I wish someone had told me about using WhatsApp as a note app

I wish someone had told me” is a series of posts that feed into our inquisitive nature at CN&CO. Each week we hear from someone in our network about something interesting or surprising that’s recently happened or occurred to them – or lessons they learnt. These blogs are a way to pay it forward and form part of CN&CO’s belief that the world can be a better place – and we all have a responsibility to make it so. This week’s post is by Gianluca.

Let’s face it, if you had to check your screen time on your phone, chances are that WhatsApp is the front runner on your most-used list. It’s the go-to communication platform for billions of people after all.

A platform that allows them to share conversations, pictures, videos, news and more. It’s our modern day communication hub. In fact, the more people I speak to, the more feedback I hear about them relying on WhatsApp to talk business and be productive in their roles.

In a world where there is pretty much an app for everything and an abundance of information available, the management and use of your time has become more and more important.

As a project manager and being passionate about planning my time, having the right tools to enable to me to work smartly and capitalise on thoughts, ideas and actions, is essential. Also, I am a fan of finding ways to use apps for more than one purpose.

I have tried several note apps and whilst there are a variety of options with great features, for the last two months I have used WhatsApp to deliver this function in my work and life routine. I even decided on the topic of this I wish blog from a note I made on the app.

How?

It’s simple really;

1. Create a new group on your WhatsApp titled “Notes” (or similar) and add your significant other or friend
2. Once the group is created, remove that person on the group settings
3. Now you have a group for you and you alone, this is where the magic of productive note taking happens
4. Whenever you have a note, picture, link or even voice recording to take, write it as a message in the group
5. Each message in the group is allocated under the time it was posted, and can be searched for in the app. Also, each time you write a new note, the group conversations lives at the top of your WhatsApp page
6. It’s easy to access and you don’t need to jump to another app
7. Your information is safe and encrypted
8. My best part, is during the day it’s a useful way to stay engaged with what I need to do. Checking the your notes group is easy and convenient. Triggering ideas and activating reminders
9. You can also set up your WhatsApp on your tablet or computer. Under the settings section of your app. This helps you to add to the notes group from a different source when needed
10. This may not be the ideal solution for everyone, but if you are looking for a different way to take notes… give it a try and have a superb week ahead!

Speaking of platforms and the broader digital world. The global COVID-19 crisis has driven entrepreneurs to adapt and bring their businesses online. One business that has done this well and is linked to the broader CN&CO network is The Homing Pigeon.

The Homing Pigeon is here for the busy people, who live life in the fast (and busy) lane, who don’t have the time or expertise to redo their living space. An exclusive online interior design platform, to help you realise your dream space, from anywhere, at anytime… they offer fast, effective and personalised design. Keshia Wylie, the founder, is offering an insight into interior design through short videos to get your creative mind flowing, check out the latest update on their Facebook page.

*Note this blog was updated on 4 May 2020.