Notion – Automatic Productivity

I've been using Notion for about 1 year now and found it is quite a powerful productivity tool unlike any other I've used so far. In this article, I will share 4 functions that you can replace in your life with relative ease through the Notion app. Templates selection list on Notion If you check out the different templates on Notion, it will seem like there are 101 different functions that you can use. In actuality, I think that most of the templates shown will be impractical for most people. Through my own experience with using Notion and looking through almost all of the templates, there are 4 functions that Notion can easily replace in my life. Allow me to bring you through all of them as I walk you through note-taking - the function that I've been using Notion mainly for. 1) Notion Has Replaced My Note-taking System I am someone that loves to collect knowledge and have been doing so for years. Before I used Notion to create my note-taking system, I tried to organise my notes using many methods - on paper, by topic etc. None of the methods that I used organised my notes in a way that is easy to reference and retrieve - that was until I was introduced to Notion and the Zettelkasten note-taking method. The Zettelkasten system collects all my notes into 1 place and allows me to organise them into an organised mess by linking the knowledge that I've collected in my own way. While the Zettelkasten method is good, what makes it possible is Notion. A sample of how I organise my notes on Notion using the Zettellkasten method. What differentiates Notion from other note taking systems is that it allows me to seamlessly link from 1 note to another, building meaningful connections between notes. This way of note-taking on Notion will be particularly useful for anyone that is schooling or have a love for learning. By using this note-taking system on Notion you not only get to collect knowledge. You also get to recreate the knowledge you've collected in ways that would otherwise be impossible. If you're keen on using Notion as your note-taking system, I think the video below will be helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOY-drtTJX0 Video on how to set up a note-taking system on Notion 2) Notion Will Replace My Resume While I probably have no need for a resume any time soon, I saw the usefulness in it when I saw the resume template on Notion. Resume template on Notion When considering all the different applications that can get the job done for my resume, I can think of - Microsoft Words, Google Docs and Canva. While all 3 will do the job quite well, when compared against the other apps, I think Notion wins the resume game overall. It is easiest to format and design when compared against the other apps. I can also share a view link or export my resume into a pdf. To get access to the Resume template on Notion, all you need to do is register an account on Notion and find it under the template > personal section at the left side of the screen. 3) Notion Will Replace My Travel Planner Not limited to vacation/travel planning, the travel planner template on Notion can be used for the planning of any sort of event, date, anniversary and party. It is pretty awesome - I will probably use it for a trip that I will take soon. Travel Planner template on Notion What makes travel planning unique on Notion is how I can format information in a way that is very clear. Firstly, I can clearly link to other types of information on the main page of your travel planner. Secondly, I can create multiple pages for different types of information on Notion itself. To get access to the Notion travel planner template, you will need an account on Notion. Thereafter, you can find it on the left side of the Notion page, under templates > personal > travel planner. 4) Notion Will Replace My Homepages What I mean by this is that I can use Notion to give me a summary view of anything that I run - clubs, classes, even my personal life. Not only can Notion give a summary view of everything, I can even use it as a content management system (CMS), although it doesn't have features that more elaborate CMS like Wordpress has, it will do the job for the most part. Classroom Home template on Notion What I like about this is how I can use Notion for my homepages like any webpage, yet edit my homepage like I would a word document. Better still, I don't have to pay money for domain and hosting just to run simple homepages. I will certainly be setting up a personal homepage on Notion to give me an overview of all the online courses that I've signed up for over the years and to link to the Trello board that I use to organise my days. There are multiple homepages template that you can check out on Notion: templates > personal > Personal Hometemplates > personal > Life Wikitemplates > student > Classroom Hometemplates > student > Club Homepagetemplates > other > Team Home 5) Notion Might Replace Your Habit Tracker Just a while back, I tested out 9 different free Habit tracking apps to determine which one is the best - but that was before I found out about Notion's habit tracker template. Exploring Notion's habit tracker template, I found it can be a potential habit tracker for someone that just needs simple tracking of the habits they are trying to improve. Habit Tracker template on Notion While a habit tracker on Notion will be harder to automate and set up than a dedicated habit tracking app, having a habit tracker set up on Notion has its perks. You will be able to integrate the habit tracker on your Notion personal homepage, centralising most if not all of your daily organisation needs within 1 app. You can find the habit tracker template on Notion by navigating to templates > personal > habit tracker.