My Notion Note-Taking System

Summary

In this video, sponsored by Skillshare with proceeds donated to the Black Lives Matter Organization, the creator explores using Notion as a note-taking app, a challenge due to his long-term use of Evernote. He details building a system within Notion that mimics Evernote's features while leveraging Notion's unique capabilities. The system includes notebooks, an inbox for quick capture, and a status dashboard. He demonstrates how to create and categorize notes, use filters and views, and suggests adding the notes area to the favorites bar for easy access. The creator also recommends a budget filmmaking class on Skillshare and emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic racism.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The video is sponsored by Skillshare, and the sponsorship fee is being donated to the Black Lives Matter Organization.
• 📝 Notion is a versatile app that can be used as a note-taking tool, despite its many other capabilities.
• 🔄 The speaker has transitioned from using Evernote for a decade to Notion, highlighting the challenge of adapting to a new system.
• 📚 The speaker has created a note-taking system in Notion that includes notebooks, an inbox for quick captures, and a Status Dashboard.
• 📱 The system is designed to be usable on both desktop and iPhone, accommodating different screen sizes and usage scenarios.
• 🗂 Notion's notebooks are databases that can categorize and sort notes, providing a two-level hierarchy similar to Evernote's notebook stacks.
• 🔍 The Status Dashboard is a unique feature that displays open and urgent notes across all notebooks using linked databases.
• 🔑 Linked databases in Notion allow for viewing and editing content from a database that is not on the current page, without affecting the original database.
• 📝 Creating new notes can be done directly within a notebook or quickly through the inbox, with options to set categories, reminders, and attach files.
• 🔄 The process of setting up the note-taking system involves initial setup work, but once completed, minimal maintenance is required.
• 🌐 The note-taking system template is available in Notion's template gallery for easy implementation.
• 🔗 The video includes a recommendation for Chrystopher Rhodes' budget filmmaking class on Skillshare, emphasizing resourceful video production techniques.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about creating an ultimate note-taking system in Notion, a powerful app, by incorporating features similar to Evernote and leveraging Notion's unique capabilities.

Why did the speaker switch from Evernote to Notion?

The speaker switched from Evernote to Notion because they were looking for an app that could provide the functionalities they loved about Evernote while also taking advantage of Notion's unique features.

What is the purpose of the 'Inbox' in the Notion note-taking system?

The 'Inbox' serves as a quick capture tool for jotting down ideas quickly, especially when there isn't enough time to sort them correctly.

What does the 'Status Dashboard' in the Notion system do?

The 'Status Dashboard' displays all the open and urgent notes across all notebooks, helping the user to sort and prioritize their notes based on their current relevance and urgency.

How are the notebooks in Notion different from traditional notebooks?

In Notion, notebooks are actually databases that contain many different notes with statuses and categories, allowing for a more dynamic and organized note-taking experience.

What is the significance of the 'Status' in the Notion notes?

The 'Status' of a note is significant as it helps in sorting notes by their relevance to the user's current life, distinguishing between open, urgent, and archived notes.

How can users categorize their notes in Notion?

Users can categorize their notes in Notion by assigning categories to each note, which can then be used to filter and sort notes within custom views.

What is the process of creating a new note in Notion?

To create a new note in Notion, users can either hit 'new' within a notebook to generate a new note or use the quick capture method by adding notes to the inbox.

How does the 'Linked Database' feature in Notion work?

The 'Linked Database' feature in Notion allows users to see and interact with a database even if they are not on the page containing that database. Changes made in the linked database, such as edits or deletions, will reflect in the original database.

What is the advantage of using the 'Favorites' bar in Notion?

Using the 'Favorites' bar in Notion provides quick access to frequently used parts of the notebook, including the inbox and parent notebooks, making it easier to manage and organize notes on the go.

What is the video's stance on the Black Lives Matter movement?

The video shows support for the Black Lives Matter movement by announcing that the sponsorship fee for the video will be donated to the organization, and the speaker encourages viewers to educate themselves on systemic racism and injustice.