How I Revolutionised My Planning Process

From Excel to Notion: How I Revolutionised My Planning Process

In my constant pursuit of optimising productivity systems, I’ve undergone a significant transformation in how I plan my week. Those who follow my blog might remember my previous post about using Excel and Zapier to automate task creation in TickTick. While that system cut my planning time in half, a recent development—TickTick’s integration with Notion—sparked a complete redesign of my planning workflow that has elevated my productivity system to new heights.

The Old System: Excel + Zapier + TickTick

Before diving into my new process, let’s briefly revisit the old one. My previous workflow involved:

1. Planning my week in an Excel template
2. Documenting tasks with priorities and categories
3. Using Zapier’s Transfer feature to batch upload these tasks to TickTick
4. Manually handling recurring tasks that exceeded Zapier’s free plan limits

This system worked well and significantly reduced my planning time from two hours to one. However, it had limitations:

• I needed to maintain three separate accounts (Excel, Zapier, and TickTick)
• The sync was manual and one-directional
• I was constrained by Zapier’s free plan limit of 100 tasks per month
• Time tracking required exporting CSVs and manually updating dashboards
• The process, while efficient, wasn’t particularly enjoyable

Then TickTick announced their Notion integration, and everything changed.

The Catalyst for Change

When TickTick announced their integration with Notion, my curiosity was immediately piqued. I’d heard about Notion’s powerful database capabilities but hadn’t found a compelling reason to dive in—until now. The prospect of linking my task management system directly with a powerful planning tool presented an opportunity I couldn’t ignore.

 

As someone changing jobs soon, the timing couldn’t have been better. I would soon lose access to my corporate Excel account, making this the perfect moment to transition to a new system that wouldn’t be tied to my workplace credentials.

Why I Made the Switch: From Necessity to Delight

1. Reduced Account Management

One immediate benefit was eliminating the need for one of my three accounts. Now I only need to maintain Notion and TickTick, rather than Excel, Zapier, and TickTick. This simplification reduces the number of subscriptions and logins I need to track.

More importantly, I’m no longer dependent on Zapier’s API connectivity or feature changes. In the past, occasional API issues would disrupt my workflow, requiring manual fixes and workarounds. The direct Notion-TickTick integration is more stable and less prone to third-party complications.

2. Real-Time, Two-Way Synchronisation

Perhaps the most significant upgrade is the bidirectional, real-time sync between Notion and TickTick. With my previous setup:

• Changes only flowed in one direction (Excel → TickTick)
• Updates required a manual batch upload process
• Any changes made directly in TickTick weren’t reflected in my planning document

Now, when I create or modify a task in either Notion or TickTick, the change is almost immediately reflected in the other platform. While the sync isn’t always instantaneous, it’s remarkably reliable and eliminates the need for manual transfers.

This two-way communication creates a more unified system where my planning and execution environments are constantly in harmony. If I complete a task in TickTick while on the go, that completion status automatically updates in my Notion dashboard—no manual reconciliation needed.

3. Powerful Time Tracking and Analytics

The analytics capabilities of my new system represent a quantum leap forward. Previously, time tracking was theoretical rather than practical:

• I had created a complex Excel dashboard to analyse my time allocation
• Getting data into this dashboard required exporting CSVs from TickTick
• The manual effort required meant I rarely actually did it
• Data was always historical, never real-time

With Notion’s automation capabilities, I now have a dedicated “time tracking” database that automatically captures every task from all categories. This database powers a beautiful donut chart that visually breaks down how I’m spending my time across different life areas: personal, events, work, priority tasks, and what I call “power of planning” time.

The best part? This chart updates in real-time as tasks are added, completed, or modified. I simply click on the page where the chart lives, and I instantly see an accurate representation of my time allocation. No manual exports, no data processing—just immediate insight.

4. A More Enjoyable Planning Experience

What started as a functional upgrade has evolved into something I genuinely enjoy. Planning in Excel, while efficient after my optimisations, was still utilitarian—a necessary step rather than an engaging process.

Notion transforms planning from a chore into an experience:

• Each life area has its own tab with customised views tailored to that context
• I can effortlessly switch between table views for detailed planning, kanban boards for status tracking, and calendar views for scheduling
• The visual design is cleaner and more modern, making the planning process more inviting
• Complex automations handle repetitive tasks in the background, letting me focus on strategy rather than data entry

Instead of scrolling and zooming through a sprawling Excel document, I now navigate between purpose-built interfaces that make planning feel more intentional and less mechanical.

My New Planning Process: A Detailed Walkthrough

So how does this new system actually work? Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of my current planning process:

Step 1: Strategic Planning in Role-Based Databases

My system now begins with strategic planning in what I call “role databases.” I’ve created a separate database for each major role/area of my life:

• Boyfriend
• Son
• Brother
• Friend
• House Reno
• Investor
• Musician
• Work
• Health
• Personal Development

Each database is structured as a table where I can plan strategically for that specific life area. This compartmentalisation helps me maintain focus when planning for different aspects of my life.

Step 2: Task Creation and Status Transitions

When I’m ready to convert my strategic plans into actionable tasks, I simply change the status of the item to “adding task.” This status triggers an automation that duplicates the task to the appropriate category database that’s synced with TickTick.

My category databases match my TickTick lists:

• Events
• Power of Planning
• Personal
• Priority
• Work

This approach allows me to maintain the strategic context of tasks in my role databases while still having them appear in my task management system in the appropriate tactical category.

Step 3: Automated Time Tracking

Here’s where the magic happens. Whenever a task is added to any of the TickTick-synced databases, another automation automatically adds it to my “time tracking” database. This central database contains every task from all categories and includes metadata like:

• Task name and description
• Start and due dates
• Duration
• Category
• Status
• Priority level

This comprehensive collection of task data powers my analytics, including the donut chart that visualises how I’m allocating time across different categories.

Step 4: Task Execution in Either Environment

With the two-way sync, I’m free to execute tasks in whichever environment makes the most sense for my current context:

• When I’m at my desk planning, I usually work within Notion
• When I’m on the go, I use TickTick’s mobile app
• For time-blocking my day, TickTick’s calendar view is still my preferred interface
• For strategic reviews, Notion’s database filtering and sorting capabilities are unmatched

Changes made in either system are reflected in the other, creating a seamless experience regardless of which platform I’m using.

Step 5: Review and Analysis

The final step in my process is reviewing my time allocation and task completion patterns. With my previous system, this step was often skipped due to the manual effort required.

Now, reviewing is as simple as:

1. Opening my Notion dashboard
2. Viewing the automatically updated donut chart
3. Filtering the time tracking database to analyse patterns

I can easily answer questions like:

• Am I allocating appropriate time to my priority areas?
• Which categories are consuming most of my time?
• Am I balancing work and personal tasks effectively?
• How has my time allocation changed over the past month?

This immediate feedback loop helps me continuously refine my planning approach.

Fallback Options for System Resilience

One principle I maintain in all my productivity systems is having fallback options. While the Notion-TickTick integration is reliable, no system is perfect.

If the real-time sync between TickTick and Notion fails, I can still fall back to my previous Excel-Zapier method. I’ve kept my Excel templates and Zapier automations as a backup system, though I haven’t needed to use them since implementing the new workflow.

This redundancy ensures continuity in my planning process regardless of technical issues with any particular platform.

Benefits I Didn’t Anticipate

Beyond the planned improvements, several unexpected benefits have emerged from this system:

Deeper Strategic Thinking

The role-based database approach has encouraged more strategic thinking about my tasks. Rather than just listing things to do, I’m more intentional about how each task relates to my broader goals in that life area.

More Consistent Reviews

The engaging interface and real-time analytics have made me more consistent with weekly reviews. What was once a somewhat tedious process has become an insightful activity I actually look forward to.

Improved Context Switching

Having dedicated spaces for different life areas has improved my ability to context-switch between roles. When working on personal development goals, I can focus on just that database without the distraction of work tasks appearing in the same view.

Enhanced Task Context

The database format allows me to attach more context to tasks—reference materials, notes from previous attempts, related tasks—creating richer task environments than was possible in my previous system.

Challenges and Solutions

The transition wasn’t without challenges, of course. Here are some issues I encountered and how I addressed them:

Initial Setup Time

Creating the databases and automations in Notion required a significant initial time investment—approximately 7-9 hours. However, this has paid dividends many times over in time saved and insights gained.

Learning Curve

Notion’s database features and automation capabilities were a new learning curve than that I had to navigate. I spent time watching tutorials and experimenting with different configurations before landing on my current setup.

Sync Delays

While the TickTick-Notion sync is generally reliable, there can occasionally be delays of 1-2 minutes. I’ve learned to be patient and trust the system rather than making duplicate entries when a task doesn’t appear immediately.

Conclusion: The Evolution Continues

My productivity system has always been a work in progress, evolving as my needs change and new tools become available. The shift from Excel-Zapier-TickTick to Notion-TickTick represents the most significant evolution yet—not just an incremental improvement but a transformative change in how I approach planning.

What began as a practical response to TickTick’s Notion integration has become a more enjoyable, insightful, and effective planning process. The real-time sync, powerful automations, and visual analytics have elevated my system from functional to delightful.

For anyone considering a similar transition, I’d offer this advice: start small with one area of your life, set up the basic integration, and gradually expand as you become comfortable with the tools. The initial investment in learning Notion’s capabilities is substantial, but the resulting system can transform how you plan and execute your priorities.

As always, the perfect productivity system is the one that works for you—and for me, this Notion-TickTick integration has become exactly that. I’m excited to continue refining this system and discovering new possibilities as I become more proficient with these powerful tools.

Leaving it there,

Cheers,

Alex