Creating actions directly from Evernote

Sometimes you just need to create an action (for example, when reading an email where somebody asks you to do something). There is no need for collecting the item into your Inbox and processing it in zendone. Just use this very simple syntax in the the title of the Evernote note:

- the title of the action

When you start your note title with an '-' (dash) character, zendone will know that this is not an Evernote note to be collected, but an action to be created. The created action will have the attached Evernote note to it. When zendone creates the action, its note will placed at the default Archive notebook.

Assigning action attributes

You can also assign attributes to the action. Just separate them with dots. For example, for creating an action inside the project 'first design draft' with a due date type:

- this is some action. fist design draft. due tuesday at 9am

Notice there is a typo in 'fist'. You don’t have to be precise! The same mechanism applies for delegated users. Just type the name of the person you are delegating the action to.

Also notice you can type dates with natural language, as in any other part of zendone.

You can use this mechanism for assigning all the properties of an action:

• Project
• Calendar date: Just type a date to create a calendar action. E.g: tomorrow
• Deadline: Type due/deadline and a date. E.g: due tomorrow or deadline tomorrow
• Delegated user
• Contexts
• Area of responsibility

Creating new elements for the action attributes

Sometimes you need to create new elements when defining the actions. For example, when you want to create a new project you don’t have in your system. In that case, you can use:

- this is some action. p: first design draft

If a project with a name similar to 'first design draft' doesn’t exist, it will be created. Similar keys exists for other elements:

• p/projects: Projects
• u/delegated: Delegated users
• t/context: Contexts

Creating focused actions

You can also mark actions as focus by using one of the following keys: focus, f, x or *. For example:

- This is a focused action. x

Examples

Imagine you have the following configuration:

• 1 project: invitations
• 2 contexts: errands, review
• 1 delegated user: mike

Examples:

• Action with a calendar date tomorrow and contained in the project invitations

  - some action. tomorrow. invitations

• Action contained in a new project named improve documentation that belongs to your home area of responsibility

  - some action. tomorrow. p: improve documentation. home

• Action delegated to Mike

  - some action. mike

• Next action with 2 contexts: errands and a new one named shopping

  - some action. errands. t: shopping. focus