How I Organized My Entire Life Using Just Apple Notes

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their journey of organizing notes and tasks using Apple Notes after feeling overwhelmed with multiple apps. They introduce a simple yet effective system inspired by the Palace method (Projects, Actions, Learnings, Archives), which helped them streamline their workflow. By utilizing Apple Notes' features like toggle lists, headings, subheadings, and note linking, they created an efficient and personalized note-taking system. The speaker emphasizes the ease of use and collaboration, making Apple Notes a powerful tool for anyone seeking to simplify their organizational methods.

Takeaways

• 😀 Simplifying your note-taking system can reduce overwhelm and increase productivity.
• 😀 Switching to a single platform like Apple Notes can be more effective than juggling multiple apps.
• 😀 The PALACE system stands for Projects, Actions, Learnings, and Archives, organizing tasks and knowledge efficiently.
• 😀 Limit active projects to one to three top priorities to maintain focus.
• 😀 Actions are broader tasks or ideas that could become future projects.
• 😀 MEI (Mutually Exclusive and Completely Exhaustive) organization ensures every subfolder is unique and collectively covers all possibilities.
• 😀 Subfolders under categories like Actions or Learnings should be clearly defined to avoid overlap and confusion.
• 😀 Apple Notes supports toggle lists, headings, subheadings, and internal links, making it powerful for organizing detailed information.
• 😀 The Archive folder is for less-used or outdated notes, keeping your main workspace uncluttered.
• 😀 Regularly transferring to-dos from apps like Things into Apple Notes helps centralize tasks.
• 😀 Collaboration is simple in Apple Notes, allowing real-time editing and linking for team projects or external contributors.
• 😀 Customizing the note system to your workflow is more important than following a generic structure.

Q & A

What is the Palace system in the context of organizing Apple Notes?

The Palace system stands for Projects, Actions, Learnings, and Archives. It's a method of organizing information to keep things simple and manageable. Projects are the top priorities you're working on, Actions are tasks you need to accomplish in the future, Learnings store all your gathered knowledge, and Archives hold information that's no longer actively needed.

How did switching to Apple Notes improve the user's note-taking system?

Switching to Apple Notes made the user’s note-taking system simpler and more intuitive. They found it easier to organize their notes with features like toggle lists, subheadings, headings, and links to other notes, ultimately reducing overwhelm caused by managing multiple note-taking apps.

Why does the user limit their projects to one to three items?

The user limits their projects to one to three items to focus on the most important goals at any given time. This approach helps to prioritize and avoid the distraction of spreading attention too thinly across multiple tasks.

What is the purpose of the Actions category in the user's Apple Notes setup?

The Actions category in Apple Notes is for all the tasks and actions the user might need to do in the future, categorized by areas like personal life, business, relationships, and other aspects of their life. This helps to organize ideas and actions without cluttering the main focus areas.

How does the user organize subfolders under the Actions category?

The user organizes subfolders under the Actions category into distinct areas like personal life, business, relationships, and MK. These categories encompass every possible task, ensuring that each action is categorized in a way that's easy to navigate.

What is the significance of the Mei (Mutually Exclusive and Completely Exhaustive) concept in the organization system?

Mei is a concept used to ensure that each subfolder in the system is unique and that, when combined, they cover all possible situations. This ensures there's no overlap in categorization, making the system comprehensive and easy to use.

How does the user structure their Learning section in Apple Notes?

The Learning section is organized by topics like cooking, languages, and media, with subfolders for books, podcasts, and specific notes related to each subject. This organization makes it easy to track what the user is learning across various fields.

What role does the Archives section play in the Apple Notes setup?

The Archives section is where less relevant or older information is stored, such as old relationship notes, journals, and other materials that are no longer needed in the main workflow but might still hold value for reference.

How do the user’s subheadings and toggle lists enhance the functionality of Apple Notes?

Subheadings and toggle lists in Apple Notes allow the user to organize content into expandable sections. This keeps the workspace uncluttered while providing easy access to more detailed information when needed, enhancing both functionality and navigation.

Why does the user value linking notes within Apple Notes?

Linking notes within Apple Notes allows the user to create a network of interconnected information. This feature is particularly useful for referencing related topics, collaborating with others, and quickly navigating between different sections of their notes.