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How I use Notion to manage everything

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Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#71
post #53

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently thinking about a similar home for managing “everything”. I find a tool like notion is just too generalised and I’m missing the UX of purpose made tools though, but I still want some kind of ownership and control over my own data The dream is to have interop between services, but I control the data and can easily make my own views onto it / tools to manage it. I think this is…

I'd like to offer you a different view of how to solve your problem. So let's say your problem is:

> a similar home for managing "everything". Notion is just too generalised and I'm missing the UX of purpose made tools though, but I still want some kind of ownership and control over my own data.

What you're doing is looking at your tools, or rather solutions, available completely wrong. What you're looking for is a dedicated software solution but I suggest looking at your computer as the true solution. I know it's very convenient to contain everything within apps like Notion and Obsidian but I think you're better off looking at your computer's OS as the solution. You can do everything you've noted plus you have the bonus of compatibility and portability if you're already using Apple devices. You can definitely control and create your own views+tools this way plus you have the technical choice with various programming languages

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#72

I just cannot imagine investing this amount of effort into managing my life's details. I feel an energy drain just reading it. But, maybe much younger people think this is how to live a good life. More simply: I'm pretty sick of productivity porn, and the empty promises it makes.

Yes this is the problem I've seen young and old happen to deal with. They get obsessed with the details. Maybe, they don't have that many things going on.

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#73
post #57
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel exactly the same. How the hell people have time foe all this? It’s procrastinating in a fashionable way to make yourself feel like you’re productive.

I think there’s immediate gratification in this. You feel like you’re making progress towards your goals by planning them out, even if you don’t actually progress. You just add a superfluous step of documentation and complete it. A small industry has formed around this feeling. I think one can achieve a lot in life with much more rudimentary planning tools, like pen and paper. I am yet to find a situation where that…

I think you're right with the immediate gratification in this sort of thing. Then I think that's the problem right there.

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#74
post #71
post #53

I’ve been spending a lot of time recently thinking about a similar home for managing “everything”. I find a tool like notion is just too generalised and I’m missing the UX of purpose made tools though, but I still want some kind of ownership and control over my own data The dream is to have interop between services, but I control the data and can easily make my own views onto it / tools to manage it. I think this is…

I'd like to offer you a different view of how to solve your problem. So let's say your problem is: > a similar home for managing "everything". Notion is just too generalised and I'm missing the UX of purpose made tools though, but I still want some kind of ownership and control over my own data. What you're doing is looking at your tools, or rather solutions, available completely wrong. What you're looking for is a d…

How would that look to you?

I might’ve given the wrong impression - the obsidian part is really just a load of files with some metadata (a collection of flat file system databases), exactly for the same portability reasons/tooling reasons you mentioned

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#75
post #2

I guess I might as well ask here. I tried notion 1-2 years [0] ago, and the features were great. I'd even have considered paying for it. But the performance was atrocious. It made Gmail seem fast. Have things Improved on that front? [0] I've always been bad at remembering how much time passed, but COVID really didn't help … So those numbers might be off. Edit: Thanks everyone, sounds like I'll at least give it anothe…

It's pretty responsive, and I use it everyday.

But note the search is HORRIBLE. Unless you know the title of what you want to find, don't both with the search.

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#76

I'm glad it works for them, and I am a little skeptical whenever someone fawns over Notion (is it a paid placement? Is it someone who is trying sell templates?). To me, as someone who uses Notion for work, it is a dystopian vision, like using JIRA for my personal life's tasks. I very much prefer simple, low tech solutions to dealing with my life's problems.

I absolutely love Notion. I first started using it where I work now, and was blown away about how easy it is to organize. Is it great in every way? No (looking at you search!) but it is the best of the tools out there.

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#77
post #74
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to offer you a different view of how to solve your problem. So let's say your problem is: > a similar home for managing "everything". Notion is just too generalised and I'm missing the UX of purpose made tools though, but I still want some kind of ownership and control over my own data. What you're doing is looking at your tools, or rather solutions, available completely wrong. What you're looking for is a d…

How would that look to you? I might’ve given the wrong impression - the obsidian part is really just a load of files with some metadata (a collection of flat file system databases), exactly for the same portability reasons/tooling reasons you mentioned

I think what you want to do is entirely accomplished with what the Personal Computer is. You have a plethora of options with the many types of operating systems available. You already have a lot of functionality built-in. Like you noted you have trouble with the flow and UX but really you're using apps that aren't meant to work with one another. Why not move the abstraction up a level? Instead of containment in apps use your OS

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#78
post #59
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We use it daily. It's way, way better than it used to be, but there's still times it feels a little sluggish. I'd definitely recommend giving it another go though.

What feels sluggish? Load speed, and/or something else?

Load speed is generally fine (but then I tend to have it open in a pinned tab). On occasion you're clicking and waiting, or you're typing and everything is just a second/fraction of a second behind what you're actually doing.

I don't think it ever hits frustration point, it's just not magic.

Re: How I use Notion to manage everything

#79
post #60
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use it daily for kanban and as a scratch pad and the performance is horrible. I’m on a 2015 mac

What feels sluggish? Load speed, and/or something else?

When I type '/todo', I type '/', and sometimes it just hangs for like 10 seconds. Then I type 't'... and then I can usually finish 'odo' quick

Also when I click to maximize a notion page, that is often quite slow

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