Organizing with iPad

I’m a pretty organized person, but lately I’ve noticed that I’m surrounded by paper and it’s starting to feel like a heavy burden.

My bookshelves are overflowing. I have books on top of books, books behind books and books on the floor.

I love books. I read with a pen in hand, too, underlining often and taking notes on a regular basis.

Additionally, I have an entire shelf full of printed (free) PDF ebooks I downloaded from the internet. Since I can’t underline or take notes on PDF ebooks when they’re on my computer I print them out and put them in a filing system.

But that’s just the beginning of my paper overload.

When I brainstorm projects I use huge pieces of paper, markers, post-it notes, tape and images so I can move things around while I’m being creative and having fun.  Right now there are 4 of these papers rolled up and stored in my closet.

I also have shelves with binders full of ideas, recipes, draft documents, research, etc.

I’m barely into my 40s. If I continue this habit by the time I’m 50 there will be no more room for me. My house will be filled with paper and the planet with be devoid of trees.

Ugh. It’s oppressive.

But here’s the good news: I no longer need any of it.

Or more aptly said, I no longer have to add to my paper pile.

Why?

Because my birthday was a little over a week ago and I received a present that is about to radically change my life.

It’s an iPad and on it I can store, do and create everything I mention above.

If you have an iPad, or are thinking of getting one, here’s how it can help you grow somewhere greater. You can:

• Organize your work without adding more stuff to your office
• Liberate yourself from the computer and your home office
• Lighten your load
• Be more creative with less waste

Here are 3 helpful apps (applications) and how you might use them.

iBook (free with iPad)

Books are a great way to learn more about everything from how to market your work, organize your office and add value to the actual service you provide.

But there’s only so much room for books in a house.

Of course, public libraries are great alternatives, but they frown on underlining.

So, if you’re like me and you prefer to underline and take notes in books, but have no more room for anything, then an iPad with iBook may be a great alternative for you.

I thought I’d miss books, but I can already tell I’m not going to.

I was concerned about reading on an electronic device, but iBook lets you change the brightness by dimming it at night or making it more intense during the day (I can easily read outside in full daylight.)

There’s even a “sepia” option that makes the page a bit more beige so the text is easier to read. It’s different than reading on a computer monitor.

You can highlight text in five different colors, take notes and use the index feature to easily read and find all of the information you highlighted.

In other words, iBook organizes all of your highlighted text and the notes you’ve written and then indexes everything so you don’t have to flip through 200 pages to find that great quote or whatever it is you need.

There’s also a search and dictionary feature. If you’re on a plane and you come across a word you don’t know you can easily look it up.

But is the iPad too heavy?

An iPad weights 1.5 pounds. A typical novel weighs about half that. Regardless, the weight hasn’t been an issue for me.  I’ve already gotten used to it.

(As an aside, I visit my family twice a year for 3 weeks at a time I often take my laptop, a 3-ring binder with an inch of paper documents, 2 books, my dream journal, a journal for taking notes, art supplies and my ipod. Now I can integrate everything into my iPad, including the art supplies, but I’ll probably take my watercolors anyway.)

Ultimately, an iPad can help you lighten your load and organize a library that is fully functional, but takes up very little physical space.

iBook with clients or when teaching or speaking in public

If you’re sitting with a client or need a reference while teaching or speaking, iBook can also help you easily carry around priceless resources for your work. With a few clicks you can find a great quote or dig up a book reference for someone.

Noteshelf, $4.99

When I meet with coaching clients I take a lot of notes. Sometimes I type them and email them to my clients after our session.

I’ve thought about creating a filing system or purchasing a notebook for each client, but I have no room for this. Instead, I lose the notes, toss them, or put them in a growing pile on my desk. It’s a bit maddening.

With Noteshelf I can create as many electronic “journals” as I desire and store them on a “shelf.”

The Noteshelf system doesn’t have a typing feature, but I can use my finger or a stylus (I use a Targus brand stylus) to actually write in the notebook exactly as I would write in a paper notebook.

I can choose from 17 different colored “pens” and change the thickness of them. It’s easy to erase mistakes by clicking “undo” or using an “eraser.” Also, I can add photos and images.

If I use Noteshelf to take notes during a client session I can click one button and email a PDF file of a page or the entire journal to myself or my client (because it’s connected to my home network. It is also 3G capable so eventually I’ll be able to email wherever I can connect to AT&T’s network.)

Here’s another way you can use Noteshelf:

Right now I’m reading my first iPad ebook. I bought “The Success Principles” by Jack Canfield because one of my clients recommended it. (So far I love it. Thanks Denise!)

In the book there are fun and useful exercises that require writing. Instead of filling up yet another notebook I flip back and forth between my iBook and my Noteshelf journal.

Just imagine how you might save paper and space by using Noteshelf.

You can have dream journals, client journals, notes, drawings, scrapbooks, etc. You can free up a lot of room in your home office and access everything from one device. (And back it up on your iTunes library so if you lose your iPad you won’t lose your material!)

If you want a hard copy of a journal you can always print it out.  You can even turn your electronic journal into a bound book by emailing a PDF copy to www.Lulu.com’s print on demand store.

Here are two pages from my “The Success Principles” journal (the image on the left is my dream retreat center!):

Corkulous

This is my favorite so far, but it’s hard to explain what it is so here’s a visual representation taken direction from Corkulous:

Basically, you can create bulletin boards with “typed” sticky notes, paper, and images (photographs or other images) and move everything around to explore various ways of pulling material together.

You might use it to create the flow of a book, workshop, website, event, or even a scrapbook. Pretty much anything you need to brainstorm or organize.

Essentially, this system will replace the 3 x 4 paper, markers, and cut outs that I use to brainstorm. I thought the iPad screen size would be problematic, but since I can make things look bigger or smaller by adjusting the screen it’s not an issue at all. In fact, it’s colorful and fun.

Oh, and you can always print it out if you need to!

Here’s what else you can do with an iPad:

Save your free PDF ebooks to your iPad and read them in iBook.

Or, if you’re like me and want to underline and take notes on your ebooks, there’s an app I haven’t purchased yet, PDF Expert for iPad ($4.99), that allows you to write, draw and take notes on PDF files.

No more printing free ebooks and storing them on your shelf just so you can underline. This system will free up lots of space!

You can also organize and check your:

• Contacts
• Calendar
• To Do list
• Email

And so much more.

And, you can take it wherever you want to! If you want to work in a beautiful forested park instead of in your home office, you can take everything with you in a 1.5 pound device.

I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this thing can do. There are many free and relatively inexpensive apps that can help you organize your work into a system that is easy and effective.  I thought the iPhone was pretty cool, but I wasn’t inspired enough by it to get one.  The iPad, though, that’s a different story.

If you’re like me and feeling overwhelmed by paper, or want to more easily work away from your desk, an iPad may very well help you do just that.  It isn’t just one more electronic device. It’s a miracle.

Okay. That may be a bit over the top. Can you tell I like this thing?