This is a season where many designers are starting to publish about planners and journals for the new year. In addition, it is the PRE ORDER season for all the new year goals and resolutions.
Every year there are so many new designs and different planners released. We have all been in that phase where we look for the perfect planner. We have spent quite a bit of money on the notion of getting organised. But, have you EVERRRRRR filled all 12 months of a planner? Like each page, every single page? I don't think so...
If you have done that and have a practice for that - We should have a street named after you. I am serious.
I was such a good girl for the first 3 months of 2020 and filled all the pages. But after that, I lost interest. I actually wanted my planner to do more, like a page for budgeting, reminders, essential tasks and most importantly, not heavy to carry around.
You, of course, know that a planner is usually very heavy, and a planner with all the features will have a ton of weight. As a matter of fact, I have never found a hardbound planner that has everything. So, I started using multiple. See how smart?
So, this was the reason why I lost interest in these planners.
They are very expensive
One planner does not fit all requirements
Waste of space/page if we skip a day
Not much of an eco-friendly option
We have to carry the planner all the time.
So, after years and years of planner hoarding, I am no longer supporting these paper planners. SIMPLE. But...
I have a cheaper and more functional alternative for you guys.
YEAH, LITERALLY, THIS CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT (wrt productivity, time management and organisation skills, you guys!)
The one possible solution and the one and only solution to all the planner problems is NOTION - The Ultimate collaborative workspace.
Notion is the ONLY tool you need for your school, college, and course, for your workplace and home. Notion meets your need with a highly customisable dashboard with more than 50 features. Here are some of the features I use regularly.
New Pages
To-Do List View
Spreadsheet View
Task Board View
Calendar view with start and end date
Roadmap view for tasks
Embed Photos, YouTube videos, PDF's, Webpages, Maps and Codes
Invite people to collaborate
Real-Time Editing With Collaborators
Easily prioritise tasks through the drag and drop feature
Table of Contents
Alerts/Notifications
File Recovery
File Sharing
Export pages as PDF's with watermark
Oh yeah! I use all the features almost all the time.
Some other important features are
Access Controls/Permissions
Document Archiving
Notion for Mac
Notion for iPhone
Notion for Android
Notion for Windows
Quick Navigation
Notion Free Templates
Notion Dark Mode
Notion Free Tutorials
Bookmark pages
Create Subtasks
Customisable Dashboard
Add Custom Logos and Cover Image
Third-Party Integrations
As said earlier, Notion is for all. Notion has the unique capability to adapt to the work that you are working on. Notion is for students, teams, startups, remote work, educators, project management, and personal use.
The dashboard is highly customisable. Suppose you don't find any templates that fit your needs. In that case, there are several free templates for Notion by private creators and Notion Ambassadors.
More importantly, NOTION IS FREE. You can use Notion on the go.
I use Notion for Android and Notion for Mac every day. So I get to access my planner every time, unlike the usual paper planner that takes up most of the space in my handbag.
How to get started with Notion?
Now that we spoke all the highs about Notion. I am pretty sure that if you start using Notion, you will not go back to those paper planners. I suggest the following steps that can help you kickstart your Notion journey.
1. Create a Free Notion account
Notion's personal plan is FREE for a lifetime. Adding to several other features, you can create unlimited pages, invite up to 5 guests, and have 5MB storage for file uploads. Some disadvantages of a free plan are a limitation in the file uploads and no version history.
Depending on your usage, pick your plan and enjoy organising your life.
I would recommend you start with a personal plan. Also, you can use my $10 credit and get a 2-month free personal pro plan.
2. Explore Free Notion Templates
Notion is highly customisable. Suppose you don't find any templates that fit your needs. There are several free templates for Notion by private creators and Notion Ambassadors.
I, of course, have my top three favourite Notion templates. Read more here.
3. Notion Productivity Videos
There are a lot of Notion videos on YouTube. Here are some of the videos that can help you get started.
Notion video on the basics - Notion Training: The Basics
Ali Abdaal video on Notion - My Favourite Note-Taking App for Students - Notion (2020)
Kharma Medic video on Notion - Notion Tour (Dashboard & Setup) - How I Organise My Life
So yeah! You are all set to start your productivity journey without wasting a ton of money on paper planners and notebooks.
Also, I should address one more thing.
"This is neither a Notion sponsored blog, nor I work for Notion. However, I love this tool and have recommended it a million times. I just love organising and tools that can help me stay on top of my work."
🥂 Cheers to productivity and time management 🥂
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