Overview
The Secret Weapon is a powerful personal productivity method that combines David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) concepts with Evernote's cloud-based platform. It allows users to reorganize emails, ideas, and to-do items into one synchronized system accessible across multiple devices.
Core Concept
The Secret Weapon uses Evernote's tagging system to implement GTD principles, creating a comprehensive task management system that goes beyond traditional to-do lists.
How It Works
Tag-Based Contexts
In The Secret Weapon, tags function as "contexts" that can be assigned to each pending action or to-do. The system uses two types of contexts:
- WHERE contexts: Location-based tags such as @downtown, @work, or @home
- WHEN contexts: Time-based tags such as .Now, .Soon, .Later, or .This Week
Implementation
The system leverages Evernote's notebooks and tags to create a structured GTD workflow:
- Inbox: Capture all incoming tasks and ideas
- Tags: Apply appropriate WHERE and WHEN contexts
- Notebooks: Organize by project or area of responsibility
- Search: Use Evernote's powerful search to filter by context
- Review: Regular reviews to keep the system current
Comparison to Official GTD + Evernote
While The Secret Weapon is based on GTD principles, it differs from the official David Allen Company GTD + Evernote guide:
- Complexity: The Secret Weapon uses a more complex system of tags and folders
- Setup: Requires more initial configuration and maintenance
- Philosophy: Offers a more elaborate interpretation of GTD using Evernote's full feature set
- Official Guide: The David Allen Company guide is more streamlined and easier to use
Benefits
- Cloud Synchronization: Access your system from any device
- Rich Media Support: Include images, PDFs, and web clippings with tasks
- Powerful Search: Evernote's search makes finding information quick
- Flexibility: Customizable to individual workflows
- Integration: Evernote integrates with many other productivity tools
Challenges
- Learning Curve: Can be prohibitively complex for new users
- Maintenance: Requires discipline to maintain the tagging system
- Over-Engineering: Some users find it overly complicated compared to simpler approaches
- Evernote Dependency: Tied to a specific platform
Best For
- GTD practitioners who want to leverage Evernote
- Users comfortable with complex tagging systems
- People who need to integrate various types of information (notes, tasks, documents)
- Those seeking a all-in-one productivity solution
Pricing
The methodology itself is free, but requires an Evernote subscription:
- Evernote Free: Basic features
- Evernote Personal: $14.99/month
- Evernote Professional: $17.99/month
