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Number one rule with any personal workflow system is to keep it simple. The problem with Notion (that I’ve absolutely fallen victim to) are the big shiny features that beg you to spend hours on your perfect setup. If you’re a first time user or seeking to create a new hub in your workspace, keep this in mind:
Create systems around your data, not for it
Step one is to use the program as intended. Create a table with some important properties, and start using it. Don’t worry about linked databases or relations or formulas yet.
Keep it simple until you can't
As you begin to use your tables, you’ll start noticing problems that need to be solved. Solve them with more advanced features, communicate between databases, automate with filters and database views, and maybe introduce API integrations too.
You can even use Notion without databases! In fact, I’m frequently inspired by users using non-database setups in a super efficient manner. I suggest starting with a to-do list and strategizing different ways to view, navigate, and add to it with inline template buttons, toggles, and sub-pages.
Next Step: Automate backlinking
If you’re eager to connect pages and communicate between databases (ie. a notes database to a tags database), I suggest streamlining these connections through the Nested Referential Database method. For example:
Using the relation property, you can connect two databases like this:
Create a new database template inside the Notebook database called “New Note” via the dropdown arrow next to the blue New button.
Add a linked database to the body of the template page. Search for the Tags database to link. (Trigger: /Linked database)
Configure the database filter to always link its relation to the parent Note.
When a new Note is created with this template all tags added to the Tags database in the page body will automatically link to the note it is inside.
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