here are many ways you can arrange and organize Notion dashboards. I've been using Notion for a year now and I found that creating multiple goal-oriented dashboards makes me the most productive.
In this blog post, I'll explain how I arrange my productivity system dashboards, the principles you can use to create any dashboard, and things I don't like to have on my dashboards.
## My productivity dashboards in Notion
I have about 9 dashboards from which 2 or 3 I use daily. The ones I use the most often are task management, journaling, and content production.
All of my dashboards are saved on the sidebar under the `Favorites` section for quick access. Early in the morning, I use my Journal dashboard to perform my morning routine. When I write, I quickly open my Content dashboard and find the latest blog posts that I work on. When I need to capture an idea or info, I open a relevant dashboard to do so.
**Here are the reasons why I separated them and why it's more productive for me.**
First, it's faster. I don't need to scroll down to find my projects or something else I need. I can just open them on the sidebar.
Second, clarity and clean aesthetics. My brain freaks out when there's too much going on one page. Clean and minimalistic works best for me.
Third, attention. If I need my tasks, I want to only look at tasks. I don't want to distract myself with something else.
You and I are different and you should ask yourself what works for you the best. If you prefer keeping everything on a single dashboard, then go for it. Tailor the system to your personality to make the most out of it.
## 9 dashboards that I use daily and weekly
Here's the list of my dashboards.
1. Control dashboard - GTD dashboard for task management. The most used dashboard.
2. Journaling dashboard - daily morning journaling and planning.
3. Content - content production dashboard where I write and plan my blog posts.
4. Ideas dashboard - a collection of my ideas that I capture throughout the day.
5. Projects dashboard - the ongoing and planned projects I work on.
6. Knowledge Hub - my knowledge database. Use it whenever I research or find valuable information.
7. Milestones - outcomes of my goals and projects. Review weekly and monthly.
8. Habits dashboard - habits that I am currently building. Review whenever I see that I am not consistent in my Journal.
9. Vision dashboard - my goals. Review weekly and monthly.
## Principles of productive dashboards
1. Keep it to the point. What's the goal of the dashboard? Is it a quick capture of information? Is it note-taking? Is it task tracking? Find the purpose and lay it out accordingly.
2. Place the most used parts of the dashboard in the most visible place. If I want to overview my current projects, I don't want to scroll and find it somewhere at the bottom of the page. I want to see it immediately.
3. Adjust your dashboards when you've used them enough. I went through many iterations until I understood how my brain works and how I am the most productive. Analyze and listen to your feedback. If something doesn't work, ask yourself why.
## What about Notion widgets on dashboards?
Widgets are a kind of plugin for Notion. The concept of widgets is interesting, but they are in early development. As of 2021, I don't use them as I don't see them as valuable for my productivity system.
I don't need a weather widget because I can check the weather on my taskbar or phone, it's faster.
I don't need "a life progress bar" because I am conscious about the current month and the date as I journal daily.
The only useful widget I've seen so far is Google Calendar embed on Notion pages. If you use it heavily, you can consider having it on your dashboard. However, I still feel it may clutter the page. It's just easier to have it as an app or open in a tab. Faster and more productive.
As of 2021, widgets for Notion are for aesthetic purposes. If you are a person who values that, then go for it. But if they hinder your attention from what matters the most, then consider removing them.
## Final thoughts
Dashboards in Notion are pages that you organize in a way to serve the goal. Whether it's a university, journaling, or task management dashboard, try to think what is the layout that makes that dashboard the most useful and productive for you.
Try not to stuff everything on one page. Divide your dashboards into several entities and use Notion's sidebar for quick access. It will become an essential part of any of your dashboards.
Hope you learned something new. Let me know how you organize your dashboards on discord or Twitter.
