Death to the TO READ folder that never gets read

If you’re like me, you probably have a big stack of articles you’ve ripped from magazines that are piled on your desk that you never find time to get to.  And you might have a folder on your desktop like I do called “To Read” where you drop pdf’s and articles you want to read later, which you never do.  Oh, and did I mention the folder in my inbox called “To Read”?  Yeah, I never get to that one either.  But I’m impressively able to organize stuff that I never read :)

Two things have happened to me in the last few days that have seriously reshaped this “To Read” Syndrome that I have and (I think) I will now be able to read this stuff.

First, I got an iPad.  The iPad has created an easy way for me to read things while sitting on the couch, while at the airport…basically anywhere when I’m not in front of a desk. It’s immediately become my favorite way to read anything (books, articles, web content, your awesome Facebook status updates about how your cat just did something hilarious, etc.).

Second, I just realized Evernote has a feature that allows you to email yourself notes (and put them into specific folders).  And Evernote works GREAT ON THE IPAD.

So now I have a new folder in Evernote called, what else, “To Read”.  But here’s the catch, I’m actually reading stuff now.  Previously, my options were to open up the same folder on my laptop and try to read it.  You don’t need me to tell you that reading long articles on your laptop pretty much sucks.  On the iPad, its a great experience.  You gotta try it.

And Evernote files exist with me on the iPad anywhere I go.  If I’m on a flight, I can open that folder on the iPad and read away.

Plus I’m being green as a mofo ;)