Notion: An organization app to help you accomplish your to-do list.

My brain is clogged with about 20 mental notes at all times. Between finishing my AP Gov homework and practicing my tennis serves, I always have something on my mind. Rated 4.3 out of 5 stars in the productivity sector on the App Store, the free app “Notion” seemed like the perfect digital planner to help organize my hectic on-the-go schedule. 

At first glance, I was underwhelmed by the dull screen with tabs of different lists and notes users can personalize. But after selecting each tab and seeing the different headings and subheadings to organize everything from my after school tennis lessons to babysitting schedule, I realized it’s a solid way to sort out my thoughts.

A side panel on the app has examples of notes you can make, from reading lists to journal entries. I opted out of those two and instead created two tabs I found more applicable to my life: a to-do list and a homework list.

The tabs can be personalized with the option to adjust the color, add stock or personalized photos for the cover and choose icons to represent the page — I chose a notebook for my list of assignments and a check mark for other tasks. Notion allows users to design the page however they’d like, whether that’s a pastel pink page or cheetah print design — making those to-do lists just a little easier to get started on.  

Every other TikTok I scroll past features people developing in-depth lists for the smallest tasks, while others stick to the basics. Since the app is made to be specific to each individual user, you can be as descriptive as you’d like — I of course took the simplest route possible.

Although logging the pages I have to read in my English book and my VHL assignments became tedious quickly, I was relieved to have all my tasks laid out. Even more satisfying than finally being organized was sliding my completed assignments from the “to-do” list section to the “done” section. 

Before Notion, I tried my best to write out my assigned work during class, but grew lazy when I constantly found myself rushing to cram my notebook into my backpack when the bell rang. After a few days of remembering to use the app, I developed the habit of recording my homework, and became much quicker and more comfortable using Notion.

From creating lists on future books to read or daily journal reminders, there’s no limit to the information you can organize in Notion. After determining what you want to keep track of, all you have to do is stick to it.

Once I was committed to my homework tracking, I still lacked motivation to record my other tasks — from getting a birthday present for my friend to making a return at Target. I figured it would be easier to just remind myself throughout the day to get those things done instead of going through the trouble of using the app. But for those people who let tasks slip their mind often, this app is just what you need to keep you on track.

Sure enough, I forgot to take my car to get an oil change — three days in a row. I took that as a sign to type it out in Notion, and since then, I’ve been much better about completing what I’d usually forget to write down by consistently checking the app for reminders. 

After using the app for a week, I became much more accustomed to checking it each time I got on my phone — even before I opened Instagram or responded to a text. The daunting reminders to complete my Calc homework halted my procrastination because I wanted to feel the satisfaction of shifting them to the “completed” section of the app. 

While it’s definitely impractical to record every note running through your mind in an app, the more I was willing to write down, the more I got done. So if you can’t quite remember how far to read in your English book or constantly forget to pick up your paycheck, try Notion — you might just find another aspect of your life to organize.