From Sticky Notes to OneNote: My Journey to Organizational Bliss

July 19, 2024

Once upon a time, in the not-so-distant past, my office space resembled a scene straight out of a stationery-themed horror movie (yes, those exist). My desk was buried under a colorful avalanche of Sticky Notes, each one screaming for attention with the urgency of a toddler denied candy. It was my own personal brand of chaos – a rainbow of reminders that I was, in fact, a serial note-taker with an addiction to these little papers.

Up to this point, I had been using Microsoft OneNote for meeting notes. But, like the metaphorical knight in shining armor, my manager brandished the one question to start my headlong dive into OneNote’s full capabilities: “Did you know there are checkboxes for your lists?” (As a video gamer and achievement hunter, checking boxes is what I live for.)

Microsoft OneNote promised a digital utopia free from the adhesive tyranny of paper squares. And oh, what a glorious transition it was! With countless productivity-enhancing features, OneNote proved to be just the solution I needed. Let me explain.

The Checkbox Epiphany

It all started with the “Insert Tag: To-Do” feature. With a simple click on the Home tab, I could transform my meeting notes into a structured to-do list, complete with checkboxes. Each ticked box was a small victory, a digital pat on the back that said, “You’ve got this!”

Another magical feature takes the form of the little gray arrow that appears when hovering my cursor over a checklist item. Click and drag that arrow and voila! That list is reordered, reprioritized, and just begging to be checked off!

Tag, You're It!

Tags in OneNote aren’t just for checkboxes. You can tag anything: from questions and important facts, to the ever-helpful “Remember for later” and “Book to read”. And the best part? You can customize your tags at the very bottom of the dropdown, because who doesn’t like a bit of personal flair?

(PS Don’t use the Password tag. Use a Password Manager instead.)

A Symphony of Sections

OneNote’s sections and color categories were the conductors orchestrating my haphazard notes into a harmonious symphony. My copious number of daily notes, project notes, and to-do lists were neatly parsed out in different sections. The Marie Kondo in my head was grinning, clapping, and saying, “This sparks joy!” Project notes were color-coded and sorted in their own dropdown section that I could expand and collapse to keep the sidebar visually pleasing. My notes were now more beautifully and thoughtfully organized than ever before in my professional life.

The Collaboration Conquest

Sharing a notebook with my manager was like opening the floodgates of cooperation. Gone were the days of needing to screenshare to view the same sheet of music. Now, we could tackle multi-faceted projects without having to read each other’s mind. Our notebooks became the command centers for our collective thought processes.

Search and Ye Shall Find

With OneNote’s powerful search capabilities, finding that tiny piece of information in the mound of all your pages and sections is a breeze. Locating notes on a particular topic is as easy as typing keywords or phrases into the “Search Notebooks” bar, then using that handy dropdown to narrow the search. This is a massive time-saver compared to scouring through a pile of sticky notes with varying degrees of legibility.

Microsoft OneNote: Boundless Features for Productivity

But wait, there’s more! With OneNote, I could insert links, files, and even doodles for when words just aren’t enough (that’s in the “Draw” tab at the top). My digital notebook became a living document. It was a place where ideas and notes could frolic freely, unencumbered by the sticky residue of their paper predecessors.

My journey from Sticky Note fiend to OneNote fan was not just a change in tools. It was a transformation of mindset. OneNote had not only organized my work, but it had also focused my mind knowing that my notes, tasks, and project references were as organized as a library and accessible from any device with the OneNote app.

So, here’s to breaking free from the shackles of paper and embracing the digital revolution with Microsoft OneNote! #savethetrees

Interested in learning more about how Microsoft’s product line can enhance your business efficiencies and productivity? Kite Technology offers Microsoft 365 Consulting and Microsoft 365 Tenant Management. Start your conversation today by contacting our team!