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 edit 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 that’s FREE

→ Notion updates you might have missed

→ Productivity Hacks for HOT days

→ Widget New Features

→ Currently building: All Things Podcast Notion Planner

Happy reading x

WHY NOTION CALENDAR IS WORTH CHECKING OUT

If you’re already big on Notion workspaces, Notion Calendar has released new features that kinda make me think of switching from Google Calendar.

What’s cool:

• You can create AI Meeting Notes directly from the event page, and it goes straight into your Meetings Notes section. (so no more random notes everywhere)

• It’s easier than ever to create one-off links or set availability for calls. (This one I absolutely love for my client kick-off calls, because they can just pick the date and time that works for them, and I can personalise meeting details)

• Update your tasks’ status straight from Notion Calendar. (ye, no comment on this, very cool but please give me checkboxes too)

• You can now add any database view into a Notion Calendar, just select the “Date” property you want it to read.

• Add both “Google Calendar” and “iCloud Calendar” to one Notion Calendar. (If you own multiple calendars, this might be the way)

Notion Updates You Might Have Missed

1. IMPORTING CSV FILES JUST GOT EASIER IN NOTION

You can now map the exact properties you want to import into your Notion Database. So easy to set-up and makes my like 100x easier.

2. ASK YOUR CHAT AND CLAUDE BESTIE RIGHT FROM NOTION

When you head to your home section on the right tab, you can select what AI model you want to use to search, review or rewrite anything you want.

3. NEW FEED VIEW IN YOUR DATABASES

At first, I wasn’t convinced about this new feed, but once I tested it ou,t I think it has great potential to view information in a more fun way.

For example:

Team Announcements or Brainstorms: Share team wins, industry news, or brainstorming ideas, allowing for commenting and discussion right from the feed.

Event Highlights & Launches: Showcase launches, new content drops, or event recaps in a way that lets everyone catch up without digging through folders or emails.

Client Reviews & Wins Feed: Build a stream of testimonials, user-generated content, or client success stories to build credibility and keep your team motivated.

Content Hooks: View all the hooks or content ideas as a scrollable feed and just as easily leave comments for the team.

Widget New Features

1. VIDEOS AND REELS TAB ARE NOW IN

This long-requested feature has rolled out with success straight into your Notion, and I’m really excited to keep building something you’re loving. Please reply to this email if you have any feature requests, I read every one of them x

2. THE REALITY OF MAKING A 3-STEP WIDGET SET UP AS SMOOTH AS SPREADING BUTTER

I messed up.

Because at first, I assumed only people who are used to Notion would use the widget. But little did I know that’s not always the case, and I wasn’t prepared.

Over time, I’ve received many emails asking for help, each led me to anxiously look at my mailbox over and over again in case I missed something or did not respond as fast.

But that wasn’t sustainable at all, and I knew I had to get to the root cause and not take it personally anymore.

So, as some of you might know, I teamed up my creative brain with a “technical” one (aka a stranger I met on Threads). We’re continuing to improve the setup experience for you. We’ve hit a few bumps due to switching our host providers and adjusting to Notion’s new access requirements. But we’re on a good course to make it as intuitive and easy for you.

If you haven’t got this viral widget yet, check out why 950+ Notion users are loving it →

Productivity Hacks for HOT days

• Do your hardest work early morning or late afternoon when it's not as brutal. Use the hottest part of the day for easy stuff like emails.

• If you're WFH, work from whatever room is coolest, even if it's not your usual setup. Close the blinds but keep some light coming in.

• Frozen grapes are clutch - they keep you cool and give you a little energy boost. Way better than heavy snacks that make you feel sluggish.

• Cold drinks instead of hot, and lighter meals, so your body isn't working overtime to digest everything.

Honestly, just lower your expectations a bit on the really bad days. You're literally fighting your biology, so if you get 80% of your normal stuff done, that's still a win.

What I'm Making/Learning

Finally picked up a creative hobby! I’m gonna try pottery this month, so if you see my stories full of cute ceramics, please don’t mind me.

This is the vibe I’m going for tho:

Cool Stuff Worth Checking Out

Tools & Resources:

(Yup, we got some cool ad sponsors for this newsletter, so pretty please check them out)

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• GO FULL PAGE: For full-page screenshots, try out this free web extension! It’s been my lifesaver

Coming Soon: All Things Podcast Notion Planner

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

Yup, I’m still I'm looking for beta testers for my upcoming Notion Podcast Template! Because the works are JUST about to start.

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

Hugs,

Ania