A growth mindset is a must if you want to grow you business and develop yourself, as a coach, consultant (or any other service provider).

I’m always looking for ways to improve how I work with clients.

So before wrapping up an office hours session with a Notion consulting client this week, I asked her for some feedback on what’s it’s been like working with me so far.

Here’s what she shared.

The client’s feedback is super helpful because it tells me what to keep doing.

If you have asked for feedback, try it at your next client call.

Want to experience something similar?

Here’s how we can make it happen.

Now, on to today’s topic…

Let’s be honest—Notion is an amazing tool, but it can also get really messy, really fast.

If you’ve ever opened up your Notion workspace and felt more overwhelmed than organized, you’re not alone.

Maybe you started off with high hopes for this all-in-one tool, envisioning a perfectly organized workspace where everything is just a click away.

But somewhere along the line, things got messy. Instead of helping you streamline your work and life, Notion feels like one giant digital junk drawer.

Frustrating, right?

You might be spending way too much time searching for the right page, wading through unused templates, or staring at a pretty dashboard that doesn’t actually help you get things done.

The clutter isn’t just annoying—it’s a productivity killer.

When your workspace is a mess, it’s hard to focus, make decisions, and get stuff done. Instead of working on what matters, you end up stuck in a cycle of organizing and reorganizing.

But don’t worry, it’s totally fixable! Today, I’ll show you how to get from clutter to clarity in Notion.

We’re going to talk about the three most common mistakes that are clutter-building and, more importantly, how to fix them so you can finally turn Notion into that powerhouse tool it’s meant to be.

Now Lets Get into It…

3 Common Notion Mistakes That Leads to Clutter

1. Over-Complicating and Downloading Too Many Templates

Look, I’ve been there—templates are shiny and fun, and it feels like each one might be the thing that solves all your Notion problems.

But here’s the thing: if you’re not customising them to fit your needs, they’re just digital clutter.

Most people end up with a sidebar full of random templates that sounded great at the time… but they don’t actually serve your workflow or productivity.

2. Using Only Pages and No Databases

If your Notion workspace is just a bunch of pages with notes and lists, it’s gets messy real quick.

You’ll end up spending a ton of time scrolling and searching, instead of actually finding what you need.

Databases are where the magic happens—they let you organize and sort your stuff in Notion so you can stop hunting and start being more productive.

3. Using Dashboards That Look Pretty Instead Ones That Help You Take Action

I’ve been a culprit of this too in my early Notion days.

Downloading a dashboard because it looked pretty.

But, unfortunately it didn’t flow and function in a way that actually help solved my problems or help me get-stuff-done.

The real power of a dashboard is when it pulls in exactly what you need to see and helps you take action.

I call these Action-Focused Dashboards (and that’s the only type of dashboard I use).

If it’s just eye candy, you’re missing out on the whole reason dashboards exist!

5 Strategies to Declutter Your Notion

1. Simplify That Sidebar

Seriously, go take a look at your sidebar right now. I’ll wait.

Is it packed with pages you don’t use or templates you downloaded once and forgot about? Then it’s time for a clean-up.

Delete or move old stuff into an a new page called Archives.

Keep only what’s essential in your sidebar.

2. Customise Your Downloaded Notion Templates

Templates are a fantastic starting point, and it’s how 99% of new Notion users start.

But they’re unfortunately not magic bullets.

That means you do need a bit of Notion know-how to use Notion Templates effectively.

Think of templates like a recipe—you wouldn’t cook every dish exactly the same way, right?

You’ll season it to your liking.

So make sure you learn the basics to customise templates to fit your workflows and get rid of any elements that are a distraction to your productivity.

3. Use Databases to Stay Organized

Databases are like your Notion secret weapon.

They let you store, sort, and retrieve information without having to sift through endless pages… as long as you’ve set it up right.

Store your tasks, projects, or anything else that matters to you in databases, and watch how much easier it gets to find and stay on top of things.

4. Build Action-Focused Dashboards That Actually Work for You

Forget about making your dashboards Pinterest-worthy.

Yes visual design is important… but not as important as functional user design.

Focus on pulling in the info you need to take action. Everything else is a distraction.

Use linked views of your databases to create dashboards that act as your control center—everything you need to help you take purposeful action at a glance, no fluff.

5. Regularly Declutter to Keep Things Running Smoothly

Even the best systems need a little TLC now and then, to avoid it from falling back into clutter again.

Set a reminder to review your Notion workspace once a week or month.

Archive what you’re not using, clean up your databases, and make sure your dashboards are still showing just what’s relevant (eliminate what’s not essential).

A little maintenance goes a long way in keeping your Notion space feeling fresh, functional and a joy to use.

Struggling to Break Free from Clutter in Notion?

The Clutter to Clarity in Notion Roadmap email course will turn your Notion workspace from a messy dumping ground into a streamlined and action-oriented tool in 5 days.

It’s designed to help you simplify, streamline, and truly enjoy using Notion to manage your business or organise your life.

The email course will be released in late September to waitlisters first, so join the Clutter to Clarity in Notion Roadmap waitlist to be the first to get access when it drops!

🔓️ Behind the Scenes

I recently joined LinkedIn and would would love to connect with you there if you’re also on LinkedIn.!

Like on X / Twitter, I’m focused on sharing content that helps coaches and consultants break free from clutter, using Slow Productivity and Notion systems.

That’s it! Thanks for reading.

Just one more thing, hit reply and let me know which strategy you plan to try to break free from clutter in Notion.

If you don’t know how to put that strategy in place, no worries, just hit reply and I’ll send some tips and suggestions your way!

Have a great weekend!

Janice

📌 Resources for Coaches and Consultants

1. Three Ways To Apply Slow Productivity To Avoid Burnout and Overload (Janice CK)

   A guest post by yours truly on Build a Better Brain. I share how I apply Cal Newport's slow productivity principles to her business and life.

   → Check out the article

2. How to Have a More Productive Year (Cal Newport)

   A solution to help the modern day knowledge worker is to use structure systems for organising and managing workload. Newport dives into how it helps us have a more productive year.

   → Check out the article

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