Note: this is not sponsored, I just genuinely love this application.
Ever had the feeling that your life's work is shattered in all corners of the house or lost in the labyrinth of the web? Notion, a web-based planning tool, makes it possible to gather all your stuff in one single space.
A year ago I watched this video on Notion by Youtuber UnJaded Jade (which I highly recommend!) and I'm obsessed with how handy Notion is. Nowadays I use it frequently, for the most random things. At first I started using the tool for organizing school related tasks and classes but it can do so much more. Day planning, grocery lists, progress tracker,... Think of it as an extra storage for your brain.
And it can also be used between different persons. For example: Sara and I have a shared workspace for the blog where we post data and ideas. We can both change things easily and work together at the same time.
The basics
Notion can be reached on https://www.notion.so/ and is free for personal use (for enterprises there's an advanced application which is not free but I have little knowledge on that). The founders created an app later on as well. Both the website and the app work best when there's wi-fi. I noticed some changes are not saved when you're working offline.
"The essence of effective storage is this: designate a spot for every last thing you own." - Marie Kondo
Once you created an account, you can create private and shared workspaces. Shared workspaces allow you to share content with other Notion users, for example work colleagues. Private workspaces can only been seen by you and no one else.
A slash start
Everything start with the single key: /. This slash functions as your inserting line. If you type this anywhere in your page, you get a menu that folds out. Here you can chose options such as adding bullets points, tables, calendars, timelines, images, emojis (my personal favourite),...
(Notion makes a difference between 'Inline' and 'Full page' options. 'Inline' means that you add it directly to the page that you are currently in, while choosing 'Full page' creates a new page with the added table/board/gallery/..)
SOS! Templates
To help you out, there're fully pre-chewed templates. You can browse through them, choose one and then adjust it with whatever stuff you're wanting to type down onto your Notion.
The chosen template will appear under your private workspace. By dragging you can easily move it to previous created pages.
Setting up pages
Pages can be designed fully to your wishes. Notion lets you pick an emoticon for each page, which make them easy recognizable.
You can set a cover image and on the right of the page you will find three dots (...) where you can adjust the style of the page even more. I often switch between the full width feature and the small width feature. These features determine how the text is spread across the page. I feel like full width pages make large pages clearer in one go.
For more text-based options, you can select parts of your typed text and more options will appear above. Some of the features I find useful: setting headings, connecting links to text, moving texts between pages (no copy-paste is needed, just a single click)
With all of this, the aesthetic queens/kings can go crazy.
Efficiency at its finest
As Notion is a great tool for keeping up during meetings or taking notes in class, it has in-built shortcut keys and combinations. On this page all of them are explained! I find the '---' so handy for creating dividers real quick!
My set-up
Just to give a bit of inspiration on what you can use Notion for, I will lead you through my Notion :). My set-up is almost fully in Dutch but I will provide translations!
Personal pages
Planning
I use the pages named Vandaag/Today for things I want to get done that day (on busy days) and under Goals are my general goals. On top I put my long term goals like fixing some old cameras and following a first aid course. Just the things I'm planning to do once. More short term goals I assemble underneath, subdivided into different months.
Self Growth
Here I keep track of my Talen/Languages. I saved some inspiring Youtube channels and websites for reading French news or for listening to podcasts.
I read an article once, stating that writing your dreams down directly after you wake up, makes you remember them more. I have no clue if it's possible but Dromen tracker/Dream tracker is an experimental page for that.
Furthermore I keep more personal pages under this category like a (sadly very empty) Dagboek/Diary. And Herinneringen van toen/Memories is for writing down memorable moments because my brain hates to remember things (very tragic).
Overig/Other
Under Budgettering/Budgeting I keep all my expenses. And Rantsoen/Ration is my food hub. I keep recipes I want to try out and great cooking/baking websites. I have a page for Gift ideas/Cadeau Ideeën, just in case I have a random idea for a friend that may not slip my mind.
Life's a mess. Just like some of my Notion pages. I collected some random pieces of information on Tiny Houses, bus vans and stuff from my former studies and keep them in separated pages. You never know when they come in handy?
Vrije tijd/Free time
A page I sadly used a lot during the covid pandemic: Thuiscinema/Home cinema. As a non-Netflix user I feel the need to have a to-watch-list and watched-list.
Reisplannen/Travel plans is a poor attempt to organize my upcoming travel plans: where and when I want to go, the cost or the budget I have, with who I go,..
As a longboarder (and worlds worst roller skater), Longboarding and Roller skating, holds the tricks I'm learning. Urban Jungle is a list with the Latin names of my beloved plants (I hate keeping the tags). Plus I gave each plant a human-like name, because that's what crazy plant ladies do.
School
Past academic year I started using Notion for taking notes, keeping track of deadlines and overviewing my classes.
At the beginning of the semester I made a separate page for each class. Notion has some great templates for this by the way! Each page holds a space for upcoming tasks, notes, information related to exams and a tracker for pre-recorded lessons.
Planning and deadlines
It's so easy to lose track of pre-recorded lessons when the semester evolves. That's why I keep track of the lessons I watched and the ones I still have to watch. I make a tracker, basically a table with the subject of the lesson and a box which I tick off when I watched that lesson.
For essays and group projects, I make a list on my main page with their deadline for submission. Sometimes, depending on the class, I'll make a more extensive one per subject.
Taking notes
Note taking with Notion I do when I have online classes. I just leave the page for notes open in a separate tab than that of the lesson.
I start with writing down the date and subject. Important words I highlight in different colours and I use different headings. With the snipping tool I add images and maps directly from the online lesson.
Gathering information
Just for some overview I put my student number and account information for applications on the right. My individual study program has its own page and plans for foreign internships or exchanges have a place there too.
If you made it this far through this post, I applaud you. Really. And I can only say, if Notion seems handy for you, try it out and let me know your set-up! Good luck!
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