{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-post-js","path":"/blog/thinking-in-notion/","result":{"data":{"mdx":{"body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Thinking in Notion\",\n  \"date\": \"2020-12-29T00:00:00.000Z\",\n  \"tags\": [\"notion\", \"productivity\"],\n  \"banner\": \"banner.png\"\n};\n\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\n\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"blockquote\", null, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"blockquote\"\n  }, \"Productivity systems succeed only when they conform to your mental models for\\norganizing information.\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I\\u2019ve written extensively about \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://notion.so\"\n  }), \"Notion\"), \", my all-in-one system for goals,\\nprojects, notes, tasks, and a seemingly infinite collection of databases: books\\nI\\u2019ve read and want to read, quotes I like, links I collect from around the web,\\nmovies and TV shows I\\u2019ve watched, and words and phrases I like. While I\\u2019ve spent\\nthe past few years constantly curating, refining, and evolving my system, I\\u2019ve\\nwatched a larger swath of people begin to adopt Notion, struggling to find the\\nright setup for their own system.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The blank page can be overwhelming, which is where the Notion journey begins.\\nSome newcomers will often try to adopt a drop-in solution from popular YouTube\\npersonalities, through inspiration from the \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://reddit.com/r/notion\"\n  }), \"Notion subreddit\"), \", or by\\nporing over templates in the \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.notion.so/Notion-Template-Gallery-181e961aeb5c4ee6915307c0dfd5156d\"\n  }), \"Template Gallery\"), \".\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"I think that\\u2019s the problem.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Notion excels when it becomes a reflection of \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"strong\"\n  }, \"your\"), \" mental model for how\\n\", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"strong\"\n  }, \"you\"), \" organize information.\"), \" You can only realize that vision once you learn\\nthe fundamentals of \\\"\", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Thinking in Notion\"), \"\\\" \\u2014 learning how to leverage Notion\\u2019s\\npower and fluidity to transform new insights into effective systems.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"src\": \"/cdcee0b7a0eaa8c3e53a86f7c846116f/01.gif\",\n    \"alt\": \"Example walkthrough GIF of my Notion setup\"\n  }))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"When I open my Notion, it's like peering into my own brain. Notion becomes a\\nreflection of my mental models for my own organization system. It\\u2019s mine. When I\\nhave a new thought, idea, project, or goal, I know where it goes, and I know how\\nit ties to the larger system.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Whenever I help someone with their Notion setup, I show them mine \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"strong\"\n  }, \"as an\\nexample\")), \". I explicitly tell them to organize their Notion in a way that makes\\nsense for \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"them\"), \". Otherwise, it becomes another forgotten piece of software in\\nour already-cluttered digital spaces.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Through the exploration of advanced Notion user\\u2019s setups, you can realize what\\u2019s\\npossible in Notion. That, however, is not a replacement for the time it takes to\\nbuild your own system. To do so effectively, you'll have to start, iterate, and\\nevolve your system by \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Thinking in Notion\"), \".\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Here are three rules I follow in regards to the idea of \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Thinking in Notion\"), \":\"), mdx(\"ol\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ol\"\n  }, \"Everything is in one place.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ol\"\n  }, \"Everything is a database.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ol\"\n  }, \"Connections cultivate creation.\")), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"everything-is-in-one-place\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h2\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"#everything-is-in-one-place\",\n    \"aria-label\": \"everything is in one place permalink\",\n    \"className\": \"headerLink\"\n  }), mdx(\"svg\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"a\"\n  }, {\n    \"xmlns\": \"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\",\n    \"width\": \"24\",\n    \"height\": \"24\",\n    \"fill\": \"none\",\n    \"stroke\": \"currentColor\",\n    \"strokeWidth\": \"2\",\n    \"strokeLineCap\": \"round\",\n    \"strokeLineJoin\": \"round\",\n    \"className\": \"feather feather-link\"\n  }), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M10 13a5 5 0 007.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 00-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71\"\n  })), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M14 11a5 5 0 00-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 007.07 7.07l1.71-1.71\"\n  })))), \"Everything is in one place.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Until 2019, I was using Notion for \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"nearly\"), \" everything. The primary holdout was\\ntask management, as I was still using \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://culturedcode.com/things/\"\n  }), \"Things\"), \" for managing to-dos.\\nEventually I gave in, acknowledging the trade-offs of no recurring to-dos and\\nthe lack of a pre-built system for task management. However, I figured out a\\nsystem for managing recurring to-dos in Notion, built my system for task\\nmanagement, and slowly evolved the system as it made sense.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"There's real staying power in having a single source of truth\"), \". While there\\nare applications better at task management than Notion, having my tasks in\\nNotion means they're stored alongside my notes, projects, and goals.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"everything-is-a-database\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h2\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"#everything-is-a-database\",\n    \"aria-label\": \"everything is a database permalink\",\n    \"className\": \"headerLink\"\n  }), mdx(\"svg\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"a\"\n  }, {\n    \"xmlns\": \"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\",\n    \"width\": \"24\",\n    \"height\": \"24\",\n    \"fill\": \"none\",\n    \"stroke\": \"currentColor\",\n    \"strokeWidth\": \"2\",\n    \"strokeLineCap\": \"round\",\n    \"strokeLineJoin\": \"round\",\n    \"className\": \"feather feather-link\"\n  }), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M10 13a5 5 0 007.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 00-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71\"\n  })), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M14 11a5 5 0 00-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 007.07 7.07l1.71-1.71\"\n  })))), \"Everything is a database.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"At its most basic level, Notion is a collection of text-based pages. You can\\ncreate text notes and format them with the usual \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WYSIWYG\"\n  }), \"WYSIWYG\"), \" (What You\\nSee Is What You Get) suspects like bold, italics, and underline. You can\\norganize your notes into pages and nest them to your heart's content.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"But where Notion really shines? \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Databases\"), \". You can think of these much like\\nspreadsheets, equipped with superpowers of opening each record as its own page\\n(and content), and viewing the data in different ways (views).\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"types-of-database-views\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h3\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"#types-of-database-views\",\n    \"aria-label\": \"types of database views permalink\",\n    \"className\": \"headerLink\"\n  }), mdx(\"svg\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"a\"\n  }, {\n    \"xmlns\": \"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\",\n    \"width\": \"24\",\n    \"height\": \"24\",\n    \"fill\": \"none\",\n    \"stroke\": \"currentColor\",\n    \"strokeWidth\": \"2\",\n    \"strokeLineCap\": \"round\",\n    \"strokeLineJoin\": \"round\",\n    \"className\": \"feather feather-link\"\n  }), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M10 13a5 5 0 007.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 00-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71\"\n  })), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M14 11a5 5 0 00-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 007.07 7.07l1.71-1.71\"\n  })))), \"Types of database views\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Here are the views in Notion:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Table\"), \" \\u2014 A spreadsheet-style database view with rows and columns.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Board\"), \" \\u2014 A Kanban board view.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Timeline\"), \" \\u2014 A Gantt chart view.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Calendar\"), \" \\u2014 A (monthly) calendar view.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"List\"), \" \\u2014 A minimal list view.\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Gallery\"), \" \\u2014 A visual gallery view.\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You can visualize the same information in multiple ways. For example, let's say\\nwe have a database for our to-dos. We can view those in a Board, grouped by the\\nstatus of each to-do (Next, In Progress, Complete, etc.). Or we can view them in\\na Calendar to show the to-dos with their respective due date.\"), mdx(\"h3\", {\n    \"id\": \"relations\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h3\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"#relations\",\n    \"aria-label\": \"relations permalink\",\n    \"className\": \"headerLink\"\n  }), mdx(\"svg\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"a\"\n  }, {\n    \"xmlns\": \"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\",\n    \"width\": \"24\",\n    \"height\": \"24\",\n    \"fill\": \"none\",\n    \"stroke\": \"currentColor\",\n    \"strokeWidth\": \"2\",\n    \"strokeLineCap\": \"round\",\n    \"strokeLineJoin\": \"round\",\n    \"className\": \"feather feather-link\"\n  }), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M10 13a5 5 0 007.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 00-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71\"\n  })), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M14 11a5 5 0 00-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 007.07 7.07l1.71-1.71\"\n  })))), \"Relations\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The next level of power in the form of databases in Notion stems from the\\nability to relate separate databases together. The seminal example being\\nprojects and tasks. Typically you'll have a database for your projects and a\\ndatabase for your tasks, with a relation drawn between each in order to organize\\nthem separately \\u2014 with their own properties and views \\u2014 but connected to one\\nanother seamlessly.\"), mdx(\"h2\", {\n    \"id\": \"connections-cultivate-creation\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"h2\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"#connections-cultivate-creation\",\n    \"aria-label\": \"connections cultivate creation permalink\",\n    \"className\": \"headerLink\"\n  }), mdx(\"svg\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"a\"\n  }, {\n    \"xmlns\": \"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\",\n    \"width\": \"24\",\n    \"height\": \"24\",\n    \"fill\": \"none\",\n    \"stroke\": \"currentColor\",\n    \"strokeWidth\": \"2\",\n    \"strokeLineCap\": \"round\",\n    \"strokeLineJoin\": \"round\",\n    \"className\": \"feather feather-link\"\n  }), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M10 13a5 5 0 007.54.54l3-3a5 5 0 00-7.07-7.07l-1.72 1.71\"\n  })), mdx(\"path\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"svg\"\n  }, {\n    \"d\": \"M14 11a5 5 0 00-7.54-.54l-3 3a5 5 0 007.07 7.07l1.71-1.71\"\n  })))), \"Connections cultivate creation.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"With specific views of our data and the ability to relate (or link) them\\ntogether, connections are then drawn throughout the Notion system. These\\nconnections can seamlessly draw connections, achieving the ultimate goal of\\neffortless creation through the cultivation of connection.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"While viewing a task you can jump to its project, its goal, and then weave your\\nway through the Notion system like the synapses firing in your brain. \", mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Your\\nNotion\"), \" becomes the neural network by which ideas turn into clear plans,\\nalleviating stress, increasing trust, and driving creation through connection.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Start by \", mdx(\"strong\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"strong\"\n  }, \"Thinking in Notion\")), \".\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","frontmatter":{"date":"December 29, 2020","title":"Thinking in Notion","banner":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.6666666666666667,"src":"/static/525aa6417997bcf87830e4d287e7f576/d456e/banner.png","srcSet":"/static/525aa6417997bcf87830e4d287e7f576/8005d/banner.png 188w,\n/static/525aa6417997bcf87830e4d287e7f576/49959/banner.png 375w,\n/static/525aa6417997bcf87830e4d287e7f576/d456e/banner.png 750w,\n/static/525aa6417997bcf87830e4d287e7f576/130bf/banner.png 1125w,\n/static/525aa6417997bcf87830e4d287e7f576/52e98/banner.png 1500w","sizes":"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px"}}},"tags":["notion","productivity"]},"timeToRead":3,"fields":{"slug":"/thinking-in-notion/"}}},"pageContext":{"isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages":false,"slug":"/thinking-in-notion/"}}}