template that suits your needs, add it to your own Evernote account, and edit it as necessary.
Insider Tip: Zerkel recommends creating a dedicated notebook called “Template Library” where you can store all of the templates you use regularly.
So, where exactly do you find these templates? Evernote has an entire master list of all different types—categorized by use case.
When you find one that you’d like to add to your own Evernote account, simply click “Save to Evernote” in the upper righthand corner and then select which notebook you’d like to save it to.
Then, it’ll be right there whenever you need it.
To keep the original template intact (after all, you don’t want to have to edit it each and every time!), you visit your templates folder, right-click the template you want to use, and then copy it to the appropriate notebook. That way, you can edit it without changing anything on the master template document.
Alright, so now that we have the basics out of the way, what sorts of things can you use Evernote templates for? “Well, absolutely everything!” is probably too generic of an answer. So, let’s explore some of my favorite ones that I’ve been using on a regular basis.
1. Evernote calendar templates
I live and die by my calendar. And, while I was always one of those people who swore up and down that I loved my good, ol’ fashioned paper planner, the Evernote calendar templates are quickly changing my mind.
The one I use most often is the daily calendar. On days that are exceptionally busy, I’ll copy that template and block out specific chunks of time for everything that needs to get done.
It keeps me on track and organized. And, I love that I can add a goal at the top of each page.
2. Evernote travel templates
Admittedly, I don’t travel all that often. But, when I do, you can bet I’m going to be the sweaty, stressed out mess who’s in her economy seat stuffing her face with that free Biscoff cookie.
Fortunately, for me and everyone else who shared my row of seats, when I recently traveled, I learned just how much stress Evernote could take out of the process.
I loved using Evernote to create a packing list (I’m famous for forgetting my toothbrush). The packing list template is really detailed (which is helpful if you tend to draw a blank on what to pack!), but I adjusted it quite a bit. So, now I have that adjusted templates ready to go for all of my future trips.
I also took Zerkel’s advice and used a template to store all of my important flight information.
Again, I made quite a few tweaks to the template to suit my individual needs. But, having all of that information in one place came in handy when I had to stand in line at the customer service desk for two hours—and I plan on using that template for future travel plans too.
3. Evernote project templates
We all know how tough it can be to keep a project on track. Fortunately, Evernote has a template for that as well.
The one I find to be the most helpful and thoughtful is the project overview template. It’s highly detailed (seriously, no stone is left unturned!) and contains everything from milestones and calendars to task trackers and brainstorming sections.
If you’re looking for other project templates that could benefit you, you should also check out the project plan and the project budget templates. They might be worth adding to your own Evernote account!
4. Evernote relationships templates
As a freelancer, establishing and maintaining relationships with current clients and prospects is vital. But, even if you aren’t a freelancer, I’m willing to bet you could benefit from a way to keep better track of your networking contacts and interactions.
Evernote’s client consulting session template is perfect for this sort of thing. While I don’t necessarily do “sessions,” this template has plenty of fields that are still applicable and helpful. With a little tweaking, it’s been the perfect way to keep all of my client information organized.
Another thing I need to keep straight? My article ideas.
Previously, I just kept a long, jumbled list of them. But, now, I love to use Evernote’s ideas and inspiration template to better organize my thoughts. It’s simple, but it empowers me to quickly jot down what my idea is, who it’s for and any other relevant notes or sources.
Save time with Evernote templates
Templates have been heralded as the “hidden gem” of Evernote, and now, it’s easy for me to see why. In the short amount of time I’ve been leveraging Evernote’s various templates, I’ve had several of those facepalm-worthy “why didn’t I start doing this sooner?” moments.
Feel that same way? Well, there’s no time like the present to start using templates to your advantage. Use the above resources, and you’ll be on your way to better organization and list-making in no time!
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