Hi there. I use Evernote for GTD and have pretty much followed the suggestions in the GTD For Evernote guide so I thought I'd chime in.
zff;112420 said:
1. Where should I create these 2 folders? Inside inbox?
Yes, that's what the guide is suggesting: creating them as subfolders under the inbox. It's a handy place to have them because you probably look at your inbox regularly.
zff;112420 said:
2. What is the purpose of these folders?
That depends. If you choose to use the emails as the reminders, then you simply move actionable emails into the @Actions subfolder and copies of the ones you send and need to track into the @Waiting For folder. The latter can easily be accomplished by creating an Outlook rule that moves emails where you've BCC'd yourself into your @Waiting For folder. You then treat these folders like the rest of your lists and check them as often as needed.
If you'd rather have everything in one list, you just take the extra step of creating an Evernote note with the next action or what you're waiting for in the title.
If you're using the Evernote Windows client, it should install a "Send to Evernote" button in your Outlook client. You can create notes based on the emails, with the full content of the email in the note body. I do that, but still file the actual emails in subfolders in Outlook.
zff;112420 said:
3. What am I supposed to do with the folders when I am getting my inbox to zero?
Nothing -- when you move emails into these folders, they're out of your inbox.
c4. And how to they relate to Evernote?[/QUOTE]
That depends on which of the above methods you choose to use.
I look through these folders during my weekly review and when they're no longer needed as support for next actions or waiting for's, I create reference folders by person, organization, or topic and store them there. I'm not one to dump them all into one single "reference" folder.
As for saving emails, consider your own unique use case(s). Oogie may have a use for emails more than a decade old but I have never once needed an email for that long. Not even close. For me being organized means getting rid of stuff that's no longer needed. In fact, I sell document management software and I know a fair amount about document retention best practices -- in some cases hanging onto an email for too long can violate an organization's retention policies and create legal headaches. I'm not saying what Oogie is doing is wrong for her -- I have no basis on which to make that judgment -- but her approach may not necessarily be right for you. Check with your employer, or if you're self-employed you may want to check with a CPA re: financial documents and an attorney about the rest if you're at all concerned about it.
zff;112420 said:
I will continue setting Evernote, I had tried The Secret Weapon, but found it lacking.
I couldn't even get through the instructions for TSW. It was so ridiculously confusing and I thought, "Forget it!"