Notion templates are ASS.
They’re ass if you don't know what you're doing with Notion.
Normally, templates help you build on a foundation if you don't know what you're doing.
So, email templates, Canva templates, you get the vibe.
But most Notion templates are so overpowered and overengineered for the beginner Notion user, that they’re more unwieldy than helpful.
And I'm saying this as a Notion expert and template creator 😭✋🏾
Most beginners have no idea what they’re doing and become so overwhelmed by the possibilities and Notion’s capabilities, that they quit midway through using the damn thing, and then curse Notion forever.
I have so many clients who want to love Notion but have a veritable graveyard of Notion templates, or a cobbled together workspace of templates that works but not really.
They know they can be getting so much more out of their Notion workspace, but they don’t know what to do about it.
They’ve gotten these templates thinking that they’re gonna solve all their problems in Notion but their workspace still doesn’t feel quite right.
Okay, so what do you do??
This is crazy, I know, but just hear me out.
Start with the blank page.
Yes, this blank page.
Notion has a lot of capabilities, but you don’t have to use all of them, bestie.
Use this blank page to brain dump what you want to do in Notion. Do you want to create a to do list? Journal? Keep track of your therapy session notes? Plan your social media content?
Just scribble it down in here. Don’t worry about what it looks like for now. It’s gonna be ugly before it gets pretty, and that’s okay.
From here, let’s tap into that child-like sense of wonder and curiosity. How can you make that to do list? Are there bullets? Checkboxes?
Click around and find out!
This is a very slow way of learning Notion, but I personally find that it’s more intuitive than looking up YouTube videos and using templates as a beginner.
This way you’re focused on you and what you need, rather than getting distracted with all the fluff of what other people are doing.
You’re also able to work more on creating your own workflow in Notion, rather than squeezing your workflow into someone else’s template, or way of doing things.
(Side note: Kayla started learning Notion this way at my encouragement, and she’s already creating beautiful things. Check out her YouTube video to see her have fun fumbling with Notion!)
With myself and my neurodivergent clients, staying curious and fucking around and finding out in Notion is a great way to discover unique ways of using Notion that no one else has tried.
I’ve also seen my clients gain huge confidence in their own resilience and ability to figure things out while charting their own way in life.
Just from playing around in Notion.
So, forget the templates (in the beginning - I still love templates), and go explore in Notion. Don’t worry about what other people are doing, and HAVE FUN!
If you’re scared about exploring Notion alone, I’m your Notion bestie baybeeee!
I’ll hold your hand while you fuck around and find out, and show you simple and practical ways on how to bend Notion to fit your unique workflow.
Did you know that up to 40% of neurodiverse beings are under- or unemployed?
If you'd like to show your support for me as a neurodiverse being, why not send me a tea?
Your donation helps me stay afloat and allows me to keep creating helpful content and resources for the neurodiverse community.
more juicy reads 🧃
