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, etc. However, as I started using more and more apps, and some apps provided additional features that sometimes made things more complicated, I often didn't record and check them in a timely manner. When I need to track my expenses, I have to open one app, then another for my plans, and another for small tasks. Opening multiple apps has become a hassle, making it 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 convenient widget based on the provided API, without carefully studying the organization and filtering of data behind it, 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 idea of giving it a try. Unexpectedly, the more I used it, the more I felt its convenience, and it successfully replaced many of the software I was using.
Advantages of Notion#
Native support for Markdown#
Since I often use Markdown to write articles, Notion's native support for Markdown makes me feel familiar and convenient to use, and it has greatly improved my editing efficiency.
Notion supports common Markdown syntax, such as headings, bold, italics, lists (ordered & unordered), horizontal rules, and even code blocks. However, in a sense, it can be said that "it supports, but not completely". Notion itself does not support links, images, inline code, tables, strikethrough, etc. These syntaxes. If you type [], it will be interpreted as a To-Do List. The insertion of images can be done using Notion's own method, by typing / and then selecting the desired format. There are many options available.
The following image vividly demonstrates the process of using Markdown:
Using Markdown
Multiple ways to organize information#
Notion organizes data in a tree-like structure of "workspace-page-subpage". Each page contains various forms of information organization, such as those mentioned earlier, as well as polls, images, audio, bookmarks, and even tweets, Google Drive files, etc. It supports a wide range of types and can meet the needs of recording most content.
Therefore, with Notion, you can create a movie list:
My Movie List
You can also create a shopping list:
My Shopping List
(By the way, Notion supports custom covers)
Convenient use of databases#
Yes, you read that right. Notion provides its own "database". By setting fields and views, you can customize the way it is used for various scenarios. It also has filtering, sorting, and calculation functions, which greatly improve the efficiency of data statistics.
There are six types of views for databases: Table, Board, Timeline, Calendar, List, and Gallery. Each view has its own characteristics and is suitable for different things.
The Table view is probably the most common view. Like a database, it includes fields and records, and 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 numeric 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 generally includes content, tags, values, and time. By simply recording these four items, it becomes clear. The following image shows filtered expenses over 100 yuan, and calculations such as summing can also be done.
Partial Account
The Board view and Gallery view are similar in that they arrange pages in blocks. The difference is that the Board view can display columns based on tags, while the Gallery view simply arranges them in the order of creation, as shown in the two images below:
Board View
Gallery View
Therefore, one application of the Board view is to categorize and list tasks, which can be divided into to-do, in progress, and completed.
The List view is very common, simply listing pages one by one, as shown in the image below:
List View
Both of these views are related to time. The Calendar view is suitable for recording with a "day" granularity, while the Timeline view displays time down to the hour. These two views are very suitable for use as a schedule. One can provide a general overview of the schedule, while the other can show specific time arrangements, just like the two images below:
Calendar View
Timeline View
Multi-platform synchronization#
This is the most important and final reason that convinced me to use Notion, because I can use it on my PC, Android phone, and iPad. This feature is very, very convenient for me. I can use it anytime, anywhere to make records and view the information I need. Maximum productivity.
Personal experience#
Using Notion has indeed reduced a lot of hassle in recording, and sometimes I can perform batch operations on the computer and view and perform simple operations on the phone. I can use it to organize many things well.
On the one hand, I still haven't given up the practicality and comfort of pen and paper when viewing. On the other hand, I also enjoy the speed and convenience brought by typing with my fingertips. In a sense, it is also a balance between tradition and modernity.