It is the first quarter – prime time for setting up an aesthetically pleasing Notion Dashboard and scrolling through the templates. It all looks great on screen, but there is a greater question at hand. How long does productivity actually last?
The problem is not Notion itself: it is the distraction it provides from the actual pressure and expectation of your work due. Because Notion allows you to build your own plan and pick your own colour scheme or custom database, it creates a psychological dilemma. We value things we make more, regardless of whether it makes us more productive or not.
Tweaking your dashboard with all its icons and covers feels like an accomplishment, but it is often just productive procrastination – replacing one primary adaptive behaviour with a less important adaptive behaviour inside or outside the academic domain that mimics “work”. For instance, you are not actually studying, you are just organising the idea of studying.
The idea of productive procrastination is not rooted in laziness. It is rather avoidance as an emotional shield. Daunting tasks or assignments carry the risk of “not doing it right”, so as a psychological response, you retreat into low-stakes tasks because you know you can do them right.
There is nothing wrong with having Notion as a digital workspace, but it needs to be tempered with realism. To stay effective, it has to be kept practicable and attainable by embracing microproductivity. Small, daily rituals that save time instead of consuming it.
Firstly, if it can be done the night before, then do it. Tasks such as writing your to-do list the evening before saves your time in the morning by giving you one less thing to think about. Laying out your clothes before going to bed or packing your bag before bed is also a good mechanism.
Additionally, push yourself to do the thing that will take less than two minutes but will build momentum for big tasks, like making your bed or tidying that one shelf.
By all means, keep your Notion aesthetic if it brings you joy. But remember: the most productive plan is the one that stays out of your way. If you spend more time decorating your to-do list than checking items off of it, it is time to close the tab and get to work.
