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organization || so I started using Notion…

IoanaMay 17, 2021

So I started using Notion this week and here’s what it looks like at the moment. (Yes, feel free to zoom in and read my notes. I promise I won’t be mad.)

Here’s a screenshot for a closer view.

Moving forward, I refuse to spend more than the 2 hours I admittedly DID take to set it up, so it’s a very rudimentary but functional system at the moment. I am doing my utmost best to suppress my need to have all systems perfect before running them and plan to just make changes as I go. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve ever launched the tool for yourself. It’s based on a really cool, limitless concept of “databases” and is therefore a rabbit hole waiting to happen. Just saying.

Catching Up with IDW's Boldly Go Comic-Book Adventures
Me as a Star Trek character. (Source)

I’ve been seeing Notion everywhere this past year, especially as a lot of people in the study/bullet journal/organization niches online have started using and promoting it.

The Notion website front page (Source)
I appreciate that it’s free for personal use.
It’s also cloud-based, so I often access it on my phone when I’m away from my desk. (Source)

It’s commonly used as a full-on task management system. However, I still plan to use my analog bullet journal for that. Instead, I’m using it as an “interim journal” of sorts. It’s basically an organized, categorized, calendar view inside my brain for content & inspiration purposes.

Here’s how I’m using it:

  1. I write down random ideas I have, discussion topics, or photos/articles/podcasts/Instagram posts that I saw and that inspired me.
  2. Then, if it’s something I want to share with you guys, I duplicate and transfer it to my Content Calendar where I can draft posts!
  3. I also have a section for our new Facebook Book Club (link in bio) so that I can collect cool things to share and space them out a bit.
  4. Finally, bringing it back to the “interim journal” – when I ever have time to sit down and journal privately, I can look back at a calendar map of my brain, so to speak, so I remember what I wanted to digest further or write about.

In many ways, I’m using it as a replacement for this excellent but highly impractical idea I tried in my bullet journal last year:

As I mentioned, it’s still a rudimentary system-in-progress. I’ve definitely been using it consistently for a week and it’s been a hugely beneficial tool for my creative and blogging process. But I can definitely add more to it.

On that note, there are 2 questions I’d love to discuss with you:

  1. How do you use Notion, if you use it?
  2. Do you also keep track of “ideas” and “content consumed”? If so, how do you do it?

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Comments (2)

  • blog || the one goal I’ve been putting off | join me in getting accountable & setting milestones – Mistral Spirit

    October 14, 2021 at 9:45 pm

    […] in little incremental ways without knowing exactly what the final platform would look like. I first set up Notion earlier this year primarily as a place to keep track of content I’ve consumed and therefore content I would […]

    Reply
  • lifestyle || the one goal I've been putting off | join me in getting accountable & setting milestones – Mistral Spirit

    November 15, 2021 at 10:51 pm

    […] in little incremental ways without knowing exactly what the final platform would look like. I first set up Notion earlier this year primarily as a place to keep track of content I’ve consumed and therefore content I would […]

    Reply

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Nice to meet you!

Hi, it’s Ioana! I’m a blogger, brand marketer, and recent Queen’s Commerce alumni. When I’m not drinking coffee, reading, studying or exploring the city, I dabble in creative projects like this one!

Latest posts

  • Writing 50k words in ONE month: National Novel Writing Month 2022 Prep Vlog + Goal Setting + Events

    November 1, 2022
  • "Company" on Broadway in NYC

    July 25, 2022
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    April 26, 2022

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mistralspirit

ioana | bujo & organization
So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
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So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sk Vote in the comments for your top 2 on-location sketches! 👆 Check my IG story from today more more details, but there’s an @usktoronto call for submissions for an art expo/sale happening in Jan/Feb. Since they’re looking for on-location sketches and I have plenty, I’ve decided to submit and see what happens!

They would all be for sale so I’ll donate anything that comes of it to a related cause. ❤️ 

Which of these 2 do you like best? 👆

#urbansketchers #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #sketchbookart #watercolor #illustration #urbansketching #sketchjournal #fineliner #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #watercolortraveljournal #watercolorillustration #traveljournal #travelwatercolor #traveldiary
One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore M One final art supplies haul from @currysartstore Mississauga this weekend! 🥺 So sad that they’re closing - I remember they’ve moved locations a number of times but they were always my favourite art store growing up. ❤️

And let me know if you’ve tried any of these supplies because I haven’t! Super excited to play with some new paints - specifically the metallics and also practice more acrylics after my summer painting class at @visualartsmississauga. 🥰

#artsupplies #unboxing #artsupplieshaul #artistsupplies #torontoartist #currysartstore
Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃 Black Friday SALE on now at @thewashitapeshop 💃🏼 20% OFF everything - link in bio or visit thewashitapeshop.com to shop what feels like an entire art gallery. 😜

So hard to pick but I was most excited to get my hands on this new PET tape designed by @tonia_tkach - it’s called Forest Houses and comes as both PET tape and washi tape. How cute!

#pettape #originalwashitape #thewashitapeshop #washitape #washitapes #scrapbooking #craftjournal #aestheticjournal #artjournal #craft #journaling #bujo #stationery #stationerylover #sticker #bulletjournal #scrapbook #bujoideas #bulletjournaling #journalwithme #bujosupplies #stationerystore #starioneryshop #stationeryhaul
Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanow Sounds from a day in the life preparing for @nanowrimo last month. 🥰 Please send over any motivation you can though because I haven’t written in a WEEK. 🙈😭 Turns out it’s harder than I thought to write 50k words in a month during the literally busiest week at my day job, while also spending time with my boyfriend, family & friends… and helping to keep our apartment at least somewhat in order. 😅 Posting this video to inspire myself is already working though so… let’s see if I can make it past 6k words today! 💪
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