I turned Google Keep into a mental inbox; my focus improved overnight

I have a habit of remembering things at the worst possible time. I'll sit down to focus and suddenly remember the task I've been putting off all week. Or I'll get an email about something I need to deal with, but I don't have time to work on it.

Either way, the thought takes up space in my head, and I'm no longer focused on what I was doing. I used to stop and deal with those thoughts immediately, mostly because I was afraid I'd forget them.

Now I have a simpler system using Google Keep, and giving those thoughts a place to go has made it easier to stay focused.

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By  Anu Joy

I file my thoughts away and get back to what I was doing

I use labels as filing cabinets

When I remember something I need to do, I put it in Google Keep, but I don't build an elaborate system. That would defeat the point.

If a random thought takes more than a few seconds to organize, I won't do it when I'm in the middle of something else.

Instead, I use labels based on the kind of attention that thought needs. I think of them as small filing cabinets I can throw something into and forget about until I'm ready to deal with it.

For example, I have labels such as:

• 5 minutes: Quick tasks I can knock out between other things.
• Buy: Items I need to pick up or order.
• Read: Articles, topics, or rabbit holes for another time.
• Waiting: Anything that's currently in someone else's court.
• Ideas: Random thoughts that might turn into something useful later.

The labels tell me what I need to do with it, and that's the distinction that makes this system work for me.

If I remember a five-minute task while I'm working on something else, I don't switch gears to do it. I label it as 5 minutes and go back to what I was doing. If I'm waiting for someone to get back to me, I don't keep reminding myself about it; I put it in Waiting and continue working.

When I have a few minutes to deal with something, I can find the right category instead of scrolling through a giant pile of unrelated notes.

The widget makes the system work on my phone

This shortcut keeps me from losing my train of thought

The system would be less useful if I had to open Keep, find the right place, create a note, and then organize it every time a thought popped into my head.

That's why I keep the Google Keep widget on my home screen. When I remember something in the middle of work, I can get it into Keep without turning it into an event.

Keep's Quick capture widget lets me create a new note from the Android home screen. There's also a Note collection widget if I want a particular set of notes visible, including notes under a specific label.

For my system, I use the quick capture widget to get the thought out of my head before it pulls me away from whatever I'm doing.

Gmail gives me another place to capture my notes

My inbox became another place to park distractions

My system also works when I'm sitting at my computer.

Google Keep is accessible from Gmail's right side panel, along with tools such as Calendar and Tasks. That makes it easy to access the app without switching between tabs.

Before I started using this system, I'd either leave the email sitting there as a reminder or tell myself I'd remember to come back to it later.

Now, if I'm reading an email and realize I need to remember something, I can open Keep right there, create a note, and drop in the relevant details.

I also like keeping the original email attached to my note for context. I'll open the email, copy the link from the browser's address bar, and paste it into the Keep note.

That way, when I get around to the task, I don't have to remember which email it came from or search through my inbox again.

I turn time-sensitive notes into tasks

Give important tasks a deadline

If I have a specific action to take that I might forget, I turn it into a task.

For me, that means reminders like "Call the dentist,” "Submit the expense report," "Reply to Thomas about the project," or "Book the hotel for Friday."

This is especially useful when I remember something I've been procrastinating on. Instead of telling myself I'll get to it later, I can turn it into a task and give it a date and time.

Google Keep reminders have moved to Google Tasks, so tasks created from Keep can be viewed, edited, and completed from Keep, Tasks, and Calendar. If I give one a specific date and time, it can also appear on my calendar and send me a notification.

To use it, open the note, tap the bell icon at the top, and select from the suggested times. You can tap Pick a date and time to choose when you want to be reminded of a task.

Everything follows me between my phone and computer

Sync is the name of the game

The other reason this system works for me is that I don't have to remember where I captured a note.

Most of the quick stuff happens on my phone. I'll remember a task while I'm out, spot something I need to buy, or think of an idea and drop it into Keep. But when I'm at my computer, that's usually when I have the time to work through those notes.

Keep syncs across devices, so I can open it on my computer, and everything I've captured on my phone is there.

I don't have to email myself a reminder, copy something into another app, or wonder which device I wrote it down on.

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Posts By  Anu Joy

I finally found a place to park all my mental clutter

I used to think staying focused meant trying harder not to get distracted. But random thoughts can show up, whether I want them to or not.

This Google Keep system gives me a place to put those thoughts without acting on them immediately. A task I suddenly remember can wait for its reminder, while an email I need to deal with later can be filed with a link back to the message.

Keep has become my mental inbox since I don't have to keep every unfinished task, idea, reminder, and follow-up bouncing around in my head.