Simplifying Apple Notes: Why Forever Notes Still Works
Issue 27
Tech Vitals
6 Months with Forever Notes
This weeks’ video is about the amazing FREE framework Forever Notes.
I’ve been running my workflow inside the Forever Notes framework for over 6 months now. It’s not an app, it’s not a subscription, it’s just a way to organize your Apple Notes.
Some parts have really stuck for me… others I’ve quietly stopped using.
The biggest win? Tags and Smart Folders in Apple Notes The biggest downside? Journal setup
I can’t be too mad and it is hard to criticize a free system too much. There is a wealth of information on the creator’s website myforevernotes.com
For the journal I couldn’t get over manually linking the headers for each daily note. It is a lot of work to get a journal system up and running in Apple Notes. I can promise you though that if you spend the time to do it, it is probably the best journal solution for Apple Notes that is available.
The next is Hub Pages. Since Apple Notes is not a smart database like Notion, the links on the Hub pages will have to be manually updated. You might see a theme here. Manual updates are becomming my nemesis. I’d much rather have automation where I can. I love Apple Shortcuts and routinely use AI to help me automate repetative processes that I do every time I create a podcast or YouTube video.
Ultimately my biggest win of the system was to simplify my Apple Notes setup to just three tags:
YouTube
Newsletter
Podcast
Then I use smart folders to automatically organize all of these items and sort out items that have been published to their respective platform.
Forever Notes is still the way to go in Apple Notes, despite the things that I don’t like about it. That simply shows the beauty of the framework. No one is forcing you to use the pieces that may not make sense to you.
Take what does work and implement it, leave everything else behind.
You can check out my full YouTube video on the topic here. When you click, leave a comment and let me know that you came from Substack!
App of the Month: Apple Freeform
Last week I shared my app of the month as Apple Freeform. You can check out the full video here. This week I’ll do a short app overview.
Apple Freeform is a hidden gem from Apple.
Why is it a hidden gem?
Well it is another free productivity app from apple, the pencil support is amazing and it has an infinite canvas that expands as you fill it up.
What are some core features?
Alignment guides help you organize the chaos Scenes help with navigation around large boards The creativity tools let you build whatever you want
What it is good for?
Think mind maps, project management, mood boards or visualizing ideas
Let me know in the comments, what are you using Apple Freeform for?
Creator Heartbeat
Business is messy. I’m figuring it out on my own. My favorite part though is the struggle of solving a problem.
As an engineer it is pretty much what I’ve been trained to do. Every day I have something new to tackle, a new skill to learn, a new idea for a video, a weekly podcast and newsletter to keep up with.
Sure plenty have come before me, but I don’t really have a blueprint. I’ve taken inspiration from YouTubers, Podcasters, business people and even large corporations along the way
Content Radar
I’ve been obsessed with Modern Wisdom and Diary of a CEO podcast. This past week I listened to an episode with Nischa, a financial YouTuber. I took away a ton of great information from that podcast.
I’ve gone back and forth on financial independence and I’ve been working on my own messy financial situation for about a decade now. One quote stood out to me, now that I have more mouths to feed and it is not just me anymore.
“…if you give someone else the power to feed you, you're also giving them the power to starve you.” - Nischa Shah
They talked about building an emergency fund, saving a buffer in case you lose your job, investing and maybe most relatable to me, working on a side hustle like YouTube or another business as a means to build your income and keep you from relying on a sole source of income.
Episode link: Finance Expert: The Truth About Buying a House and How Her 652015 Rule Built $200K in Passive Income!
Pulse Check
What’s coming up
New For Perspective podcast tomorrow - AI job crisis, Notion updates, Billionaire drama and more!
Apple Watch Battery Life isn’t an issue
My favorite Apple Freeform feature - short form
Connect and Engage
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