Seek and You Will Find How to Save Elusive Information
Ways to save content so you can find it in the future.
ID 15890139 © Lucian Milasan | Dreamstime.com
Have you ever lost a critical piece of information you needed to finish a project? It happens to us all. Here are a few ways to save the content so you can easily find it again.
This morning, I read an article that said the four best niches are money, health, self-improvement, and ...
Oh, shucks. I forgot the last one. I also didn't keep the article in my Roam app so I could refer to it in the future.
What I needed was one digital sticky note. I wanted to pin it in the upper right corner of my desktop, listing the four niches.
Hmmm, I wonder if they make such a thing.
Seek and Find
First, I looked in my Chrome history to see if I could find the page again.
Thankfully, I hadn't opened a lot of windows. I knew who the article was written by. Only two possibilities could have the information I was looking for.
My first choice wasn’t it. The second article by Ron Markley was it! The fourth elusive niche is relationships.
Four Methods for Saving Content
Here are four suggestions for saving content.
Use Medium - You can use your list tool if the article is on this writing platform.
Try sticky notes - I checked the internet. The most popular for pinning notes to your desktop are:
Microsoft Sticky Notes (Windows) is a useful tool. It lets you create notes, type, add pictures, and pin them to your desktop.
Stickies (Windows) - Stickies for Windows allows you to pin notes to your desktop.
Memo (Mac) - lets users create, organize, and sync notes across devices using iCloud. Memo is for iPhone, Mac, and Apple Vision Pro.
Google Keep (Cross-platform) - Quickly filter and search for notes by color and other attributes. You can find lists with images, audio notes with reminders, or shared notes.
There are other digital sticky notes available. Microsoft Sticky Notes meets my needs, but I'm not sure I need it with the different methods I use.
Note-taking Tools
3. Research note-taking tools - There is a wide variety you can choose from. Let's start with:
Roam Research (Cross-platform) is a powerful note-taking tool. It uses bi-directional links to connect thoughts and ideas. It’s perfect for creating an interconnected knowledge base.
Obsidian (Cross-platform) – A markdown app for creating a personal knowledge database. It allows you to link notes together, creating a web of ideas.
Notion (Cross-platform) – A versatile, all-in-one workspace to write, plan, organize, and manage tasks. Notion supports text, tables, databases, and even collaborative workspaces.
Microsoft OneNote (Cross-platform) – A digital notebook. It helps you organize notes, images, and other content in a structured format. You can also sync across devices via OneDrive.
Evernote (Cross-platform) – A popular note-taking tool. It permits users to organize notes, create to-do lists, and save web content.
Apple Notes (Mac, iPhone, iPad) – A simple note-taking app. It integrates with the Apple ecosystem. This app lets you create and sync notes, photos, and sketches across all Apple devices.
4. Browser Bookmarks - Using bookmarks in browsers can reduce the time you spend searching for websites. Save website URLs so you can return to them later. Organization becomes a breeze when you can save folders and subfolders.
I can't tell you how many times I have deleted a piece of information because I'll never need it again. I get so tired of seeking and finding elusive information.
The steps I have provided above are tricks of the trade I use to make my life easier. We looked at four different methods for saving information. Then, we discussed various examples of sticky notes, note-taking alternatives, and bookmarks.
Our goal as writers should be to make life easier, save time, and stay organized. A critical piece of content you consider to be valuable will be worthless unless you can find it.