The cover image is published by Free-Photos on Pixabay, with slight modifications to the Notion icon.
Preface#
I really like using various apps to manage my life, such as using a budgeting app to track income and expenses, using Microsoft To Do to list short-term and long-term plans, using notes to record miscellaneous things, and so on. However, as I started using more and more apps, and some apps provided additional features that sometimes made things complicated, I often failed to record and view them in a timely manner. I had to open one app for budgeting, then another for planning, and another for jotting down small things. Opening multiple apps became a hassle, and it was difficult to stay consistent.
I previously saw someone using Notion for budgeting, but at that time, I didn't pay much attention to it. I was just amazed that they could create a very convenient widget based on the provided API, without delving into the organization and filtering of data, as well as the ease of use. Later, I saw someone on Bilibili using Notion for self-management, so I downloaded it and tried using it with the mindset of giving it a try. Unexpectedly, the more I used it, the more I felt its convenience. It successfully replaced many of the apps I was using, consolidating everything into one.
Advantages of Notion#
Native support for Markdown#
Since I often use Markdown for writing articles, Notion's native support for Markdown gives me a familiar and convenient feeling, and it also improves my editing efficiency.
Notion supports common Markdown syntax, such as headings, bold, italics, lists (ordered & unordered), horizontal lines, and even code blocks. However, in a sense, it can be said that "it supports, but not completely." Notion itself does not support syntax like links, images, inline code, tables, strikethrough, etc. If you type [], it will be interpreted as a to-do list. Inserting images can be done using Notion's own method by typing / and selecting the desired format. There are many options available.
The following image vividly demonstrates the process of using Markdown:
Using Markdown
Multiple forms of information organization#
Notion organizes data using a tree-like structure of "workspace-pages-subpages." Each page contains various forms of information organization, as mentioned earlier, including voting, images, audio, bookmarks, and even tweets, Google Drive files, and many more. It supports a wide range of types, which can meet the needs of recording most content.
Therefore, with Notion, you can create a movie watchlist:
My movie watchlist
You can also create a shopping list:
My shopping list
(Pssst, Notion supports custom covers too!)
Convenient use of databases#
Yes, you read it right. Notion provides its own "database." By setting fields and views, you can customize it for various scenarios. The built-in filtering, sorting, and calculation functions greatly improve data analysis efficiency.
The database has six views: Table, Board, Timeline, Calendar, List, and Gallery. Each view has its own characteristics and suitable use cases.
Table view is probably the most common view, similar to a database. It includes fields and records, and you can perform operations such as filtering, sorting, and calculations based on conditions. Different operations can be performed based on different data types. For example, you can sum numerical values and filter by date range.
Based on these features, one of the most intuitive applications of the Table view is a ledger. A transaction typically includes content, tags, values, and time. By simply recording these four items, it becomes clear and organized. The following image shows filtering transactions over 100 yuan, and operations like summing can also be done.
Partial account records
Board view and Gallery view are similar in that they arrange pages in blocks. The difference is that Board view can display columns based on tags, while Gallery view arranges them based on creation order. The following two images show these views:
Board view
Gallery view
Therefore, one application of the Board view is to categorize and list tasks, such as dividing them into "to do," "in progress," and "completed" columns.
List view is very straightforward, simply listing pages one by one, as shown in the following image:
List view
Both Calendar view and Timeline view are related to time. Calendar view is suitable for recording events on a daily basis, while Timeline view displays events down to the hour. Combining these two views is perfect for using them as a schedule. One can have a quick overview of the schedule with Calendar view, and see specific time arrangements with Timeline view, as shown in the following two images:
Calendar view
Timeline view
Multi-platform synchronization#
This is the most important and final reason that convinced me to use Notion. Notion can be used collaboratively on my PC, Android phone, and iPad, making it extremely convenient for me. I can use it anytime, anywhere to make records and view the information I need, maximizing productivity.
Personal experience#
Using Notion has indeed reduced a lot of hassle in recording, and sometimes I can perform batch operations on my computer and view and perform simple operations on my phone. I can effectively use it to organize many things.
On one hand, I haven't completely abandoned the practicality and comfort of pen and paper, and on the other hand, I enjoy the speed and convenience brought by typing. In a sense, it's also a balance between tradition and modernity.