Whether you’re a proficient OneNote user or just started using it after reading my GTD and OneNote article posted on GTD Times it doesn’t take long to populate the software with a tonne of pages and a tonne of information (yes, I am Canadian).

First, some definitions:

MS Office OneNote 2007 is a digital notebook that provides people one place to gather their notes and information, powerful search to find what they are looking for quickly, and easy-to-use shared notebooks so that they can manage information overload and work together more effectively.

ActiveWords is a Windows application that relates words and actions, giving you instant access to what you want, making you more productive, and improving the quality of your work.  (Editors note: ActiveWords was also featured in a podcast by David Allen.)

For quick access to all your stuff, OneNote allows you to organize things really well into Books, Sections, Pages, and Sub-pages and they provide a nifty search box and tagging capabilities.  But those are like driving a Honda Civic – good, reliable, and gets you from A-B – but what I really want is a Ferrari – fast, exciting, and the envy of all my colleagues (OK, that last one is a bit of a stretch).

Enter ActiveWords (I’ll wait while you head back up to the ActiveWords definition).  OK. Still don’t really understand what ActiveWords does?  Maybe this will help…

ActiveWords allows me to do Ferrari like things.  (Keep in mind that ActiveWords works on top of windows so I can do any of the following while working in any program):

• Open software such as Google Earth by typing “Earth” F8,
• Open the GTD Times website by typing “GTDT” F8,
• Ditto for “Gmail” F8 (yes, ActiveWords has replaced marking favourites for websites)
• “Cal” F8 to open up Outlook Calendar
• “T” F8 to create a new outlook task (even if Outlook isn’t open!)
• “Projects” F8 to open up my projects folder buried deep in windows explorer
• “CFS” F8 to open up an excel file buried even deeper in windows explorer

In a nutshell, it moves me away from my mouse and using menu’s and allows me to use shortcuts on the keyboard with words that are intuitive rather than having to memorize things like “ctrl-shift-y” (No, I don’t know what that shortcut does – if anything)

So here’s how you can use ActiveWords to transform OneNote from a Honda Civic to a Ferrari.

Let’s say you’ve got a OneNote page that you access quite frequently.  In my case, and in this example, it’s my GTD Weekly Review page:

My goal is to access this page in less than 2 seconds no matter where I may be working in Windows (aka I want to be Ferrari fast).  To achieve this, we’ll need to create an ActiveWord.  So buckle up and we’ll get started.

1. Go to the page in OneNote where you want lighting speed access – “My GTD Weekly Review”, in this example.
2. Right-click on the page and select “Copy Hyperlink to this Page” (see screen capture below) – Note that hyperlinks can be created in OneNote for books, sections, pages, sub-pages and even text or objects on a page.
3. Move your cursor to somewhere (anywhere) on the OneNote page. Right-click and select “paste”.
4. Right-click on this newly created hyperlink and select “copy hyperlink” (see screen capture below)
5. Type “Add” then F8 to start the ActiveWords “Add” wizard, select “Open a Document”, and then click “Next”. (See screen capture below)
6. Right-click and paste the hyperlink into the top dialogue box.  Good habit to get into is to add a quick description while you’ve got the chance – e.g. “Open – My GTD Weekly Review OneNote page”.  It helps you search for the ActiveWord if you ever forget it.  Then click “Next”. (See screen capture below)
7. Now determine your ActiveWord for this task – could be “GTDWR”, or “Weekly Review”, or something simple like “WR”.  Then select “Finish”. (see screen capture below)
8. Now whenever you want to get to that Weekly Review page in OneNote, just type “WR” F8 and you will be there in less than 2 seconds – even if OneNote isn’t open (but why wouldn’t it be??)

Use ActiveWords in all your “often accessed” OneNote info and become — Ferrari Fast.

This is Ryan Oakley’s second Community Contributor post to GTD Times.  His first article on GTD & OneNote was so popular, he asked if he could contribute another.  Look for more from Ryan in the coming months on his personal use of OneNote.

For me, GTD has always worked extremely well for those small(er) tasks and projects.  You know – those little things that used to fall through the cracks but, with the help of GTD, are now easily tracked and moved on until completed.

These smaller projects don’t need much in the way of “project support material” (PSM) — maybe just 4 or 5 lines of information to keep close at hand to help finish the project.  For me, I have mostly used the “notes” section of a project task item in outlook for a good and easy place to put this type of PSM.

But…what about those larger projects?  Like a 2 week vacation to Europe (travel books, emails, reservations, tickets, list of things you want to do and see, things to pack, addresses of family to visit, etc.) or maybe that multi-million dollar project at work that has 8 months worth of project plans and 5 milestones, 247 emails, 156 page reports, bi-weekly meetings, and 7 team members (complete with collaboration).  Ahh!

My GTD system breaks down with that kind of complexity.  Of course I have places to put all that stuff (physical files ala Mr. Allen, email .pst folders/files, digital folders/files, network drives, SharePoint sites) – but it was always just too overwhelming.  Unless I had just filed away an important piece of PSM, I would quickly forget where it was or force the info back into my brain.  And that had very negative consequences on me and my work.

• I had an aversion to create, process, and organize PSM for larger projects.
• When I did get around to organizing PSM, I had an aversion to go hunting for it when I needed it.
• I had an aversion to include “review project support material” as part of my weekly review – because it was just too much.  One project could take an entire morning!

As a result I found myself primarily adding to and working on completing the smaller projects – that did not create as much stress but which also didn’t produce the results I wanted in my life at the 30k to 50k levels.

Sound familiar?  Well, I’ve got good news.  As of 4 months ago all that has changed.  Let me (quickly) introduce you to my new “tool that I can’t live without” – Microsoft® OneNote® 2007.

I now:

• Create a OneNote (ON) “book” for each major active project (and little one pagers for the smaller projects)
• Bring in all my PSM into ON (ideas, emails, files, project plans, meeting minutes, photos, screen captures, internet research, voicemails, conversations, and even A/V files!)
• Brainstorm my projects in ON
• Use hyperlinks in ON to access project material like folders, files, websites and even other sections in ON.
• Work through my projects using ON as my project cockpit.
• Create my next actions in ON – and they are automatically synched with Outlook Tasks.
• Share my project ON book with my project team members so we can collaborate and move our project forward together.
• Link my meeting minutes from my outlook calendar appointment to ON where they are easily tasks, shared, and organized.
• Use ON for my weekly review and have no problems with reviewing and working with really big hairy projects.
• Use the ON live search to find random bits of information as needed.

Screenshots examples:  OneNote and Outlook Tasks

With ON I’ve been able to create a workspace that allows me to be free-form and creative (brain dump, mind map, scribbles), and easily build in structure to organize it all really quickly and intuitively.

I’m back on the GTD (band)wagon baby!

Although this post has been focused on using ON to solve the “project support material” problem, it has many more wonderful uses like:

• Managing contact information
• Managing copious amounts of reference material (and not limited to just text)
• Keeping a daily work journal
• Allows me to print way less paper
• Serves as a necessary “digital inbox”
• Allows me to carry my entire filing cabinet to all my meetings
• Access important information faster than anyone else in my office

Maybe I’ll be invited to make a ON series for GTD Times.  I’m ok with more work – I’ve got a system now that handles it.

Ryan Oakley is a man of many 20,000 ft roles and responsibilities.  He is a traffic engineer, a wedding and portrait photographer, an active member of Toastmasters, a volunteer electric tram motorman, a husband and  father of 2 young children.