How to Create a Notion Planner? A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Notion is a powerful, all-in-one workspace that’s gaining traction as the go-to tool for organizing everything from your to-do lists to personal projects. One of the best ways to make the most of Notion’s capabilities is by creating your own customized planner. Whether you’re looking to keep track of daily tasks, set long-term goals, or organize your schedule, a Notion planner can be a game changer. In this blog, I’ll walk you through the process of creating a Notion planner that’s designed to fit your needs perfectly.
Why Use Notion for Your Planner?
Notion planners have become popular because they offer endless customization. You’re not limited to traditional calendar views—you can incorporate databases, checklists, reminders, and much more. The beauty of Notion is that it can adapt to whatever type of planner you need, whether that’s a daily planner, weekly planner, or even a habit tracker. Plus, with Notion’s sleek interface and intuitive design, you’ll have everything you need to stay organized in one place.
Setting Up Your Notion Planner: The Basics
Before diving into the specifics, let’s talk about what makes a good Notion planner. Generally, you’ll want a combination of the following:
- Task Management: A place to track your to-dos, goals, and deadlines.
- Calendar/Agenda: An easy-to-read calendar view to track upcoming events, meetings, and personal appointments.
- Habit Tracker: A tracker to monitor progress on habits, routines, or personal development goals.
- Notes Section: A space to jot down ideas, reminders, or important thoughts that come to mind throughout the day.
Now that we know what elements you’ll need, let’s get into the step-by-step process of creating your own Notion planner.
Step 1: Choose a Template or Start from Scratch
One of the easiest ways to get started is by using a Notion planner template. There are plenty of free and paid templates available that cover everything from daily schedules to project management. If you prefer to start from scratch, that’s totally fine! Starting from scratch gives you full creative control to build a planner that suits your style and needs.
If you’re starting from scratch, begin by creating a new page. You can give your page a title like "My Planner" or "Daily Schedule," depending on what type of planner you want to create.
Step 2: Set Up Your Task Manager
The next step is adding a section to track your tasks and to-dos. Notion has a database feature that makes this easy. Start by creating a database with columns like:
- Task Name
- Due Date
- Priority Level
- Status (Not Started, In Progress, Completed)
You can also create custom views within the database, like a "Today" view that filters tasks by today’s date, or a "This Week" view that shows tasks for the entire week.
Step 3: Add a Calendar View
For keeping track of events and appointments, add a calendar view to your planner. You can either embed a Notion calendar into your page or link a Google Calendar if you prefer. To embed a Notion calendar, create a new database and select the "Calendar" option. From there, you can start adding events, meetings, and deadlines.
Step 4: Create a Habit Tracker
A habit tracker is a great addition to your Notion planner. You can create a simple habit tracker with a table or a checklist format. For each habit, add a checkbox for each day of the week (or month) that you want to track. Some common habits include:
- Drinking enough water
- Exercising daily
- Meditating
- Reading
- Getting enough sleep
This can help you stay on top of your personal growth and track your progress.
Step 5: Add Custom Features
Here’s where you can get creative! Notion is fully customizable, so you can add any features you need to make your planner work for you. Some popular custom features include:
- Goal-setting: Create a space for setting long-term goals and break them down into smaller, achievable tasks.
- Journal Section: A place to reflect on your day or jot down thoughts and insights.
- Weekly Reviews: A section for reviewing your week and planning for the next one.
You can also integrate widgets or embed other apps like Google Sheets or Trello into your Notion planner for more advanced functionality.
Step 6: Make It Beautiful
The best part about Notion is that it’s not just functional—it’s also beautiful. Customize the colors, fonts, and icons to match your personal aesthetic. Add cover images, use emojis to brighten things up, and organize your sections with headers and dividers. A beautiful planner not only helps you stay organized, but it also motivates you to use it daily.
Step 7: Use Your Notion Planner Daily
Once you’ve set up your planner, make it a part of your daily routine. Check in every morning to plan your day, and again in the evening to reflect on what you accomplished. Notion’s reminders and notifications make it easy to stay on top of your tasks and deadlines.
Need Help Getting Started?
Creating a Notion planner from scratch can feel overwhelming at first, but with the right tools and templates, you’ll be able to create a personalized planner that works for you. And if you don’t want to start from scratch, check out my collection of Notion planners available for purchase.
My planners are designed for personal use only and come with everything you need to stay organized and on top of your goals. Take a look and find the planner that fits your style!