We all have different personal knowledge management (PKM) challenges, depending on our projects and goals.Discover what your PKM persona is-- then learn what apps will fit your needs best.
Which of the options below best describes your work?
A.
I'm a professor, researcher, teacher, or student.
B.
I design beautiful things.
C.
I spend most of my day writing.
D.
I run a business.
E.
I manage projects or people.
2.
What program do you use most on your computer in a given day?
A.
A design program, like Photoshop, Indesign, or Canva. I spend my day creating visual designs.
B.
A text editor, like Word, Pages, or Google Docs. I work on crafting the written word most days.
C.
Project management software, like Excel, Access, Trello, or Asana. Gantt charts and SOPs make my life easier.
D.
A tie between a reference manager, like Zotero or EndNote, and a web browser searching my school's library site and a reference manager like Zotero or End Note. I'm always researching and learning new things.
E.
My web browser, either staying connected via social media or browsing the next new thing on Product Hunt. I'm always building my network for my business.
3.
By the end of this year, what would you like to have completed?
A.
An academic book, presentation, dissertation, or thesis.
B.
The departmental workflow revamp I've had on the back burner for way too long now.
C.
Launched my next business project.
D.
Committed to a regular blogging schedule or finally written that ebook I've been thinking about.
E.
Finished designing my templates and put them up for sale on Gumroad, Etsy, or Creative Market.
4.
What's the most common type of file on your computer?
A.
Academic research papers
B.
Graphic design files and stock photos
C.
Word and text documents
D.
Excel files and PDF manuals
E.
Swipe files for marketing ideas
5.
Why are you interested in personal knowledge management?
A.
I want to stay on top of research in my field. I want to get more efficient at researching and writing in my area of expertise, so I can be a more prolific writer and organized teacher.
B.
I am trying to launch a business-- or keep my current ones running while I launch the next. I want a way to keep my great ideas organized, stay connected to my clients, and market while building in public.
C.
I always have so many things to manage. I want a way to keep my projects more organized so that I have more energy and calm to be a thoughtful, effective manager.
D.
I'm a designer, but feel like I can get bogged down in the details instead of having a clear, focused mind ready to create my next design. I want a way to organize my plans, files, and materials so that I can create my next great thing.
E.
I'm a writer - I spend my days labouring over the written word. But my files are a mess, and I can't find that really good idea I know I wrote down... somewhere... a month ago. I'm tired of losing interesting ideas and references.
