How I Use Notion to Keep My Newsletter (and Sanity) in Check

If your notes are scattered and your drafts are a mess, this setup might just change your life.

Hey Productivity Community,

I don’t know about you, but ideas hit me at the most random times—while I’m scrolling through comments, in the middle of cooking, or right before bed. And if I don’t write them down immediately? Gone.

For the longest time, my newsletter process was a mess. I’d have ideas saved in my Notes app, half-written drafts in Substack, and random thoughts scribbled in different places. I’d sit down to write and spend half my time just figuring out what I was supposed to be working on. Planning content for my Substack? Forget it. I’d write when I felt like it, which meant long stretches of inconsistency.

That’s when I decided to create a simple Notion system to keep track of everything. Now, I never lose an idea, I know exactly what’s in progress, and I don’t have to scramble last-minute when it’s time to send out a post. If you’re a writer (or trying to be more consistent on Substack), here’s how you can use Notion to make your life easier.

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Step 1: Create a Writing HQ

Instead of jumping between apps, I wanted one place where I could see everything—my ideas, drafts, and what’s scheduled. Think of this as your creative home base.

Here’s what my Notion dashboard includes:

✅ An Idea Bank – A space to quickly jot down content ideas before I forget them.For all those random thoughts that could turn into something great.
✅ A Drafts Tracker – So I know what I’m currently working on and what’s ready to publish.
✅ A Published Library – To keep track of my past posts and see what’s working.

Idea Bank and Publishing Day Topics.

Before this, I’d start new drafts and completely forget about them. Now? Everything has its place, and I actually follow through on ideas.

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Step 2: Capture Every Idea (Before It Disappears)

We don’t have a shortage of ideas—we just forget them. That’s why I set up a Brain Dump spot in Notion where I can quickly save any potential newsletter topic. It’s a simple database where I quickly jot down any topic that comes to mind.

I also added:

• Tags to organize ideas by category (e.g., “Productivity,” “Personal,” “Deep Dive”).

• A Status Column to mark whether it’s just an idea, an outline, or in progress.

• A Notes Section to add links, references, quotes, or key points for later.

An Overview of Tags, Status, and Notes Section.

Now, when it’s time to write, I don’t have to come up with something from scratch and I’m not staring at a blank page—I just pick an idea that already has some notes and run with it.

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Step 3: Keep Your Substack Content on Track

One of the hardest things about running a newsletter is staying consistent. Some weeks, I have tons of ideas. Other weeks? Nothing. If you’ve ever thought, I should post more on Substack… but what do I even write about?, a content planner in Notion is your best friend. That’s where my Substack content planner in Notion comes in.

Here’s how I use it:

📅 A Calendar View – So I can see what’s planned and when it’s going live.
📌 Drafts Linked to Each Date – No more searching for where I left off.
✔️ A Pre-Publish Checklist – To make sure each post is polished before hitting send.

A Calendar View of Substack and YouTube Drafts.

This keeps me from scrambling last minute and makes sure I’m staying consistent—even when life gets busy.

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Step 4: Track Your Progress & Stay Motivated

Even though I don’t consider myself a “writer,” keeping a newsletter going is writing, and it helps to track progress. There’s something so satisfying about seeing your progress in real-time. In Notion, I set up a Writing Tracker to keep myself accountable.

• Word Count Goals – To see how much I’m actually writing each week.

• A Kanban Board – To move posts from idea → draft → editing → published.

• A Monthly Reflection – Where I note what worked, what didn’t, and adjust my approach.

Kanban Board and Word Count Example.

This helps me stay on track, especially on days when writing feels slow. Even if I only write a few hundred words, seeing it tracked keeps me motivated.

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Final Thoughts: A Simple System = Writing Doesn’t Have to Be Chaos

If your writing process feels scattered, you’re not alone. But having a system—even a simple one—makes all the difference. Notion helps me capture my ideas, track my progress, and actually publish consistently.

If you’re running a Substack (or just want to write more consistently) and if you’re tired of half-finished drafts and forgotten ideas, give this setup a try. If you already use Notion, let me know—how do you organize your content?

Until next time,

Tamia L.

Productivity Headquarters | ✨ Everything you need right at your fingertips

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