Notion is a powerhouse. It does pretty much everything you need, whether that’s note-taking, task management, project management, tracking your reading lists, and much more. Since Notion released their API access, it’s become effortless for third parties to develop integrations that further enhance the platform’s usability. Notable integrations include two-way syncing with Google Calendar and a Notion events database, as well as integration with tools like ToDoist for task management.
However, despite its powerful features, I’ve found myself using Notion less frequently due to its overwhelming complexity and the time spent on customisation. After nearly five years of daily use, tracking goals, fitness plans, study notes, and everything else in a digital format, I now only check it fortnightly or even monthly.
In short, I’m leaving Notion and it will no longer be one of my daily productivity tools. Let’s dive into the reasons why.
Why Did My Notion Usage Drop So Much?
It primarily came down to two things:
- Notion is fundamentally overwhelming.
- I spend too much time making pages ‘look pretty’.
The Notion Overwhelm
One of Notion’s greatest strengths lies in its versatility. However, after four years of use, I’ve accumulated so many pages, dashboards, and databases that I don’t know where to look. For new users, this might not be an issue, but for established users with a history of content, it can be overwhelming.
Here’s a brief summary of some of my dashboards:
- Daily notes
- Periodic reviews
- Meeting notes
- Study notes
- Readwise content
- Fitness journal
- Diet journal
- Habit tracking
- Video game library
- Doug Digital content tracking
- Projects
- Life goals
- Value goals
- Flat inventory
- Finance tracker
- Invoice tracker
- Paid media tracking
- Digital products library
And there are still more that I can’t recall from memory.
When I open Notion, I don’t have the clarity of intention I might have with a simpler app like Streaks on my iPhone to track my habits. Instead, I am faced with a litany of options, and this, for my magpie mind, is simply too much. It feels like entering Ikea without a shopping list; you might be interested in new office furniture, but then you end up checking price tags on bathroom toothbrush stands. This mass of unguided content and lack of clarity leads me to spend hours distracted by unfinished dashboards and databases that I never got round to perfecting.
The Blight of Beauty
Notion starts small, like a word document. You add a few paragraphs, maybe a heading and a divider, then call it a day. Then you watch ‘The Perfect Notion Productivity Dashboard’ on YouTube, and your options expand. You can highlight, add colours, embed databases, creating stunning ‘home pages’ or ‘launch pads’ (always with a rocket emoji).
So, you open Notion with your new knowledge, gasp at the ugly and boring pages you’ve built, and endeavour to make it ‘beautifully simple’ to use. Five hours pass. You’ve now embedded clocks, a swanky Spotify playlist, a handy 7-day embedded task list from your Tasks database, and a complex formula for a beautiful progress bar in your projects. You enable Dark Mode. Perfect.
I have repeated this cycle an alarming number of times, and I’m not alone. Notion’s flexible drag-and-drop modules and array of customisation options make it possible to build some truly beautiful pages, but this often leads me to spend more time designing and less time acting. Returning to Notion after a productivity binge leaves me wanting to make everything ‘look better’ and ‘function better’, ultimately resulting in more design time and less productivity.
How These Two Factors Combine
Together, a sense of overwhelm and a drive to rebuild everything truly hampers my ability to think through what I need to get out of my brain. I don’t know where to go, and I let myself be guided to an older page that I’ll then spend hours rebuilding.
Are These Just Problems That I Have?
No, the overwhelm and designing bug are apparent in Notion forums and among influencers promoting their latest Notion Productivity Dashboards. This trend, I believe, does not help people just crack on with the platform.
Will I Still Use Notion?
Yes, I will continue using Notion, but I’m making a clear decision not to use it daily. I will use it only for specific purposes:
- Building and cataloguing digital tools that would otherwise reside in Excel or on a website.
- Managing projects with third-parties who either use Notion already or do not have a dedicated project management tool.
For example, I built an ITF Taekwon-do Training Companion and a Dungeons and Dragons Spell list in Notion. Notion’s easy property editing made it an ideal fit. For managing projects, Notion’s ease of sharing, live collaboration, and scalability as projects develop are invaluable.
Should You Use Notion?
As I said in my opening line: Notion is a powerhouse. It is extremely powerful and starts from humble, focused, and clean beginnings. If you’ve never used Notion or are relatively new to digital wiki tools and project management, I recommend it. I encourage self-discovery first, before navigating to YouTube, as many tutorials guide you to using the content creator’s personal system. Downloading their dashboards might lump you with features you don’t need or require greater understanding.
Instead, open a page, start typing, create a simple database, and start exploring. Let yourself guide your Notion knowledge development, and reference Notion’s helpful resources. If you are keen to use a ready-to-go template, Notion’s templates are usually beginner-friendly, with handy descriptions to get you started.
The overwhelming nature of Notion and the time-consuming customisation have led me to seek simpler alternatives for daily use. However, for building digital tools and managing collaborative projects, I still find Notion invaluable.
The 10 Principles That Notion has Taught Me
In making the decision to park Notion as a daily productivity tool, I found myself reflecting on the wider principles that I look for when choosing from the ever expanding list of digital tools. From that reflection, I’ve settled on a few concepts that will be used to measure whether an app will suit me. You’ll note these principles are not feature-based but a set of high-level principles on which any given app is built on.
Simplicity Over Versatility
Prioritise apps that that offer straightforward functionality without overwhelming you with options
Minimal Customisation
Seek tools that focus on essential features and limit customisation to prevent the urge to over-design.
Clarity of purpose
Choose apps that provide a clear and focused user experience, allowing you to easily navigate and find what you need.
Efficiency over Aesthetics
Select tools that emphasise productivity and efficiency over appearance and customisation.
Guided User Experience
Opt for apps that guide you through their features and functionalities, reducing the learning curve and potential for distractions.
Reduced Cognitive Load
Look for applications that streamline information that present in a manageable, organised manner.
Quick Setup and Use
Prefer apps that allow you to get started quickly and use immediately without extensive setup or configuration.
Focus on Action
Choose tools that encourage you to take action and complete tasks rather than spend time organising or beautifying the interface.
Purpose-Driven Design
Ensure that the app’s design serves a clear purpose and supports your specific needs without adding unnecessary complexity.
Flexibility with Limits
Find apps that offer some level of flexibility but within a framework that prevents excessive customisation and distraction.
Final Thoughts
Notion remains an incredible app, and one that has developed my systems thinking (thanks, August Bradley!) and my ability to develop digital interfaces to suit a variety of needs quickly and efficiently.
I’ll still be using Notion from time to time, but it’s no longer an app that I would catalogue as one of my ‘daily productivity tools’.