The Work Smarter, Not Harder Monthly Edit

Hi Superstars,

So excited to share with you the latest edition of Work Smarter, Not Harder Monthly Edit! I’m sending this to you from a cute cafe while enjoying sunny London x I hope this value-packed newsletter will be your perfect nudge to try new things in Notion!

Here’s everything you’ll find in this issue:

→ How to make the most of that Notion Calendar and Google Workspace you might already be paying for

→ Notion updates you might have missed

→ Soft productivity hacks to help you work smarter, not harder as a creative or founder!

→ Widget New Features

→ Community Spotlight

→ Coming Soon: All Things Podcast Notion Planner

Happy reading x

YOUR MOST REQUESTED TUTORIAL

How I automate contracts with Notion & Google e-signature

This tutorial was definitely on my to-do list for way too long, but I’m so happy to bring it to you finally! In this tutorial, I’ll break down how to create pre-filled contracts in seconds using a Notion button + Zapier + Google E-signature.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn the essentials of setting up your CRM in Notion

• See tips and tricks when connecting Notion to Zapier

• Watch the full video breakdown or read this step-by-step guide

Perfect for both founders and freelancers who need their contracts sorted.

See the full video tutorial →

Read the step-by-step guide →

Notion Updates You Might Have Missed

1. LIL REMINDER TO STOP DUPLICATING THE SAME TASKS OVER AND OVER

Notion recurring task options just got more flexible, so promise me you’ll templateise all of these today because I know we’ve all been dragging it out. So any invoices, reminders or monthly reports that need to be done, turn it into a task template in Notion and set it to repeat every week, bi-weekly or whatever day you need it on.

How to implement it:

1. Go to the database that you use to schedule your tasks in. Mine looks like this, but yours can be a list or a table.

2. Click on the blue “New” button in the corner and you’ll have a window with templates open (See below)

   

3. Then click on those “…” in the corner till you see an option “Repeat” and again click on the “On” button to select how often you want to repeat it.

   

   4. Can you see all of those cool options like repeating a certain day of the month or a certain day of the week? Just got wild and make the most of it.

   

2. IS IT TIME TO LET GO OF CALENDLY?

While Notion Calendar isn't fully ready to replace dedicated scheduling platforms like Calendly or Cal.com, it does offer some great features. You can share a free personalised scheduling link with individuals or groups. It’s perfect for kick-off calls or post-project support meetings. The platform lets you set expiration dates for your scheduling links and control how far ahead people can book meetings.

I've found a sweet spot using both Google Scheduling and Notion Calendar Link. Google wins for its automated reminders and seamless calendar integration with clients. However, I keep getting compliments on my Notion Calendar scheduling link for its sleek, user-friendly design.

See for yourself →

FYI: If you’re already paying for Google Workspace, then you can 100% replace Calendly with it.

3. NOTION MAIL > THE NEW APPLE MAIL UPDATE

I’m sorry, but whoever suggested this new mail update on Apple, I hope you know we hate it.

If you can't tell, I'm a Gmail girl since my corporate career started off there, but I think I'll slowly make my move to Notion Mail thanks to its much more flexible layout for filtering through my inbox.

I think it's freaking genius, but it's definitely something I need to get used to since for so long I followed the one clear inbox view with labels to organize my mail instead.

You can connect it to your Gmail or other emails as well, so it's worth a try to see if this sticks for you.

If you're drowning in emails and forgetting who to reply to, this is a must-try.

FYI: you might have to join a waitlist as it’s not available for everyone yet)

Widget New Features

PI PI PINNINGG?

If you’ve been following me on socials, you might already know that our image pinning option is officially available to everyone! I know so many of you use this option on Instagram, so thanks to this, your grid will be reflected to the T.

If you haven’t got this viral widget yet, check out why Notion users are loving it →

Soft Productivity Hacks

With spring finally here, I feel more focused and motivated in my work. The beginning-of-the-year me was deep in seasonal depression, which wasn't fun at all.

Here's what I recommend to help you ease into this new season while avoiding burnout.

• Stop having a long to-do list: Focus on just 3 non-negotiables for the day, that's perfectly fine and more motivating than seeing a long list of tasks you still need doing.

• Change up your environment: I move around my house chasing sunlight throughout the day. Sometimes I work at the dining table, other times I'm curled up on my couch with my laptop, wherever feels right, go for it!

• Get in some movement: Lately, I've been tricking myself into becoming a morning person by booking early pilates classes. It's been amazing not just because it gets me out of bed, but because moving my body genuinely boosts my productivity!

What I'm Making/Learning

I’ve recently signed up to learn the coding basics, so I’m excited to start this journey and be able to easily navigate how I can build more cool widgets for you.

My favorite insight: "Start learning by actively building something you enjoy!"

Cool Stuff Worth Checking Out

Tools & Resources:

• Relay App: New alternative to Zapier that’s definitely worth checking out because it offers more on a free plan.

• Dupe Photos: Royalty-free, aesthetic images for you to use.

• Notion FREE CRM Template: My free, easy-to-use Notion CRM template for you to use!

On my reading list:

• Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it.

  This book teaches powerful negotiation techniques like tactical empathy, calibrated questioning, and strategic silence that can help secure better rates, manage scope creep, and build stronger client relationships.

  It’s about learning to understand the other party's position, rather than rushing to compromise leads to better outcomes, like transforming how you handle everything from initial client conversations to difficult feedback sessions.

Community Spotlight

I’m soo obsessed with how you’re all making the most of our ✨THAT✨ Girl Content Planner.

Featuring @sumanaxo, who’s a Fashion and Lifestyle Creator with a wonderful community of 20.5k on Instagram and is smashing it with her brand partnerships. With the Planners “Brand Partnerships” tracker, you can be on top of who you need to follow up with, your invoices and future outreach plans to secure those 4-figure deals 💅🏻

Take your content creator journey to another level →

Coming Soon: All Things Podcast Notion Planner

Are you a podcaster looking to streamline your podcast creation workflow?

I'm looking for beta testers for my upcoming Notion Podcast Template!

If you're interested in testing it out, register now!

Is there anything else you’d like to learn more about when it comes to Notion, productivity or community? Respond to this email with your idea suggestions and see it in the next edit x

Hugs,

Ania