The first time I discovered Notion, I was just starting college and I had no idea what I was doing with my life. I don’t remember why I didn’t stick with it, but knowing me, it was probably because I missed having a notebook for everything (that was back when everything was only like two things).
The second time I discovered Notion was when I moved to California. I was overwhelmed and needed a place to organize everything. Notion got me through my move and into my very first apartment. Again, I missed my notebooks, so it didn’t stick for long. But I kept the knowledge of its existence filed away in the back of my mind so I could pull it out if I ever needed a hand at, well, life.
Just a few months ago, I found myself in need of just that. So I got back on the Notion horse and let me tell you… there is NO going back.
Here’s why:
- There is SO MUCH on my plate that having a one-stop-shop for everything is a complete life-saver.
- This time around, I’ve also committed to making my Notion feel like me. It’s pretty, it matches my aesthetic, and it makes me feel energized every. single. day.
- I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I need notebooks, too (so I use Notion for everything but journaling and my daily writing practices).
So, how exactly do I organize my Notion to organize life, my business, (most of) my writing, and anything else that pops up? Good question.
Organizing Your Notion Dashboard
Your Notion dashboard is your life hub—the place where all your most-used pages, favorite pictures, and quotes live. Also, if you use Notion for (almost) everything, like I do, then your dashboard is also the first thing you see in the morning.
This means that when designing your dashboard, you should:
- Make it reflect who you are
- Add pictures and quotes that make you happy
- Organize it to reflect your needs (for example, put your most used pages near the top)
- Spend the time designing something that motivates you
I have always been a visual learner and thinker, so I organize my dashboard by categories. I’ve split all my different pages up into:
- Daily
- Personal
- Writing
- Business
- Life
This helps me keep everything straight and set boundaries between the different parts of my life.
5 Must Have Pages for Everyday Life
When it comes down to it, everyone needs something a little different. Notion pages are personal and will depend on what parts of your life you’d like to organize. For example, I have a page for embroidery in my Notion setup, but not everyone will need that.
However, some pages are universally helpful. Here are my top 5:
- Agenda Page – This is for keeping track of your weekly and daily tasks. It acts as a weekly planner and helps you stay on-top of your goals, get motivated, and stay organized.
- Habit Tracker Page – Habit trackers are a must, especially when it comes to implementing intentional routines. Not only is a habit tracker page great for maintaining positive actions, but it will also help you prioritize yourself, your mental health, and your creative lifestyle.
- Vision Board Page — I LOVE using Notion for vision boarding because it’s malleable and so easy to personalize. Having a vision board is so important because it allows you to consider and literally visualize your dreams.
- Shopping List Page — If you’re anything like me, then you probably make shopping lists on random pieces of paper, sometimes on your phone, and sometimes in mismatched texts sent to yourself. In Notion, you can organize by store, item type, or anything else you can think of. And trust me, it makes life so much easier.
- Quotes Page — Before Notion, I was always jotting quotes down on sticky notes or in my notebook, then forgetting about them or throwing them away accidentally. Now, I keep all of my quotes (no matter the category) in one Notion page for easy access. This means that whenever I’m feeling off or in need of advice, I can just go to my quotes page, pick the list that matches how I feel, and voila.
3 Must Have Pages for Writers
As a writer, creative, and organization fiend, I love having everything in one accessible place. In fact, I use Notion for (almost) all of my writing-related endeavors because it’s customizable and easy to keep organized. Here are my 3 favorite writing-related pages:
- Studying the Craft Page — Studying other writers is a big part of any creative practice. For some it means reading lots of books across a wide range of genres. For others (i.e. me) it means reading all the writing books you can get your hands on.
Either way, it’s helpful to have one organized space to compile everything you learn. That’s where a Studying the Craft Page comes in.
- Ideas and Inspiration Page — This page is an idea masterlist. It’s a place for you to jot down any thoughts or tidbits of inspiration you have as you have them. Plus, you can categorize and organize them to your heart’s content (which is one of my favorite things about using Notion).
- Studying the Craft Page — Studying other writers is a big part of any creative practice. For some it means reading lots of books across a wide range of genres. For others (i.e. me) it means reading all the writing books you can get your hands on. Either way, it’s helpful to have one organized space to compile everything you learn. That’s where a Studying the Craft Page comes in.
- Prompts and Exercises Page — This page is your go-to hub for inspiration when you feel like you have none. It’s also great for compiling any interesting prompts or writing exercises you come across in your day-to-day.
How to Use Notion Without Giving Up Notebooks
The first time I downloaded Notion, I lied to myself and swore I’d stop buying notebooks and start doing everything in Notion. The second time, I did the same thing.
But third time’s a charm, because this time I accepted the fact that I will still use Scrivener and I will still keep a writer’s notebook. I’ll just use Notion, too.
Here’s how to do it without losing your mind:
- Spend a few days using Notion for everything: journaling, writing, planning, list-making, etc. During these days, pay attention to your instincts and how you feel.
- After a few days, reassess. Go through each of your pages and decide, did I like using this or do I prefer using something different? For example, I used Notion to journal for almost a week but each time, I noticed myself wishing I had a notebook. When it came time to reassess, I cut journaling out of my Notion setup and switched back to paper and pen.
- Don’t fight it. If you don’t like using Notion for something, then don’t. That’s totally okay. Just be sure that you give it a solid try. This will ensure that, if you do decide to use a different medium for something, it’s because you genuinely prefer it, not because you didn’t try it out in Notion.
Go-to Websites for Personalizing Your Notion
One of the best parts about Notion is its flexibility. You can personalize it to best suit your needs and your aesthetic, which is not only practical but also super fun. Here are some of my favorite websites for personalizing Notion:
For cute icons: https://www.flaticon.com/
For free widgets: https://indify.co/ & https://apption.co/
For stock photos: https://www.pexels.com/
Conclusion:
Notion is a great tool for organizing your life and keeping everything in one place. You can customize it to fit your needs and use it in whatever way works best for you!
When designing your Notion (especially your dashboard), you should:
- Make it reflect who you are
- Add pictures and quotes that make you happy
- Organize it to reflect your needs
- Spend the time designing something that motivates you
The 5 must have pages for everyday life are:
- Agenda Page
- Habit Tracker Page
- Vision Board Page
- Shopping List Page
- Quotes Page
And the 3 must have pages for writers are:
- Ideas and Inspiration Page
- Studying the Craft Page
- Prompts and Exercises Page
What’s Next/Action Step:
You can download Notion for free here.
Feeling a little overwhelmed? I’ve got you covered. Click here to download my FREE Notion template. Just click the link to my dashboard template and hit duplicate in the upper right corner. This will automatically duplicate my dashboard and all its subpages.
Then, you’ll be all set to start customizing and organizing!
With Love, Cats, and Coffee 💖,