In today's guest post Dawnita Fogleman of Prairie Dust Trail shares how using Evernote for blogging ended her app overwhelm and helped her build confidence as a blogger.

I hear so many people talk about needing to get organized. It's something we struggle with because our lives are constantly changing. Priorities shift and families grow.

I have used lots of different planners and techniques through the years and friends have always asked, “So what are you using now?” I love sharing ideas with people, but I shy away from selling a particular system.

I've done a few custom planners for friends through the years, but they never come back and ask again and I understand why. Things changed and they needed something different. I've seldom found something myself that works perfectly for a whole year.

I've learned to change and re-evaluate quarterly and I feel much more organized now that I take the time to do that.

I had Ap Overwhelm

In this modern society of mobile apps, it is beyond overwhelming to see all the different calendars, planners, to-do-lists, and organizers available.

I feel like a Star Trek captain trying to establish tricorder readings with my tablet!

I'll think, oh, I could do that on the tablet now! And off I go to the app-store, searching for something to fit that “need”. After a while, I realize the greatest, latest app is doing nothing more than taking up valuable space and I delete it.

I'm a one-stop-shop kinda gal. I like familiar things. I'm a regular and loyal customer. I know (and the store owners know) exactly what I want from each place I frequent. I'm the one they ask, “You want your regular order or do you feel like trying something new today?” They know me well. If I am in the mood for something new, I'll usually ask them to suggest something. We trust each other.

I have finally found an app I trust and have become comfortable with. I trust it to do what I need. I still back things up; the important stuff on a external or jump drive.

But I trust this ap with my everyday life.

If my computer is on, this app is up. It's also on the tablet and smart phone. I know the information I put there will be available if there is a fire, tornado, or computer crash. I'll be able to pick up the pieces and get back to work with less stress and more organization.

Evernote Ended the Overwhelm!

This amazing app is Evernote and here is how I use it for blogging organization:
I have groups of notebooks for each goal in my life:
• Blogging
• Business
• Home
• K&K (Our grown children. I keep information about their businesses here.)
• Writing
In each of these groups I have notebooks for each area or topic I want to keep up with.

For instance, the main notebook Blogging has:
• Blog
• Affiliates
• Courses
• Guest Posts
• Link-ups
• Newsletter
• Resources
• Reviews
• Social Media

And in each of those are notes.

In the Blog notebook I have:
• Curation (sites & links I want to share)
• Posts (listed by date with name, link and hashtags for easy sharing)
• Drafts & post ideas (I'm not using an editorial calendar right now and sometimes can't get into my blog to post a draft, so I put them here.)
• Post Checklist (I forget basic things & hate having to go back and add things once I've posted.)
• Blog Schedule (Daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly plans for those days I feel overwhelmed and just don't know where to start…)
• Disclosures (affiliate, consultant, free for review…)
• Ideas (things I might want to do with the blog… design, ads… whatever)
• Stats (I have moved this to paper now, but I like to keep them here for easy copy and paste if I'm approached by a company for a review or sponsored post.)
• Canned Responses (automatic responses and inquiries)
• Local businesses (since my blog theme tips toward our local area)
• Backup of each page of my blog pages (each in a separate note, in case the server crashes or I goof, I can just copy and paste the information back where it needs to go)

That is a LOT of information.

I didn't put it all in Evernote in one day. It has been a process.

In the “Resources” notebook, I save articles from other sources. I have the Google Chrome app to “clip” articles or snippets to whichever notebook I want.

Each one clips as a separate note. This is really nice to have when I'm working on a Media Kit or Promotion. I can search for ideas right on my Evernote and know I already liked the article and the information it has without having to Google it and sift through tons of irrelevant or fluffy information.

Evernote has built my confidence as a blogger.

I now have a plan with my goals in a tangible form. Things aren't getting lost in paper files or binder tabs. If I need it on the go, the tablet or phone is much smaller and easier to carry with me and I can access the information anywhere. Right now, I am still doing all this on a FREE Evernote account.

Are you ready to get organized?

Start basic and keep things simple. Get Evernote today and enjoy the flexibility of a mobile ap with all the dependable ‘old school' features proven to keep people on track.

Looking for more tools for success? Check out our list of recommended tools.

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Dawnita Fogleman is a fifth generation Oklahoma Panhandle Pioneer. She and her husband, Paul, have six amazing children. They have homeschooled from the start and now have two graduated and starting their own businesses. With the family business and their little farm, every day is a surprise. Dawnita blogs at PrairieDustTrail.com.