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1st Mar, 2024
The best and hottest tips for getting started on Notion, as recommended by us. Here's our top tips for getting started with Notion.
Combine tasks, calendar, meeting booking links & task consolidation into one.
Bring tasks from ClickUp, Notion, Gmail, Todoist & more in Akiflow for organizing in one.
There are many different ways to optimize Notion, but often, we get thrown in the deep end and really just jump into trying to learn it without understanding the framework and basics for the perfect setup and long-term optimization and usage.
I've been someone who has been exploring Notion for many years, and of course, I always recommend Notion as an all-in-one workspace for managing your daily routine and also for coordinating activities as a team. Now, I've seen many people use it, from 99% remote teams all the way to individuals trying to optimize it for everyday productivity. One of the things that I think a lot of people miss is the construction of a framework. So, I've got three underrated tips that I think can help you get started with your account.
So let's start with tip number one, and that's actually not even using Notion. It's always recommended to think about how you want to use Notion before diving in, but many people tend to throw themselves into the deep end, trying to get accustomed to the tool and the wide array of databases and features that Notion offers. And that's fantastic. However, one of the biggest things to do is to step back and grab a bit of paper, or whatever tool you prefer—be it your iPad or your sketching pad.
Spend maybe 15 to 20 minutes conceptualizing how you'd like to structure your account. This can involve a variety of considerations, like what you would like on the homepage or how your account is going to be organized. This could be a mind map or even a visual sketch of what you want to see on the homepage and what you don't. This exercise will be an indication of what your Notion setup is going to look like, really getting the ball rolling.
The second recommendation is to save money and time using templates, thanks to the Notion community. There's a wide range of templates available, catering to various use cases—whether you're a second brain enthusiast, a creator building a new YouTube channel, or someone looking for aesthetically pleasing or simply fantastic templates.
One particularly well-regarded template is the Bulletproof template by William Nutt, which is known as a great resource for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
There's a specific use case for everything, and one of the things many overlook is the fact that learning and implementing Notion can take some time. One way to save both time and money is by purchasing a template. Buying a template can be a significant time-saver in building your setup, and nowadays, the types of templates available often come with educational materials.
These can be in the form of videos and resources, like those provided by Thomas Frank for his Creator Companion Notion template, which can save you a lot of time getting started.
Finally, one of the common practices among new Notion users is over-pruning their account. Over-pruning refers to the habit of constantly tweaking and making changes to your Notion setup, which can often be counterproductive.
To avoid this, it's advisable to allocate specific times each week, perhaps 10 to 20 minutes, to prune your account rather than doing it daily. By consolidating the time spent on adjustments to once a week, you can save time in the long run and allow yourself more opportunity to reflect on how you use your account, leading to more effective management overall.
This is a trend observed not only in Notion users but also in the broader productivity and bullet journal communities over many years. Therefore, refining this practice can significantly enhance productivity, enabling users to accomplish more work with less time spent on pruning.
These are the best summarizes from this piece to take away:
Combine tasks, calendar, meeting booking links & task consolidation into one.
Bring tasks from ClickUp, Notion, Gmail, Todoist & more in Akiflow for organizing in one.
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