Now that I have your attention let me introduce you to the most amazing tool I have encountered lately. I am an addict to this tool called Notion. It’s an app that you can use on your desktop and mobile devices. Notion is described as an all-in-one workspace. That is true. But that is also the hugest understatement ever.
Think of notion as a place you can write your notes down and find them again. Think of notion as a place where you can write and have tables that are databases – on the same page! You can tag and cross-link your content. There are so many features. Have you used Evernote or Microsoft One-Note for notetaking? Notion offers far more features.
How do I use Notion? The PARA Method
I implemented the PARA method by Tiago Forte which I find very useful. PARA is an acronym that stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives.
Projects are things I’m working on which have a deadline.
Areas are areas I’m working on but they are ongoing and don’t have a deadline.
To understand the difference, think of “health and wellness” as an area because but it is ongoing. However, training for the trek I plan to do in Nepal next Spring is a project.
The R stands for resources. That is the most useful piece for me. On the resources page, I gather ideas and other nuggets of what goes through my head. I tag it in such a way that I can find it again. Tiago Forte calls this the second brain. Brilliant!
With the resources page, I can access what I’ve previously thought of in a whole new way. The human brain is incredible at coming up with ideas and digesting information but poor overall at retrieving them in the future. Have you ever thought of something amazing and later that same day you couldn’t remember it? Or you read a book and a year later you only vaguely recount even the major points of the book? Exactly!
The archive is for storing completed projects. Currently, I don’t use this yet because I only started using Notion a few months ago.
Notion Has Transformed The Way I Work On A Daily Basis
I gather my ideas and information that is important to me. I tag it and put references in. I add to it over time.
I have set up templates inside of Notion. My KISS business plan template (Keep It Smart and Simple) used to be a Word document. It is now available in Notion. I’m stoked about that, and the first clients who have tried it are, too. All the tips and examples I have included in the template are in toggle lists which can be turned on and then turned off and neatly tucked away. Furthermore, the 90-day action plan is embedded as a table (the table is a searchable database). It’s like having word and excel in one document.
Three Resources For You To Learn More
Fantastic! Now I’m going to demonstrate to you how amazing Notion is. I’m going to give you three of the resources I have gathered about Notion. I went to my Resources page in Notion and searched for the tag “Notion”. Voila, a list of resources came up. The descriptions I had entered made it easy for me to select which resources to give you.
Enjoy! I invite you to check out Notion. It is amazing!
How to make Notion your second brain – template & guide by ProductivityButFun (great short into)
How to make Notion your second brain – template & guide by Tiago Forte and Lauren Valedez (49 min.; Tiago explains it and then his wife, Lauren Valdez, gives “The Lazy Person’s Guide to Notion” – very good!)
The Most Powerful Productivity App I Use – Notion by Thomas Frank (26 minutes, I found it very useful once I understood the basics)
P.S.: I appreciate you commenting and sharing this Brilliance Nugget with others. Thank you!
