11 reasons why Google Keep is worth taking a look at
I used to use Evernote; I loved everything about it, tags, notebooks, saved searches, I loved all of it. I spent a lot of time curating my notes, tagging them, and moving them from one notebook to another. I took the time to think about each new note: How to tag it, how to title it for alphabetical sorting and what notebook it belonged in. And therein lies the problem-so many choices, so many decisions to make. Every time I opened Evernote I’d re-tag a few notes, maybe move them from one notebook to another. I was adept at saved searches (tag:pantry tag:one-pan tag:chicken); I found new ways to tag, new ways to search.
Then Evernote raised their rates and coincidentally-though-unrelated, I replaced my Windows pc with a Chromebook. Not only did I become a convert, I discovered Google Keep.
What is Google Keep?
Here’s the definition in Wikipedia: Google Keep is a note-taking service included as part of the free, web-based Google Docs Editors suite offered by Google. The service also includes Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, and Google Sites.
Once I started using Keep, I realized how overwhelmed I had been by the many choices and decisions possible in Evernote. This is not Evernote’s fault, it’s a terrific app for many people, but if you don’t need all that power you might do better with a more streamlined app. I do better when I have fewer options. In fact most people do better with fewer choices. According to Barry Schwartz in his book “The Paradox of Choice: Why more is less, Revised Edition:”
As we have seen, having the opportunity to choose is essential for well-being, but choice has negative features, and the negative features escalate as the number of choices increases. Schwartz, Barry, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less, HarperCollins e-books, New York, New York, 2004
That brings me back to Google Keep and why it’s a worthwhile note taking app if you’re a Chrome or Chromebook user. Here are the reasons you should consider using Google Keep.
- Decision making is minimal. This, as explained above, is a big one for me. There are no folders or notebooks; there is no sorting. You do not have to decide where to store a note. Write the note and save it, no other decisions required.
- Because there are no…
