The problem
Ideas live in five apps, a notebook and your camera roll. When you need them, you cannot find them.
Step by step
- Pick one notes app as your home base.
- Move the notes you still care about into it. Leave the rest.
- Use voice memos with transcription for ideas on the go.
- Ask the AI to suggest tags or folders, and summarise long notes.
- Once a week, review new notes and turn any action into a task.
The prompt
Here are some of my notes. Suggest a simple set of 5 to 8 tags or folders that fits them, assign each note to one, and list any notes that contain a task I should act on.
Notes:
{paste notes}
Replace the {highlighted} parts with your details, or fill them in with the prompt builder.
Check before you use it
- The tags make sense to you.
- Tasks hidden in notes are captured.
Privacy
- Keep passwords and private documents out of notes apps, whatever the AI features.
Do’s and don’ts
Do
- Use one inbox for new ideas.
- Review weekly.
- Keep the system simple enough to use on a bad day.
Don’t
- Spend more time organising than doing.
- Keep passwords in notes.
- Switch apps every month.
When not to use AI for this
If notes include other people’s personal information, check before using AI features on them.
Tools that can help
NotionNotes, wikis and project boards with built-in AI writing and search.
NotebookLMGoogle’s tool for asking questions about your own documents, with answers tied to the source.
Readwise ReaderSave articles, PDFs and newsletters to read later, with AI summaries and Q&A.
Apple IntelligenceWriting tools, summaries and smarter notifications built into recent iPhones, iPads and Macs.
We are not paid by any of these companies, and we list well-known options, not a ranking. Features and plans change; check the provider’s site and its data terms before you sign up. See all AI tools by category.
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