Planning Projects the Smart Way: The Power of Notion

When I started building my latest project, I jumped straight into the code. Like many developers, I was driven by excitement and a strong vision. But as the project grew, so did the chaos. No roadmap, no clearly defined goals — just an ever-growing list of features and vague ideas floating in my head. Looking back, I wish I had done one thing differently: planned it properly.

The Illusion of Multitasking

At first, everything seemed fine. I was coding, designing, brainstorming — all at once. But I underestimated something very basic: the human brain isn’t made for juggling too many things simultaneously. Without a defined plan, every small decision turned into a mental tax. What should the token economy look like? Which features should come first? Should I redesign this button or finish authentication?

I wasn’t multitasking. I was burning out.

The Cost of Skipping Planning

Because I didn’t start with a proper plan, I found myself constantly revisiting and reworking earlier decisions. I’d add a feature, only to realize it conflicted with something else. The UI kept evolving not from a place of clarity, but confusion. The lack of structure dragged down development. I wasn’t iterating — I was wandering.

And then there was the identity crisis. What even was this app? Without a clear feature set, color scheme, or UX direction, I couldn’t define what made it unique. The product lacked a soul because I never paused to find it.

Discovering Notion (and Sanity)

Midway through the chaos, I decided to try organizing my thoughts in Notion. It was a game-changer.

I created a simple dashboard:

• A roadmap for planned features

• A page for exploring the token economy

• Moodboards and UI color ideas

• A log for decision-making and design pivots

For the first time, I could see the project from above. The mental clutter began to clear, and I found myself making faster, more confident decisions. I wasn’t guessing anymore — I was following a path I had laid out.

Planning Isn’t a Cage — It’s a Launchpad

I used to think planning would box me in. In reality, it freed me. With even a basic framework in place, I was able to move faster, avoid backtracking, and actually enjoy building again.

More importantly, the app started to gain an identity. As I explored features and themes more deliberately, a consistent tone emerged — not just visually, but in the overall experience.

Final Thoughts

If you’re working on a side project — or even something more serious — take an hour or two to map it out before you dive into the code. Use Notion, a whiteboard, a napkin — anything. You don’t need to plan every detail, but give your brain a structure to operate within.

Because ideas are powerful — but without a plan, they’re just noise.