Ayrat Badykov has an interesting post on his Org-mode workflow. In it he shows how he leverages Org mode to be more productive. What I find interesting—other than that I always find workflow articles interesting—is how far he gets using just a few basic Org features. He mostly uses just the list making and agenda functions of Org but still manages to organize his day. Doubtless, he’ll find, as many of us have, that his use of Org will grow organically (heh) and that he will start using more and more of its functionality.
If you’re a n00b, one of the important lessons to take away from Badykov’s post is to start small. Org has a lot of features, many of which are orthogonal to the others. You can make lists and schedule items with it. You can also write and publish papers with it. Or you can use it for literate programming or even to organize your Emacs configuration.
There’s too much there to learn all at once but you don’t need to. Learn a couple of its capabilities and integrate them into your workflow. You’ll find yourself thinking, “Gee, it would be nice if I could …,” check the manual and find that, in fact, Org can do that. Before long you’ll find yourself using a significant portion of Org’s functionality.