In addition to organizing our Indian file , most of us have to keep track of unnumbered modest composition of information . Some of them , such as to - do detail , fit out well in a calendar program . Others , such as notes to yourself , shopping leaning , in series numbers , seldom - used Terminal commands , and clippings from Web page , pose more of a challenge .
There ’s no famine of fashion to make out with all these random snippets of information . Some are in spades scurvy - technical school — say , a clutter of sticky notes along the edge of your varan . However , one of the most efficient choice is to endue in a snippet keeper , software designed for put in and organizing sundry scraps of datum .
There are a number of snippet keepers useable for the Mac . But as with any organization effort , you ’ll have greater succeeder if you take a program that mirrors the agency you prefer to work . You ’ll not only detect the process more intuitive but you ’ll also be less probable to give up after your initial exuberance wear upon off .
No matter which system you utilise , keep everything — or at least everything of a given type ( notes , schoolbook clipping , to - disk operating system , and so on)—in a single place . A basic textual matter data file , or even a newspaper publisher notebook , is good than lots of separate files , Stickies notes , or scrap of newspaper — which will only exit you with more welter to get by .
The organizer’s strategy
NoteBook : Circus Ponies ’ $ 50 NoteBook ( ) can salt away a all-encompassing salmagundi of data , include graphic . NoteBook uses a notebook metaphor ( hence the name ) to aid you organize your data in different family . This should make it appealing to people who favor to levy their own complex body part on the selective information they store , who rely heavily on outline , or who are accustomed to keep a paper notebook and are looking for a just digital combining weight . NoteBook also includes a capable outliner ( so it ’s especially salutary for lists ) and incorporate well with Apple software such as Mail , Address Book , iCal , and iChat .
The searcher’s strategy
Yojimbo : Bare Bones Software ’s $ 39 Yojimbo ( ) lets you salt away well-nigh any form of data point , from patent textual matter to photograph , PDF filing cabinet , and Web pages ( see “ Just Say ‘ Yo ’ ” ) . It even offer encoding for tender datum such as passwords . You imitate and paste or drag information into Yojimbo , or you could create your own keyboard shortcuts .
Although you could engineer snippets in groups ( called accumulation ) in Yojimbo , there is n’t any hierarchical arrangement ; instead , the built - in Spotlight searching apace consume you to the information you ’re looking for . To make searches more productive , the course of study lets you create tag end that categorize your information . This make Yojimbo particularly utile if you favour to keep all your single file in just a few folders and all your eastward - mail in your inbox .
The key to using Yojimbo effectively is to mechanically put every interesting or essential piece of information there as presently as you encounter it . As Yojimbo ’s store of snippets grows , you ’ll get used to expect there first .
The GTD Way
Are you a buff of David Allen ’s take matter Done ( GTD ) organization methods ? Check out one of the many snippet keepers that emphasize the GTD modeling :
Tracks : This innocent Web - found carrying out of GTD lease you quickly sort tasks and notes according to their context ( so you have a ready to hand to - do list quick when you desire to center on errands or on agency tasks , for instance ) . If you apply a due date to an natural action , its color will change to ruminate how much time you have leave .
Kinkless GTD : If you use The Omni Group ’s $ 70 OmniOutliner Pro ( ) to superintend your snipping , Kinkless GTD , a free set of Apple Scripts , is a way to turn the app into a full - featured GTD - fashion task manager .
Midnight Inbox : This $ 35 computer programme by Midnight Beep steps you through the process of putting the GTD arrangement to work . The program collect incoming east - ring armour , documents , and to - do detail and helps you action those items .
[ Joe Kissell is the senior editor program of TidBits and the source ofReal World Mac Maintenance and Backups(Peachpit Press , 2006 ) . ]
