It started to gain traction around 2018 in YouTube’s thriving productivity subculture, where videos of fans swapping time management tips and guides to organizing their lives regularly rack up millions of views.

“You don’t have to change your habits to how rigid software is. The software will change how your mind works,” says Akshay Kothari, Notion’s cofounder and chief operating officer. “I think that’s actually been a big reason why you see so much love in the community: because people feel like the things they build are theirs.”

Bergen can use Notion to store the serial numbers of his newly purchased products in case they get stolen, alongside a detailed inventory of the contents of every single numbered box he packed during a house move.

For example, I received a Sephora perfume sampler for Christmas, so I created a database with the different products and logged my thoughts as I tried a new one each day. I also have a daily mood tracker, wish list, self-care toolkit, and many more.”

Using Notion to track whether you’re drinking enough water or going jogging, or using it to plan assignments, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re actually getting those things done.

The disadvantages are that it will become more difficult to create boundaries between work and home life, as you’ll be having to navigate both parts of your life whenever you use the app.”