I Gave Notion One Last Chance. Here’s What Happened.

Have you noticed how everyone's suddenly talking about notion?

It's not just some productivity hype.

There's a reason why creators, founders, students, and even Fortune 500 teams are switching over. And it's not because

switching over. And it's not because it's pretty, it's because it works. At

first, I didn't get it either. I saw the name on Twitter. Someone shared a live OS on Reddit, and people kept saying stuff like, "Notion changed my life."

Honestly, that sounded dramatic. It's a

note-taking app, right? But here's what actually happened. Back then, I had a

actually happened. Back then, I had a task manager for to-dos, Google Docs for my writing, Google Sheets for tracking stuff, Apple notes for quick ideas, a

physical notebook, Trello for planning, and posted stuck on my wall. Sounds

familiar? My digital life was everywhere. Nothing connected. Nothing

everywhere. Nothing connected. Nothing

stayed updated. And the worst part, I kept rewriting the same plans over and over. New system, new app, new mess. One

over. New system, new app, new mess. One

day I opened my laptop, looked at my screen, and just froze. Tabs open,

reminders pinging. A blank Google doc staring at me. And I thought, I'm working so hard, but I'm not actually getting anywhere. That's when I gave

getting anywhere. That's when I gave Notion a real shot.

Someone sent me a template. It was

simple, just a daily dashboard with task, goals, and a quote. But here's the thing, it was mine. I could change it, tweak it, make it feel like my mind on

screen. That one page became my go-to.

screen. That one page became my go-to.

And slowly, one page turned into two.

Two became 10. And now, Notion runs my entire system, business, content, personal life. Let me show you how it

personal life. Let me show you how it works and how you can go from chaos to clarity. Because this isn't about using

clarity. Because this isn't about using more tools. It's about using fewer,

more tools. It's about using fewer, smarter.

[Music] Most people ignore. We're drowning in tools. You download a habit tracker.

tools. You download a habit tracker.

Then you need a notes app, then a writing tool, a calendar, a journaling space, a mood tracker. I use Notion to plant these YouTube videos. But you are the glue holding them together. And you

feel it every time something falls through the cracks. Every time you retype the same task or dig for the same document or forget why that folder even

exists. What you need is not more tools.

exists. What you need is not more tools.

It's a system that holds everything together. That's notion.

together. That's notion.

Notion is not an app. It's a platform.

It's not for notes. It's not for tasks.

It's not for writing. It's for building your own system. Think of it like this.

Ever used Lego? Notion gives you the bricks. Text blocks, headings,

bricks. Text blocks, headings, checkboxes tables databases embeds linked views, AI blocks, and you build what you need. Want a dashboard with

weekly goals, tasks, and journaling?

Done. Need a lightweight CRM that links to meeting notes? Easy. Want to plan a YouTube channel, script videos, track analytics, and build SOPs? All in one

place. That's the power of a modular

place. That's the power of a modular tool. Here's where most people give up.

tool. Here's where most people give up.

They open Notion. They see a blank page.

No structure, no steps, just infinite possibilities. It's overwhelming. So,

possibilities. It's overwhelming. So,

they close it, go back to To-Doist or Notepad or Trello, and feel guilty. But

here's the thing. You don't have to build the perfect system on day one. I

thought I needed to build the ultimate dashboard before I even used it. What I

should have done started with one thing, one pain point, one page, and build from there. Let me give you an example. I was

there. Let me give you an example. I was

struggling to plan my week. Every

Sunday, I'd sit down, try to review my goals, plan my days, and set up tasks, but everything was in different places.

Notion fixed that with one page. I

created a weekly planner page with a simple calendar view. That's it. Now I

open it every Sunday and I know exactly what matters. No more tabs, no more

what matters. No more tabs, no more tools, just one place.

[Music] Here's what makes Notion different. It's

not just about storing information. It's

about connecting it. Every page can link to every other page. You can create databases with relationships, tag content, cross reference notes.

Suddenly, your ideas aren't scattered.

They're network like your brain, but faster. Want to go deeper? I'll show you

faster. Want to go deeper? I'll show you exactly how I structure things. Tasks

and projects go into an actions database. I have a people database for

database. I have a people database for notes on one-on- ones, coaching, clients. A vault holds all saved

clients. A vault holds all saved content, resources, templates. Growth is

where I track habits, learning, and mindset. And HQ is my dashboard,

mindset. And HQ is my dashboard, connecting it all together. It sounds

complex, but it didn't start that way.

It started with one page.

[Music] Let's talk AI because Notion AI isn't just a chatbot bolted on top. It lives

inside your system. You can summarize long notes, translate text, write first drafts, fix grammar, brainstorm names or ideas, turn bullet points into blog posts, generate meeting summaries, even

answer questions about your workspace.

The best part, you don't leave the page.

It happens right where you're working.

No switching tabs, no copy paste, no back and forth, just flow.

[Music] When I first opened Notion, I thought, "Cool, a note app." But then I saw what people were building and my brain

exploded. Let me walk you through just a

exploded. Let me walk you through just a few examples for students. plus schedule

with linked pages for each subject.

Lecture notes inside toggles with embedded YouTube videos. A reading list with tags, status and notes, exam prep templates with flashcards and study timers. Even budgeting tables for

timers. Even budgeting tables for monthly expenses for creators. A content

calendar with filters for platform topic and status. Idea bank sorted by category

and status. Idea bank sorted by category and impact. Script drafts linked to

and impact. Script drafts linked to publishing dates. Brand assets embedded

publishing dates. Brand assets embedded right into the workspace. Swipe files of inspiration from across the web. I use

Notion to plan these YouTube videos.

Every script you hear, every asset you see, it all starts there. One dashboard,

one source of truth. For personal life, habit tracking with progress views, meal plans, linked shopping lists, book summaries and highlights, journaling

templates with AI reflections, a gratitude database to remind yourself what matters. Sounds extra. It's not.

what matters. Sounds extra. It's not.

You don't have to use all of it. You

just need to use your version of it. And

it grows with you.

[Music] Here's something I didn't expect. Notion

changed how I think. Not just what I do, not just where I write, but how I organize my brain. Before notion, I thought in fragments, lists, notes, random thoughts. After notion, I started

random thoughts. After notion, I started thinking in systems, inputs, processes, outcomes. Suddenly, I saw the flow. I

outcomes. Suddenly, I saw the flow. I

stopped asking what do I need to do and started asking how can I make this automatic that's the real power it's not about storing data it's about designing

systems that support your life [Music] I got a lot wrong in the beginning here are the top three mistakes I made trying to build too much too fast I saw these

amazing notion dashboards on YouTube and thought I had to do it all at once wrong that led to burnout confusion and quit.

Now I build in layers one use case at a time.

Copying other people's systems without context. Templates are incredible, but

context. Templates are incredible, but only when they solve your problem. I

copied a live OS template that had nine dashboards, 40 plus views, dozens of databases. It looked impressive, but it

databases. It looked impressive, but it didn't fit me. Now I build around my actual workflow, and it's 10 times more useful.

Thinking aesthetics equals productivity.

I spent days tweaking icons, colors, covers, fonts, and none of it made me more productive. Don't get me wrong, a

more productive. Don't get me wrong, a beautiful workspace is motivating, but start with function.

The three pages that changed everything.

If you're overwhelmed, if you don't know where to begin, start with these three pages, the today page. This is your daily cockpit. Mine shows top three

daily cockpit. Mine shows top three priorities, calendar view of tasks, a quick journal section, a quote or intention. I open it every morning. Page

intention. I open it every morning. Page

two, the project database. This holds

everything I'm working on. Each project

has a goal, tasks, linked docs, tags, health, content, client, etc. The vault.

This is your personal library, your archive of wisdom. Every time I read something useful, a quote, tweet, newsletter, YouTube clip, I save it to the vault. tagged, summarized, ready to

the vault. tagged, summarized, ready to use later because ideas are cheap. But

organized ideas, that's leverage.

Let's get nerdy for a second. You know

that feeling when you're working on something and time disappears? That's

called flow state. And here's what most people miss. Distraction kills flow.

people miss. Distraction kills flow.

Switching tools kills flow. Searching

for a dock kills flow. Forgetting where

you saved something kills flow. But when

everything is in one system, when you can write, plan, search, connect without breaking rhythm, that's when real magic happens. Let me say that again. Notion

happens. Let me say that again. Notion

isn't perfect because it does everything. It's powerful because it

everything. It's powerful because it lets you design your own perfect setup.

One that fits your brain, your style, your pace. It's not about replacing your

your pace. It's not about replacing your creativity. It's about amplifying it.

creativity. It's about amplifying it.

Let's talk about templates because wow, people love sharing them and for good reason. Templates can save time, show

reason. Templates can save time, show you what's possible, and give you a jump start when your mind is blank. But

here's where it gets tricky. Too many

templates, especially ones built for someone else's life, can actually slow you down. You spend more time figuring

you down. You spend more time figuring out their logic than solving your problem. So, here's my rule. Don't

problem. So, here's my rule. Don't

download more than two templates at once. Seriously, pick one that feels

once. Seriously, pick one that feels close to what you need, then tweak it.

Strip it down and make it yours. Start

with structure, not style.

Isn't this just overengineering my life?

Great question. We've all seen the memes productivity bros with dashboards more complex than NASA. And sure, some people do go overboard. But let me ask you

this. If you spend 30 minutes building a

this. If you spend 30 minutes building a system that saves you 3 hours every week, is that overkill? If you reduce decision fatigue, mental clutter, and

task anxiety, is that too much? I used

to believe that organizing meant I wasn't being creative, that it was a way of controlling things too tightly. Now I

realize clarity creates capacity.

Structure isn't the enemy of freedom.

It's what gives you the freedom to do deep work, to rest without guilt, to make room for what matters.

[Music] What makes Notion different from other tools? Let's do a rapid fire comparison.

tools? Let's do a rapid fire comparison.

Evernote great for nodes, not great for databases, no workflows. One note, solid structure, poor integration, not flexible. Google Docs plus Sheets,

flexible. Google Docs plus Sheets, everyone uses them, but they're disconnected islands. Trell/ Asana, good

disconnected islands. Trell/ Asana, good for task list, but you can't build a system around your life. Notion, it's

not just a tool. It's a workspace you can mold. It's one of the few tools that

can mold. It's one of the few tools that grows with you instead of boxing you in.

Let me be real. If you're looking for a simple checklist app, this might be too much. But if you're ready to step back

much. But if you're ready to step back and design how your mind works, this is it. Notion meets you where you are and

it. Notion meets you where you are and takes you as far as you want to go.

The mindset that changes everything.

What really helped me wasn't learning the buttons and blocks. It was changing how I saw myself. Not just as a user, but as a system builder. Instead of

saying I need to get more done, I started asking what would it look like if my system did that for me. That

single mindset shift, it changed my days. It changed how I approach

days. It changed how I approach projects, how I recover from chaos, how I grow. Because your output is a

I grow. Because your output is a reflection of your systems and your systems are a reflection of your choices. You get to design this. You get

choices. You get to design this. You get

to rewire your tools so they support your actual life. Notion is just the canvas. You are the system.

canvas. You are the system.

You might be sitting there thinking, "Okay, but is this really going to work for me? I don't know your exact

for me? I don't know your exact situation, but here's what I do know."

You're already managing your life. You

already have systems. They might be messy, scattered, or invisible, but they're there. So, what if you just made

they're there. So, what if you just made them visible, made them intentional, not to control everything, but to support your flow. Not to optimize your whole

your flow. Not to optimize your whole existence, but to create more space, more calm, more momentum. Notion helped

me do that and it can help you too.

Start small. Stay curious. Keep

refining. Simplify, organize, live better with Notion, your all-in-one digital workspace. If this helped you at

digital workspace. If this helped you at all, give it a like. If you want more tools like this that actually make your life easier, hit that subscribe button.

I share smart systems every week, not just tools, how to use them well. And if

you're using a tool right now that you love or hate, drop it in the comments. I

always reply. And who knows, maybe I'll feature it in the next video. Thanks for

watching. Now go build something that fits you. And remember, done is better

fits you. And remember, done is better than perfect. See you next time.

than perfect. See you next time.