This guide is built on previous basic knowledge of Notion.
updated: 4/3/21 - Updated all mentions of "Dashboard" to "Focus Board". The term dashboard is used in the community of Notion quite a bit, but the vocabulary is not standardized and it does not mean the same thing for every person. Some people call dashboards what I would call the Terminal. To eliminate confusion and keep the vocabulary standardized in this guide, Focus Boards are particular to a specific hierarchical placement of a "dashboard" within a complete system. If you prefer the term dashboard (or something else), it's your system! Make it whatever works for you.
Ok, carry on.
There are innumerable use-cases for Notion. Each person has a unique way of using it because every process is unique. That's what sets Notion apart - the ability to build your own software within the software for what you need.
However, that does not necessarily mean that you'll develop an air-tight process by throwing things together. Notion is, itself, a system made for building your personal system. To get the most out of it to allow you that flexibility for your process, we need to be thoughtful about how we build. You can customize a house to no end but you'll always need to build it on a solid foundation and with solid supports. These elements allow you the freedom to live without fear or stress that it might come down on you or that what you thought was the bathroom door, when you needed it most, ended up leading to the garage.
These are the fundamental pieces to building a rock-solid foundation in Notion.
Master DatabasesLinked DatabasesFocus BoardsTerminal
- There are databases and then there are
Master Databases. The key to using databases correctly is to understand your primary keys. Primary keys are the fundamental uniqueness of what your table contains. Practically put, you should only have one table for "tasks." A task is a task is a task. It doesn't matter the type of task or the context of the task - it belongs in the task database. Any differentiation between tasks should be done with columns (properties) in the database. If you're already thinking ahead, you know this could easily become a bloated table. Tasks will have lots of empty property cells because a personal task may not require the properties relevant to a work task. And guess what? You are correct. That's whyLinked Databasesare your best friend.
A simple master Database. It's in its own page, not inline.
Master Task Database
- After we have the Master Database built, we don't want to touch it. Not unless we need to do some "back end" work so to speak. We put that Master Database somewhere safe (the Terminal) and we use
Linked Databasesto "access" them. - Think of Linked Databases like a custom window into that master database. Here is where we cut the noise - the irrelevant properties and filters - and we are left with the perfect amount of signal - relevant data. That bloated task database? Create a linked database where you need to see it (Focus Boards) and filter that bad boy. Remember, we created columns inside the master database to differentiate the entries however we need. If you haven't done that, it's easy. Do that "back end" work and go into your master database and create a new column. In this case, we might create a selection property titled "type" or "context" or whatever makes sense to you. Then create the options "personal" and "work." Don't worry about the bloat, get back to your Focus Board where you actually do the work and filter your new linked database to only include tasks with the selection property "personal." Hide all of the properties you don't want to see and:
- You should do this in every instance that you need to access a database. If you find yourself needing a new type of database (shouldn't happen very often) like "projects," create a new master database for projects in the same place you have your other databases so they're easy to find (Terminal) and then use the linked database to tailor it in whatever Focus Board you need it in.
💣 Boom, we've got ourselves a custom view. It's still the master task database but without the bloat and irrelevant properties.
This is a linked database attached to the Master Database we made earlier. Same database, just a different window into it. The "⬈" arrow in front of "Master Task Database lets us know this is a linked database, not the original.
| Task | Type | Focus Board |
|---|---|---|
Read Atomic Habits | Personal | |
Do Taxes | PersonalBusiness | |
Buy Coffee | Personal | |
Plan Vacation | Personal | |
Buy new laptop | PersonalBusiness | |
Plan Date Night | Personal | |
Create Report | Business |
Focus Boardsare where we work and play. The master databases, those live in the basement like a server room. Or better yet - they're the onboard computer of our Starship. Focus Boards are like the different stations for the bridge officers on Star Trek. They all have their different functions but tap into a deeper network.- Focus Boards are the different areas of your life or the different places to focus. Examples would include School, Work, Marketing, Finances, Travel, Content Creation, Etc. Before we get into it, these can be as simple or as complex as you want. It only needs to be useful. Don't get bogged down thinking there's a formula for how a Focus Board needs to be set up. This is where we go from a rigid system to freedom and flexibility. We've been the architects of our system and how to best store and use our information. Now we have fun!
- Your Focus Boards will live inside the
Terminal. You CAN just put them in there as sub-pages of the terminal. A lot of main hub pages look like that online. However. I would suggest an alternative that leads to much quicker and more efficient filtering of linked databases.
A master Focus Board database and then a linked database using the list view.
Focus Board Database
- I know, we're getting meta here. Focus Boards live in a database, but Focus Boards contain linked databases to master databases, WHAT? yes, exactly. The clear benefit to housing your Focus Boards in their own database is the ability to relate your master database entries to their relevant Focus Board, which in 99% of cases will be the same filter you used to differentiate entries within a master database.
- For example, going back to the master task database, instead of creating a column like "type" like I said to earlier, let's just use the relation property and connect it to the database of Focus Board. You probably have a Focus Board just for work and you'd want to see work tasks. So if it's a work task, relate it to the work Focus Board. Now when you are actually working in your work Focus Board and you have that linked database, you can filter it to only show tasks with the relation property set as work!
- The
Terminalis our high level view. It's central operations, the bridge of Starship Notion. Often called The Hub, Command Center, Homepage, even Dashboard, The Terminal is where we can always return to if we need to get our bearings or move to a new Focus Board. This is where you house your master databases and this where you house that database of of all your Focus Boards. Make it a list view for easy access to all of them without blowing out your page. The Terminal is also where you can plug in quick entry points to any of your frequently used processes. Need a way to quickly enter a task without going into your task Focus Board? Insert a linked database to your tasks on the Terminal and filter it to only show entries from today. Make it a gallery view for a nice+Add Newbutton. Now you've got a quick entry "widget" on your terminal. Get creative, make it useful. But remember to do your focused work where you have space for it, within your Focus Boards. Make as many as you need.
A simple example of a Terminal - a top page to hold everything.
Terminal
- I ran this guide in order of the importance of functionality. To recap, let's go through it hierarchically, the way pages live in Notion.
- At your highest level, your topmost page, is the
Terminal. The terminal is your main hub, where you start on everything. It houses everything and has some quick entry points if you need them. - Inside the Terminal lives your
Master Databases. Your master databases might include Tasks, Notes, Projects, Months, Quarters, etc. The key is to have only one master database for each unique type of entry. Tasks are tasks are tasks. Differentiate them within the database. - Also inside the terminal will live your
Focus Boards. These will exist in their own database, however, functionally they are not the same as your master databases. Master databases store data, Focus Boards contextualize the data. Focus Boards represent a focused view of any area of your life. Examples include school, travel, family, business, even subdivisions like business admin and business marketing. Whatever focuses you into your area. Linked Databaseslive inside of your Focus Boards (and even terminal). Linked Databases are what allows you to connect your individual Focus Board with the master databases and contextualize them. Cut the noise and see the signal. This is how you see the master databases in the way that is most efficient for your process in a Focus Board. Hide irrelevant properties and filter entries.
- Now you've got yourself a very solid foundation for any process you might want to implement in Notion. The benefits are many. Everything has a place (mis-en-place), Building contextual views is easy and vastly reduces friction, and you can now handle things as broad or as specific as you need. Finally, one of the biggest and best benefits, which I saved for last, is that you can now easily see the 30,000 ft. view of your databases. Need a place where you can see ALL of your tasks so that you can prioritize them regardless of which Focus Board they are attached to? Done. Now that ALL of your tasks live in one database, they can be seen in one place. Create an
Action Zonewhere you link to your master tasks database and now you can see them all, filter by day, see them on a calendar, or even see them in the new timeline feature. You can focus on the area of your life, or you can focus on today, this week, this month, and what need to get done. That's powerful.
Created in Notion by Josh Redd at NotionState. 🖤
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