I’ve been a solid Hobonichi girly for a few years now. I loved the feeling of flipping through crisp pages, the satisfaction of adding stickers, and the way it gave my day a sense of structure. But over time, I found myself outgrowing the limitations of pen and paper. After lots of trial and error, I finally made the switch to Notion.
While I will still do my journaling on my Hobonichi Cousin (nothing beats being able to stick your ephemera on physical pages), I am dropping my Hobonichi Weeks to move to digital planning.
Here are three reasons why I made the leap from a traditional planner to Notion (and why I wish I did it sooner):
⸻
1. Everything in One Place — Finally
With my physical planner, I was constantly juggling multiple notebooks, sticky notes, and hundreds of screenshots saved. It felt like my life was scattered in different corners of my room and devices. It was never organized and I still keep on forgetting things.
Notion changed that.
Now, I have one digital space where everything lives — my daily planner, long-term goals, medical trackers. I can embed PDFs, link databases, create checklists, and jump between pages instantly. I don’t have to transfer some data when I move on to the next year’s planner.
It’s like having a planner and filing cabinet all rolled into one — without the clutter.
⸻
2. Customization Without Limits
Traditional planners are beautifully designed, but you’re stuck with whatever layout the brand gives you. Want to add a section for weekly wins or mood tracking? Too bad. I realized I’m not really the kind of person who will spend time trying to do my own layout.
⸻
3. It Grows With Me
As my responsibilities shift and my goals evolve, Notion adapts with me. When I needed to track medications and side effects, I made a health log. When I felt burned out, I added a self-care page with calming quotes and a playlist.
Unlike paper planners that expire every year, Notion is a living system that grows alongside my needs — and honestly, that’s been a game-changer.
⸻
Final Thoughts
Switching to Notion wasn’t just a productivity upgrade — it was a mindset shift. I stopped trying to squeeze my life into rigid boxes and started building a system that actually works for me.
If you’re feeling stuck, scattered, or just craving a more flexible way to organize your life, I highly recommend giving Notion a shot. It might just be the planner upgrade you didn’t know you needed.
If you are like me who would rather just buy a template, I recommend those from The Seeker Society on Etsy. I tried a couple of templates and to be honest theirs were the best. I found others which either are too overwhelming or the seller doesn’t respond when I ask for help. Nica from The Seeker Society has been very helpful. She even went above and beyond just to help me out with my template. And for me, that’s already worth every cent.
Disclaimer:
- This post is not sponsored, and the link included is not an affiliate link. I’m sharing it purely based on personal experience and preference.
- AI was used to help me compose and improve my write up; correct grammatical errors among others.
Leave Your Comments