Hey there,

Most productivity advice is a distraction. I know, because for years I bought the planners, downloaded the Notion templates, and followed the hype. It created stress, not success.

Two years ago, I finally cut the noise and built my own system inside Notion. It's the one thing that helped me get happier, more productive, and consistently achieve my goals.

I just published a new video breaking down the exact system, showing you how I manage my entire life in Notion, from tracking happiness and journaling to scheduling my workouts.

▶️ [Watch the full 12.5-minute video here]

​

But I know you're busy. So, below is the system broken down into three core principles—the foundation you can steal and apply to your own workspace today.

🧠 The Shift: Principles Before Pages

First, a crucial mindset shift that underpins the entire system: don't just copy a template.

I've learned that the best system is the one you build for yourself, constantly improving it with trial and error. Copying a pre-built system often leads to abandonment because it's not perfectly suited to your needs.

The goal is to take the ideas and integrate them into your own workflow.

System Breakdown: 3 Tools for Deep Clarity

The core of my Notion setup is built around three integrated tools:

1. The Happiness Tracker (Proof, not promise)

This is the tool that colleagues and friends ask me about most. It's a graph that visualizes my average monthly happiness score, allowing me to see the cycles of life.

• How it Works: The score is automatically set by the values I select in my daily journal. For example, an "Awesome day" might be a +5, an "Okay day" a +3, and a "Bad day" a -3.
• The Insight: The numbers themselves don't mean much, but the relation between them does. Tracking this for two years showed me that happiness ebbs and flows, and the goal isn't to constantly increase it, but to understand what fuels it and what depletes it.

2. The Simple Journal (Accountability Machine)

My day starts and ends here. Journaling isn't just for reflection; it's a powerful accountability tool.

• Morning: I jot down my thoughts and plan for the day. I also use a concept I learned from Steven Bartlett: the "One Non-Negotiable". This is the one thing that must get done today.
• Evening: I use a tool called Whisper Flow to quickly voice-journal my thoughts and paste the transcription into the evening section.
• The Benefit: If you write down in the morning that you're going to the gym, it becomes incredibly difficult to negotiate with yourself not to go later. It holds your future self responsible.

3. The Curated Goal System (Focus, not stress)

My goals are sorted into three categories, moving away from rigid deadlines and towards directional focus:

1. This Year Short-term, easily achievable with focused effort.Never set more than three goals here.
2. 3-5 Years Takes more effort over a longer period; should feel slightly out of reach. Provides a good direction for what to focus on in life.
3. Life Goals Big dreams; don't need to be precise.Gives direction and purpose.

• Retrospectives: Every week and month, I conduct a simple retro to review my wins, "f*ckups," and top three priorities for the next period. This keeps the goals alive and top-of-mind.

Your Next Step

I believe that the clarity you gain from an organized personal system directly translates to the clarity and speed of your product development—a key factor for any founder.

If you’re struggling with chaos, start small. Steal one of these ideas and apply it to your current tool of choice.

If you found this system valuable, please watch the full video where I dive deeper into the formulas, the financial tracking, and the "life highlights" section that keeps me motivated.

And if you’re a founder looking to bring this level of tasteful, calm, and high-quality system thinking to your product's design, that’s exactly what my team and I specialize in. Feel free to reach out to me directly at nik@grauberg.co.

Talk soon,

Nik Zechner

P.S. Many of you asked if I’d share the Notion template. I didn’t have it prepared, but if enough people let me know in the comments of the YouTube video, I'll happily clean it up and share it!