As a inventive entrepreneur who lastly solved the foremost situation of scattered info by incorporating it in a cool content material hub (Notion), I discovered myself going through one other problem: Am I environment friendly now? At a easy Google (or AI 😁) search, you discover out that Effectivity = 100% × (Commonplace Output / Precise Output).
In different phrases, I wanted to measure my time spent on work vs my output (deliverables) inside my most used instrument: Notion. So, I began searching for methods to observe Notion time monitoring.
Little did I do know that Notion doesn’t have built-in time-tracking options, so I began experimenting with different strategies, and I’ll share with you all the pieces I discovered!
Key takeaways
I examined constructing my very own Notion time tracker template after which moved to Notion premade templates till I discovered my last answer, a time monitoring app integration.
📃 Notion time monitoring strategies – my verdicts as a author:
- DIY time monitoring database in Notion: General, essentially the most irritating, time-consuming, and inflexible method to monitor your time in Notion. Although I used to be tremendous excited to construct this template, it aggravated me essentially the most as I forgot to all the time begin the timer, and it didn’t have superior options to develop alongside my enterprise.
- Pre-built templates from the present Notion workspace: These include ready-made dashboards that prevent time, however you’ll essentially waste time with guide time monitoring, in addition to template upkeep.
- EARLY integration: I’ve been utilizing this integration for 2 years now, because it’s essentially the most environment friendly. It helped me improve billable hours by 30% and predict undertaking deadlines with accuracy. This time-tracker creates a seamless workflow that robotically captures my work in Notion with out disrupting my day-to-day work, so I can get extra out of Notion.
Notion time monitoring: 3 doable methods
Simply as I did, so as so that you can discover the strategy that works for you and helps you get essentially the most out of Notion whereas understanding your useful resource allocation or whether or not your workflows are efficient or they waste your time, you’ll want to take a look at out a few of them.
Or just study from my trials and expertise and take the brief and environment friendly route. Listed below are the strategies I’ve examined:
1. Create your primary database monitoring in Notion ⏱️
I’ll introduce you briefly to the steps of constructing your easy time-tracking system inside Notion, which suggests making a devoted database with properties for begin and finish occasions, period calculations, and undertaking tagging.
The system makes use of Notion’s built-in date properties with time choices and method calculations to trace how lengthy you spend on duties. Right here’s how you are able to do it too:
- Create your database: New Notion web page → Desk database → Title it “Time tracker,” or nevertheless you favor.
- Don’t overlook so as to add these important properties:
- Activity title (Title – default)
- Mission (Choose)
- Begin time (Date with time enabled)
- Finish time (Date with time enabled)
- Length (Formulation: date between(prop(“Finish Time”), prop(“Begin Time”), “minutes”) / 60)
- Create the views you want: Add filtered views for In the present day, This week, This month
- Observe time spent on work: New entry → Fill job → Kind “now” for begin → Set “In Progress” standing → Replace finish time when finished
💡 Professional Tip: Pin your time tracker to Favorites in your sidebar for immediate entry when inspiration strikes! This manner, you eradicate time wasters whereas frantically searching for your Notion web page, amongst different open tabs.
✅ What labored effectively with Notion databases
To ensure that me to handle tasks effectively and actually perceive my effectivity, I developed this methodology and began monitoring each time entry with granularity and a spotlight.
You’ll see that I added extra indicators with the Notion method property, so listed below are a few of them:
- Mission categorization: I created particular classes for various writing tasks (weblog posts, emails, analysis) and this helped establish which forms of content material have been most time-consuming.
- Shopper property: I added a shopper discipline that surfaces which purchasers’ tasks required extra time than the cash yield I acquired out of those. This property helped me essentially the most perceive which costs I wanted to regulate.
- Vitality degree property: I added a 1-5 scale that confirmed me after I labored most successfully (I found my candy spot was 10-11:30 am!)
💡 Professional Tip: Are you seeking to defend your vitality, too? You may monitor this Notion job by including a brand new property with a scale (e.g., 1-5) and score your vitality ranges throughout totally different occasions of the day.
🚫 What didn’t work with Notion databases
I’ve to be trustworthy – that is the strategy I put essentially the most effort into, however ended up irritating me essentially the most.
I constructed this Notion template from scratch and molded it in a means that helped me increase productiveness and actually profit my workflow – or so I assumed. Right here’s what went mistaken with it:
- Guide time monitoring frustration: I consistently forgot to begin/cease the timers because it disrupted my inventive circulate and led to incomplete time reviews.
- Inflexible templates: The extra I grew my enterprise and took on extra purchasers, the extra it annoyed me, because it typically included pointless properties that cluttered my system, however not those I would wish.
- Lacking notifications: No reminders to cease timers meant I generally had 12-hour writing classes (which positively didn’t occur!)
- Misplaced cellular monitoring: When inspiration struck away from my laptop, I couldn’t simply monitor time on my cellular.
2. Use pre-built Notion time monitoring templates 📊
After my failed try at constructing my customized time-tracking system, I attempted Notion’s prebuilt templates with out reinventing the wheel once more.
Should you’re utilizing Notion already, you recognize that you just’ll discover 1000’s of templates in Notion’s gallery already. From their very own templates to community-created templates providing promising options that appeared like they’d save me hours of setup time.
These pre-designed programs include extra refined properties, views, and generally even automation already configured.
Listed below are the steps it’s best to observe:
- Discover the best template for you: Notion Gallery → Search “time monitoring” → Browse templates → Select one which matches your workflow and that helps you add duties simply and keep targeted on work relatively than consistently monitoring it.
- Duplicate it to your workspace: Click on “Duplicate” → Choose vacation spot → Edit pages and customise with your individual tasks and classes.
- Find out how the template works: Assessment documentation → Take a look at with pattern entries → Perceive distinctive formulation and relations.
- Make it yours: Delete pattern information → Regulate properties → Customise views → Add your branding and all the pieces else you’ll want to your Notion account.
💡 Professional Tip: Earlier than committing to a template, spend quarter-hour exploring its construction. The most effective templates embody well-done documentation the place you’ll discover ways to use their distinctive options and customization choices!
✅ What labored effectively with pre-built templates
When I discovered the best template, it was like discovering a productiveness goldmine in comparison with my primary database. The next properties saved me important setup time:
- Prepared-made dashboards: Many templates included visible time analytics that immediately confirmed me the place my hours have been going every week – I found I used to be spending 30% of my time on shopper calls relatively than really writing!
- Relation properties: Not like my primary database, templates typically linked tasks to purchasers, objectives, and invoices – creating an ecosystem relatively than remoted monitoring.
- Kanban views: Some templates provided me job + time monitoring combos that helped me visualize my workflow whereas capturing time information.
💡 Professional Tip: Search for templates that embody widgets for fast every day entry. One template I discovered had a “Begin Timer” button that populated the present time with one click on, decreasing friction considerably!
🚫 What didn’t work with pre-built templates
Regardless of their refined options, I stumbled upon some challenges with pre-built templates, too:
- Syncing inconsistencies: Templates that promised cellular performance typically broke on totally different gadgets, leaving gaps in my monitoring information.
- Template upkeep: When Notion up to date its options, some templates required guide changes to maintain working correctly. Actually, I didn’t have time for that, and I didn’t need to do that, because it consumed time from my work.
- Nonetheless guide entry: Even essentially the most refined templates couldn’t clear up the basic situation – I needed to bear in mind to begin and cease timers manually.
Whereas these prebuilt templates got here with particular enhancement over my primary database, I nonetheless discovered myself lacking entries, guessing at occasions, and feeling the friction of making guide timesheets.
This led me to discover a 3rd choice that may finally remodel my time-tracking practices completely…

3. Use third-party apps: integration with EARLY ⚡
After scuffling with guide time-tracking strategies for months, I found what would turn out to be my productiveness game-changer: EARLY (previously Timeular).
For nearly two years now, integrating Notion with EARLY has eliminated all of the frustrations that I had with the opposite strategies. I’m now organizing most of my work in Notion with out ever needing to begin the timer button inside a selected Notion web page and doing it once more the complete day. 🌟
This manner, I’m combining the most effective of each worlds: automated time monitoring whereas having fun with my uninterrupted writing circulate and to-do lists in Notion.
Right here’s find out how to arrange the EARLY-Notion integration:
- Create a free EARLY account and log into Zapier (you don’t must pay for a subscription, as you should utilize it totally free for as much as 100 integrations).
- Join EARLY with Zapier: To do that, all you want is an API key and a secret API. You’ll find these in EARLY > Settings > My Account > API > Create a brand new API key.
- Create a Zap to trace your time in Notion with EARLY.
- Arrange a brand new Zap. The set off may create a brand new merchandise on the board, and the motion will should be set to begin monitoring time on EARLY.
💡 The outcome? Examine this image 👇. You’ll see inside your time-tracking app automated time captures of the work you probably did in numerous apps, equivalent to Gmail, Asana, or Figma. You’ll get the identical time entries with Notion!

✅ What labored effectively with the EARLY integration
EARLY’s integration with Notion allowed me to utilize my time extra effectively, and I managed to cut back additional time hours, which have been affecting my work-life stability. Listed below are the issues that labored effectively:
- Automated time seize: EARLY robotically tracks app and power utilization in addition to my web site visits, which helps me keep targeted on startegizing and writing for my purchasers. Not directly, this function contributed to rising billable hours, with out me stressing over monitoring each billable minute.
- AI-generated time entries: This app works as an AI time tracker, which intelligently suggests time entries in my timesheets based mostly on my calendar occasions and previous entries. One-click, and my time entry is saved. This function is priceless for an entrepreneur!
- Executed for me reviews: On account of its customizable time reporting system, which generates automated and detailed reviews, I by no means needed to fear about creating any automation between totally different databases like in Notion.
- EARLY has an intuitive interface: I barely have to make use of the app, because it does its job silently within the background for me, however each time I have to test it, I completely love how clear and straightforward to navigate its interface is, versus shifting from one database to a different.
- One-click billable hours seize, which helped me monitor all billable time with precision after which export reviews for my purchasers, and relaxation assured I’m compensated accordingly for my work.
- Automated additional time monitoring and easygo away administration which helped me see when my productiveness was slipping by the cracks and I began doing an excessive amount of additional time, in addition to managing break day for my workforce after I grew my workforce.
- Seamless integration with a number of apps: If Notion just isn’t the one app you’re monitoring time in, EARLY integrates effortlessly with 3000+ apps, so there shouldn’t be any that’s lacking. I take advantage of it with my complete instrument suite and not using a downside. Examine a few of EARLY’s integrations:
💡 Professional Tip: Schedule a weekly 15-minute time audit session the place you analyze your EARLY undertaking reviews in Notion. I’ve discovered Friday afternoons excellent for this – it helps me have fun productive weeks and make changes for the approaching week!
🌟 Actual outcomes from utilizing EARLY with Notion
After nearly two years of utilizing this Notion built-in with this specialised time-tracking app, the impression on my enterprise has been substantial:
- 30% improve in billable hours captured just because I’m now not lacking time entries.
- Correct undertaking estimates – I can now predict with 90% accuracy how lengthy related tasks will take, whereas previously, I overpromised, and deadlines loomed on me and my workforce.
- Higher shopper boundaries – information confirmed me which purchasers have been consuming disproportionate time, permitting me to regulate pricing or processes.
- Optimized my inventive schedule – monitoring time robotically revealed my peak inventive hours (10-11:30 am and 3-4:30 pm), so I now schedule deep writing work throughout these home windows.
My favourite factor in regards to the EARLY integration is that it manually eradicated the cognitive burden of manually monitoring time. As a author, holding a inventive circulate is significant, and now I can immerse myself in my work, figuring out that each minute is being captured precisely with out my intervention.
The underside line: Which methodology must you select? 🤔
Right here’s my trustworthy and last evaluation of all these strategies and I’ve to confess, I’m biased, however I’ve examined all these strategies:
- Primary Notion database: It’s good for infrequent time monitoring or when you’re simply beginning out, however the guide entry turns into a burden as soon as your workload will increase and your workforce grows.
- Pre-built templates: These supply extra options than primary databases however nonetheless stop you from evolving and rising your workforce to limitless customers by their guide monitoring limitations.
- EARLY integration: The clear winner for professionals who want correct time information with out workflow disruption and want to maximize billable hours.
Your time is your Most worthy asset as an expert, particularly when you’re an entrepreneur otherwise you’re billing your providers. Therefore, put money into a sturdy time-tracking setup, and also you’ll acquire insights that remodel not simply your productiveness however your complete enterprise.
It’s the answer I want I’d found months earlier than I did – it will have saved me numerous hours of frustration and captured 1000’s of {dollars} in billable time that slipped by the cracks.
Sources
https://www.notion.so/market
https://www.notion.com/templates/time-tracker-basic?srsltid=AfmBOoqoBv0oAU1nl4qSJku5GXj8hgaXJQXx-57cWQcM2kH9oeXy2vB3
https://www.notion.com/assist/database-properties