There’s something so thrilling about a new, blank planner. So many possibilities! Such organization! A new me! However, my track record with keeping one is abysmal (RIP to all the planners I’ve only filled out ⅓ of the way). Instead, I jump from one organizational “tool” to the next — Google calendars, whiteboards, even the backs of junk mail I haven’t recycled yet. But when I inevitably lose track of the information I most need, I resort to good old-fashioned remembering.

And that, my friends, is a recipe for mental exhaustion I cannot recommend.

A few years ago, while I was newly learning about my ADHD diagnosis as an adult, I began to see the chaotic webs I had been weaving in hopes of being productive, of being better. For so long I believed I was just not good enough, or trying hard enough, to stay organized. I was disorganized, yes, but with this new diagnosis I realized all of my efforts to stay “on top of things” were actually coping strategies for a brain that craved more dopamine.

“For so long I believed I was just not good enough, or trying hard enough, to stay organized.”

I simply needed to find a new system that consistently engaged my feelings of accomplishment, delight, and novelty. One consistent recommendation was coming up across many of the videos and blog posts I was reading, and that was a new-to-me app called Notion.

What is Notion?

Notion is a connected workspace that empowers everyone to shape tools around their unique ideas, projects, and teams — for work or for life. It’s not just for notetaking, but for building whatever you need: docs, wikis, workflows, and beyond. Consider it an operating system for your brain. Founded in 2013 by Ivan Zhao, Chris Prucha, Jessica Lam, Simon Last, and Toby Schachman, it’s a singular dashboard where both individuals and businesses can capture thoughts, manage projects, and organize…well, anything.

Think of it like Google Docs, but with a more advanced linking system — it’s your own personal Wiki. The whole thing is built on the idea of blocks and databases that can be reconfigured into new views that help you the most. With Notion, you can do things like nest tasks into projects, click and drag items between dates, chart out a timeline, and file away those notes you no longer need but just can’t seem to get rid of. The free version, which I use, allows you to use the workspace solo, although many people run teams and even businesses on the paid plans.

“Notion is a connected workspace that empowers everyone to shape tools around their unique ideas, projects, and teams — for work or for life.”

Notably, the landscape for organization apps keeps shifting and is embracing more AI than ever before. Since I first discovered Notion, it’s expanded beyond simple blocks and databases — it now bridges calendars, emails, teams, and more in brand new ways. The platform’s AI is like having a second brain inside your digital ecosystem, summarizing messy meeting notes (and even auto-transcribing Zoom meetings with takeaways and action items), auto-tagging tasks, and, my fave, spotting patterns in your workload before burnout hits.

However, it’s not as simple as downloading the app and voila! Suddenly you’re organized. Notion is as only as useful and interesting as you make it, kind of like an old school planner. When I first started using the app, I voraciously sought out YouTubers, bloggers, and templates to optimize all the things. 

That energy started to wane, though, when I didn’t find folks making systems that I enjoyed using long-term. I finally discovered a witchy-sounding course that promised to teach me how to use Notion to create system spells with Michelle Pellizzon at Holisticism. While it’s not currently available, it was designed to “get you to the place where you trust yourself, your systems, and your brain to do what it’s supposed to do.” Self-trust? Systems? Cute gifs everywhere to light up my brain? Sign me up.

Before we dive in, though, it’s important to note: With all this connectivity (including new AI, calendars, and email features), Notion’s privacy practices become even more important: Any pages, notes, or emails you use with Notion AI stay private to your workspace, and Notion doesn’t use your content to train their models. Your data is encrypted and protected, so even your wildest ideas are for your eyes (or your team’s) only.

How I use Notion (and you can, too)

Now, over two years and multiple trial-and-error templates into being a Notion user, I managed to create a system that works for my brain. It’s not confined to the lines and limits of a typical planner, and I have fewer obstacles to keeping track of my work. And it’s available on my phone, iPad, and desktop so no matter where I update it (from bed, or a bar on a Friday night), my thoughts go to the same place. I can even use it offline!

“I keep Notion on my phone, iPad, and desktop so no matter where I update it (from bed, or a bar on a Friday night), my thoughts go to the same place. I can even use it offline!”

I will say, since I began using Notion, the AI tools have become much more robust. Since 2024, Notion offers AI-powered setup guides that walk you through creating dashboards tailored to your goals and habits. Rather than scavenging for templates, you can let Notion’s AI suggest structures based on your workflow.

If you’re intrigued and want to forgo the templates, here’s a quick overview of the information and workflows that Notion has helped me improve. I’m also including some helpful links for videos and templates of people doing similar work, because we don’t all have time or money for an in-depth course. 🤓 (I also love watching YouTube Notion tour setups like this and this, which includes a Pinterest integration tip, to get inspiration).

  1. Inboxing everything. Everything that crosses my mind goes straight to my inbox. It’s a catch-all for work tasks, personal notes, and any links I love. It’s a database of absolute nonsense, which is coincidentally what my brain looks like 24/7. As soon as something crosses my mind, I can file it for later consideration. I can even snap photos as reminders, or forward emails straight to my inbox to create notes, tasks, and full project briefs for myself in the future. There’s even a flow for adding recurring tasks easily, a feature that wasn’t widely available when I first began as a Notion user.

    Notion’s web clipper is kind of like a “Pin It” button but for articles, songs, you name it and you can send it to your notion for later review. (Also you didn’t hear it from me, but it sometimes pulls full paywalled articles into your Notion workspace so you can read them there. Handy if you just can’t afford eight thousand subscriptions, which gets tough even for the most pro-paid-journalism fan out there.)

    My old method was simply to see something new, stop what I was doing, and follow a new trail of breadcrumbs. It’s not an approach I recommend, because it drains you more than you’d expect.
  1. Putting thoughts in their place. From there, I empty my inbox once every day or two so I can keep the messiness of my mind out of my day-to-day dashboard. Out of sight, out of mind is a blessing and a curse; if I see too many notes I become jumbled and directionless. But if I don’t keep my notes, I flounder and a simple project can take an hour rather than minutes.

    In my Notion course with Holisticism, Michelle explained emptying an inbox ideally takes less than five minutes…but I have a lot of thoughts all the time, so it takes closer to 15 or 20. I drag each item to where it needs to live in Notion. If it’s a task, I move it to my calendar, detail it with notes, dates, and important links, and place it where it needs to go using a system each week called Monday Hour One.

    If it’s just something I read or enjoyed and want to save for later, I’ll file it into my Second Brain database (a concept by Tiago Forte I learned about from Holisticism). And if it’s one of those miscellaneous two-minute to-dos that cross my desk, I file it away to work through during my “chaos hour” so I don’t have to see it on my list all day. Yes, chaos hour has existed on my calendar, and yes, it’s as stressful and improvised as you can imagine.
  1. Nesting tasks into projects — and giving them their time to shine. At the ripe age of 35, I’m learning the difference between projects and tasks (the project is attending an event or in-person meeting, the tasks are getting dressed and brushing my teeth).

    Another example: Writing an article like this one isn’t a single task, it’s a project that requires multiple steps. Instead of “write that Notion post” being a single to-do on my long list of daily work items, I start with the first step — like notetaking or research — and save the outline, draft, and revisions for later.

    Basically instead of putting a full pizza on my plate, I’m selecting it piece by piece, and saving the rest for when I’m actually hungry again. Here’s a few ideas for creating different task lists.

  2. Celebrating what I’ve done. Having a central space for my accomplishments means that I can see what I’ve actually done — versus crumpling up completed post-it notes and throwing them away like a tortured writer. So my monthly and yearly reviews have become way easier! I’ve also been able to look back at places I’m doing redundant work, and can combine tasks to save time in the long run.

    With ADHD, it’s easy to decide that “everything is bad” or “everything is good” if you don’t have tangible proof of all the work you’ve been doing. Notion can even be a work diary of sorts, especially with AI summaries, and it helps me remember my contributions to the team. A self-worth win.

  3. Tracking personal and creative goals. Most of what I’ve used Notion for has been work-related, but I’m excited about the potential it has to house my goals as a person. As someone with a squiggly brain, I live concretely in the present and very abstractly in the future, which means creating and sticking to personal projects and goals is nearly impossible for me. I’m currently building “Emily’s Guide to the Galaxy” which is a personal Notion dashboard that features my values, goals, and ideas I’d like to take action on. Lavendaire’s template and Notion tour on this topic is particularly inspiring.

    As an example, a few years back I organized myself in a meaningful way for a two-week, five-city solo travel through Spain. As someone who has never traveled out of the USA, I loved that my Notion was there every step of the way to remind me where my Airbnbs were, sights I wanted to see, and Spanish phrases I needed to remember to not stick out…as much.

At the end of the day, I rely on Notion to allow my brain do what it does best — forget. If I can create a fun and engaging system that lets me file my thoughts before they disappear, I can put less stress on my exhausted mind. And since it’s all a circular ecosystem, it means I’ll have more energy to be creative and, yes, to make more Notion workspaces and systems that make me happy.

“At the end of the day, I rely on Notion to allow my brain do what it does best — forget.”

Notion’s evolution isn’t about finding a ‘right way’ to organize — it’s about giving each of us the canvas to build our own system. Their brand mission to empower anyone to ‘make tools their own’ might sound grand, but it feels pretty personal every time I tweak a dashboard or automate away a daily headache.

If you try Notion and find it’s not for you, that’s okay! I hope though that you can take a moment to look at what systems of yours are (and aren’t) working, and to explore whether there’s a new and creative approach you can take to save yourself mental and emotional strain.

If a lined and dated planner is best for you — follow that notion. Create your own systems, on your own terms. You do not have to find success the same way others have.

You’ve got this.

Emily McGowan is the Editorial Director at The Good Trade. She studied Creative Writing and Business at Indiana University, and has over ten years of experience as a writer and editor in sustainability and lifestyle spaces. Since 2017, she’s been discovering and reviewing the top sustainable home, fashion, beauty, and wellness products so readers can make their most informed decisions. Her editorial work has been recognized by major publications like The New York Times and BBC Worklife. You can usually find her in her colorful Los Angeles apartment journaling, playing with her cat, or crafting. Say hi on Instagram or follow along with her Substack, Pinky Promise.