1. Content First, Systems Later
The best piece of advice I can give anyone new to Notion is to slow down, think about your objectives, start creating content inside one or two pages without a database first, then dive into building a system. Creating a productivity system is wasted time if there is no information waiting to enter.
Don't Get Lost In The Sauce
Whenever anyone asks me about what Notion is I usually say something like this, "imagine if Word, Excel, Blogger, and Slack had a baby." They look at me a bit confused and rightfully so. Notion is overwhelming at first with all its database features, formulas, and shortcuts. Although, it isn't just Notion's features that have new users' heads spinning. It is the virtually blank canvas the user is presented with. There are no toolbars or long tutorials (which I appreciate). Users are thrown into a white room with a keyboard.
In my opinion, this aspect is extremely refreshing, albeit frightening at first. If you're willing to face the adventure, I ask you to take it slow, avoid multiple databases and extraneous pages. Try to begin categorizing with headers and toggles.
How To Organize A Mind Dump Page
Utilize headers (/h1, /h2, /h3), toggles (/toggle) and/or dividers (/div) to separate different concepts.
Stay away from pages and databases.
Brainstorm daily and weekly habits with to-do lists (/to-do). Experiment with these lists. Understand your strengths and limitations.
2. Value Your To-Do System
There are generally three types of databases to create inside of notion:
Task Management
Wiki (info/document archive)
Tracking & Personal Growth
Begin with a to-do list using a small inline list (/list-in). This will act as the foundation for your task management database, of which can grow into a system with several templates and automated elements.
With that being said, valuing a to-do system is more important than what's inside of it. Overcoming unproductive habits doesn't end at a to-do list and set of goals. Saying you're going to do something doesn't mean you're going to do it. Ask yourself this: what am I capable of accomplishing in one day? Really think about your current limitations in regard to time and skill. If you're having a hard time understanding your comfort zone, be it 3-4 medium tasks per day, 1 difficult and 2 medium tasks per day, etc., use Notion to better understand.
Embrace Trial and Error
Embrace trial and error by keeping your system simple at first. Stick to tagging for categorizing different projects and placing priority degrees for each task (ie. quick task, easy, medium, difficult). And, of course, make use of the date property for deadlines. Change property types inside a table by either clicking on the column heading or through page heading:
Figure out what's best for your daily to-do with the following methods:
Categorize your list by project and other important tags.
Tag example: stack tasks by similar procedure (ie. writing, studying, communicating)
Tag example: stack tasks by location (ie. browser, particular program, place)
Tag example: stack tasks by level of focus required
Tag Example: stack tasks by urgency
Tag Example: stack tasks by working teams
Tag Example: stack tasks by different goals
Record percentage of tasks complete for the day, find patterns and track growth
Locate "Calculate" under column :: click "Percent Checked"
Next, record percentage each day in correlation with number of tasks.
View above example of to-do list in Notion
3. Minimize Tedious Tasks With The Template Button
Why are people hopping on the Notion train? What makes the all-in-one app better than the rest? Simply, it’s emphasis toward minimizing workload in addition to workflows - because it isn’t the system that enhances productivity alone.
Notion has a nifty feature called the template button (/template) that allows for duplication of reoccurring elements. For example, say you want the hiring team to follow a specific rubric for job listings. Instead of sending them a PDF memo, create an example of the perfect job listing inside a template.
Then, add the template inside, say, a hiring database. Your hiring team can now select said template, tweak text here and there and fill in only the important details, saving tons of time. And it’s all right there in Notion. No need to venture elsewhere.
And that’s really what Notion strives for. A place to keep team members in one app - a bit like Slack but with the ability to communicate, produce and collaborate.
*Note: multiple templates can be added to a single database.
View above example of hiring system in Notion
How To Use Inline Template Button
Another way to utilize the template button is inside a page. Say you want to complete the same four tasks every day but can't be bothered to write them out daily. Use shortcut (/template) and customize your four tasks into a button.
4. Utilize Notion's Keyboard Shortcuts
Notion provides an easy set of shortcuts that will streamline your productivity ten-fold. Like I mentioned before, there is no toolbar. Everything is accessed with "\". Understanding every backslash command and other quick-access shortcuts are extremely valuable. Below are a few of the basics. I provide a link to a full list of shortcuts at the bottom of the page.
