I Was Wrong About Notion, Here’s Why…
Around two years ago, I wrote an article about my decision to move away from Notion. Back then, I discovered that I was spending too much time messing around with the features and that I was becoming less productive when I was using it.
But I couldn’t have been more wrong about moving away from it because fast-forward a year, I decided to start using it again for managing my blog and YouTube channel. I even went out and purchased Thomas Frank’s Creator Companion template, which I use till this day for managing my side hustle. I honestly don’t know where I would be today without it today.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve been looking at ways of re-introducing Notion to my daily life. Only this time, I don’t want to use it for absolutely everything because that was one of the reasons I moved away. This time I want to use it only for things that will provide a genuine improvement to my workflow and daily life.
But without any further ado, here are the reasons I was wrong about moving away from Notion…
Recognising why I was wrong
A few years ago, when I was a university student, I found Notion incredibly helpful. I used it for managing my research, studies, and coursework. I found it so useful that I started using it for everything.
I guess that was the first mistake I made. I was using it for things that didn’t provide value to my workflow or daily life. As a result, I started getting bored with the way I was using it, prompting me to find new ways of using it and messing around with the features, even when I should have spent the time on actual work.
After a while, I noticed that I was becoming less productive when using Notion.
I believe I should have had a structured approach to the way I was using it. I should have spent more time finding templates that work for me or creating my very own.
Don’t get me wrong, Notion has some fantastic features, but another reason I decided to move away was the fact that it was overcomplicated for the majority of things I was using it for.
That is why, I decided to move away altogether and try different apps. In all fairness, I saw an instant improvement in my productivity at the time. But relying on several apps had its problems. I guess that this improvement was down to the fact that I was using the apps for their core purposes. For example, I was using a To-Do list app as a To-do list app, I didn’t have the option to change things around like I did in Notion.
Reintroducing Notion
I started slowly reintroducing Notion around a year after I’ve written the first article. Back then, I wrote an updated article which explained my reason for returning to Notion after a year.
This wasn’t a full-time return, it was simply for managing the Tech With Dom blog and YouTube channel. I made the decision to buy the Thomas Frank: Creator’s Companion template, which is a template I still use today.
A few months later, I started using it for studying towards my AWS Cloud Practitioner exam, and it proved to be extremely beneficial. I also started using it for project management and documentation.
For example, I document all the projects I do in the cloud and in my home lab with it. I find Notion to be ideal for this sort of thing.
I also use Notion to plan upcoming trips, the places I want to visit as well as the trip schedule. I’ve tried this on three trips now, and I think that it worked incredibly well.
With that in mind, I still don’t use Notion for managing my To-Do list or calendar. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of the Notion Calendar app. However, I would find it more beneficial if it also had an Apple Watch app so that I can view Notion tasks on my Watch.
I know that this is only a small thing, but my watch face has a calendar widget on it as I like to see what events I have when checking the time. Hopefully, this is something they introduce soon. My current go to calendar app is BusyCal, and my To-Do list app is Things 3, both of which I find brilliant for managing my daily life. I also tend to use Apple Notes for note-taking.
So I guess I use Notion as a project and knowledge management system.
Benefits of a Focused Notion Workflow
The main mistake I made when I used notion full-time was that I tried to use it for all aspects of my life. This was the main thing that caused me to move away and find an alternative approach to my daily workflow.
But I was wrong, I should have had a focused Notion workflow, that only allowed me to use it for the things I found it useful for.
There is no point in trying to force yourself to use an app for tasks you don’t find it useful for. That’s the sort of approach that, in my opinion, destroys productivity.
When used appropriately, Notion is great for centralising your content, planning, and execution. It also proves to be a great knowledge management system.
Apart from using it to manage my blog and YouTube channel, I use it for documenting projects I’m working on in my home lab. For those of you who are unaware, it’s basically a virtual IT network I am building at home to build skills and a better understanding how things work in IT. Notion proves to be excellent for this kind of thing.
Utilising proven templates, such as Thomas Frank’s Creators Companion, has helped me focus on using Notion for the tasks I want to use it for, instead of playing around with features and building new templates.
As a whole, a focused Notion workflow has enabled me to not get bored by using the app and only using it for certain tasks has stopped me from procrastinating, which is a big win.
Lessons Learned and Best Practices
I’ve been using Notion ever since I remember and while I have had a long break in using the tool, I ended up returning to it because I haven’t found a tool that works as this good for managing projects and documentation.
That is why, if like me, you’ve overcomplicated things and attempted to use the tool for all aspects of your life only to find that it has slowly started to push you away. I recommend taking a break from the tool. This may be a week, a month or longer.
Taking a break has allowed me to understand the tasks I find Notion useful for, which has allowed me to build up a focused workflow.
I seriously recommend using Notion only for the things that make a true difference in your everyday life. Notion is a powerful tool, and it’s easy to get side-tracked. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try it for new things because that’s the only way you’re going to know whether it’s useful or not. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that if you notice that something isn’t working, you should schedule a time slot in your calendar to either improve the template you are using or find a new tool which may work better or try a different app.
Using established templates has not only helped me save time, but it has also helped me understand the way in which Notion works. I would even go as far as saying that it helped me learn how to use all the features to my advantage. Even when you are using somebody else’s templates, I encourage that you customise them when you have a clear reason to do so, such as enhancing productivity or the tasks you are using it for.
As a whole, I recommend regularly accessing and adjusting Notion to suit you. Whether it’s adjusting the template, your Notion setup or even the things you are using it for. It’s what helped me get the most out of Notion.
Conclusion
I think that Notion is a brilliant tool, and in all fairness, I always had. However, if you use it in a way that it doesn’t benefit you, it can quickly become cumbersome and in the way of your productivity.
That is why if you notice that you are becoming less productive while using it, I recommend that you:
- Take a break, this could be a day, a week, or longer.
- During your break, I recommend creating a spreadsheet with three columns, including a “Things I use Notion for” column, as well as a ”Useful” and “Not Useful” column.
- In the “Things I Use Notion for” column, write all the things and projects you use Notion for.
- Once complete, go through the list and move all the things to either the “Useful” or the “Not Useful” column.
- When you’re ready, start using Notion for only the things you find it useful for, and schedule time in your calendar to find new ways of doing the tasks you don’t find useful in Notion.
This is the approach I took in finding out what I find Notion useful for, and it has helped me improve my overall productivity. The beauty of using a spreadsheet for this is that it is simple and straight to the point.
I recommend keeping the spreadsheet saved somewhere so that you can go back to it in the future to assess and adjust if you find that Notion is no longer working well for a particular task.
Moving away from Notion taught me its true potential when used correctly. By focusing on what works and staying adaptable, you too can harness its power to transform your productivity.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you faced similar challenges with Notion or other productivity tools? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below!
Before You Go
Enjoyed this post? Sign up for my weekly newsletter to receive exclusive content, tips, and more straight to your inbox!
🔗 Connect with me on social media: