Notion
Building a Personal Operations System That Works With ADHD, Not Against It
Role: System Designer & Creator | Timeline: 6+ months iterative development | Platform: Notion
At a glance
Most productivity tools assume consistent motivation, perfect memory, and rigid routines. In practice, people—especially those with ADHD—struggle with fragmented task lists, forgotten commitments, and an unclear sense of progress.
Pocket Planner applies operations-grade system design to personal planning, creating a modular architecture that remains functional even when users are inconsistent. The result: a planning system with automated progress tracking, exception-driven dashboards, and a repeatable pattern users can adapt to any life area.
The Challenge
Traditional productivity systems fail neurodivergent users because they're built for ideal humans, not real ones. They assume you can:
Maintain consistent daily routines
Remember to check multiple different tools
Estimate time and energy accurately
Stay motivated without tangible progress feedback
Navigate complex systems without getting overwhelmed
Manually organize and categorize everything correctly
The problems these assumptions create:
Fragmented information. Tasks scattered across apps, sticky notes, email drafts, and mental reminders
No safety net. When memory fails or motivation crashes, commitments fall through the cracks
Invisible progress. Working hard but having no tangible proof of effort or accomplishment
Organizational chaos. Unclear where things belong, leading to decision fatigue and avoidance
System abandonment. Complex tools work for a week, then collapse when life gets messy
The stakes: For knowledge workers, job seekers, creatives, and anyone managing multiple life responsibilities, the lack of a reliable planning system creates constant low-level anxiety and genuine missed opportunities.
My Approach
I didn't start by building a pretty template. I started by identifying why existing productivity tools fail people with executive function challenges.
Discovery & Problem Analysis
I researched ADHD executive function patterns and observed my own (and others') actual planning behavior:
Key insights:
Variable energy matters more than time management. The same task is either easy or impossible depending on current mental state.
Progress must be visible. "I never finish anything" is a common ADHD experience—even when it's not true. Without visual proof, effort feels invisible.
Friction kills adoption. If capturing a thought takes more than 5 seconds, it won't get captured.
Systems must tolerate inconsistency. Any system requiring daily perfect upkeep will eventually be abandoned.
Organization needs to be obvious. Ambiguous categorization creates decision paralysis.
Design Principles
Usable when inconsistent. The system provides value even when not used daily. Notification Center acts as a safety net.
Visual progress tracking. Every parent task shows completion progress—tangible proof that work is happening.
Cognitive scaffolding. Clear naming, obvious structure, intentional redundancy. Users shouldn't have to guess where things go.
Modular architecture. A repeatable pattern that users can apply to any life area without rebuilding from scratch.
Mood-responsive design. Tasks adapt to current energy and emotional state instead of rigid scheduling.
What I Built
System Architecture
I designed a 21-component integrated system with 3 dashboard pages, 16 databases, and 2 utility pages—all connected through a relational architecture:
Core Databases:
Work Task Tracker – All work-related tasks with parent/child structure
Home & Life Task Tracker – Personal and household tasks
Projects & Goals Database – Goals (aspirational) and projects (active) in one place
Daily Planner – Day-by-day planning pages
Notification Center – Auto-surfaces what needs attention (new, due, overdue)
Habit Tracker – Daily/weekly recurring habits with streak tracking
Mood Tracker – Energy levels and emotional states over time
Mood Menu – Actions for different moods + dopamine rewards
Financial Tracker – Bills, income, financial goals
Meal Tracker – Meal planning filtered by time/energy
Calendar – Timeline view of events and deadlines
Journal, Notes Library, ADHD Knowledge Base – Supporting documentation
Dashboard Pages:
Daily Dashboard – Command center with top priorities, Notification Center, quick capture
Work Hub – All work-related tasks, projects, and priorities
Personal HQ – Personal life, goals, and home management
The Repeatable Pattern: System Innovation
The core innovation isn't any single database—it's the modular architecture pattern that creates every organized section:
Parent Task → Category → Template → Button = Organized List with Auto-Tracking
This four-part system works like this:
Parent Task (Container) – Groups related subtasks, shows progress bar
Category (Tag) – Organizes tasks into life buckets for filtering
Template (Defaults) – Pre-fills properties automatically
Button (Quick Capture) – One-click task creation using the template
Example in action:
Parent task: "Daily Tasks"
Category: Daily
Template: "Daily Task Template" (pre-tagged, pre-linked, status = New)
Button: "Add Daily Task"
Result: User clicks button → task created with all properties filled → appears in Notification Center → links to parent task → progress bar updates automatically.
Why this matters: Users can replicate this pattern for ANY life area. Want a "School Tasks" list? Create parent task, add category, make template, add button. Done in 5 minutes. The architecture is infinitely scalable without rebuilding the system.
Key Features
1. Notification Center (Exception-Driven Dashboard)
Automatically surfaces:
New tasks (Status: New)
Tasks due today
Overdue tasks
Items needing processing
How it works: Tasks default to Status = "New" on creation, appearing in Notification Center. Mark done or assign different status, and it clears automatically. Acts as a safety net—you always know what's unprocessed.
Why this is operations-grade thinking: Exception-driven design. Instead of showing everything (overwhelming), show only what needs attention NOW.
2. Automated Progress Tracking
Parent/child task relationships create automatic progress calculation:
Parent task: "Launch Website"
Subtasks: "Write copy," "Design logo," "Set up domain," "Get feedback"
Dashboard shows: "Launch Website (2/4 completed)"
Why this matters for ADHD brains: Visual proof of progress. "I never finish anything" becomes "I can SEE I'm 50% done."
3. Mood→Action System
Tasks adapt to current energy and emotional state:
Log current mood/energy level
System suggests actions matching current capacity
Filter tasks by effort level (Quick/Medium/Deep Work)
Do what you can actually handle right now
Mood Menu includes:
Mood-responsive actions (anxious → structured tasks; tired → low-effort tasks)
Dopamine rewards with defined endpoints (no doomscroll traps)
Time and effort estimates for each action
4. Template-Based Quick Capture
Buttons create pre-tagged, pre-linked tasks in one click:
Traditional flow:
Create task
Choose category
Link to parent
Set status
Add to correct database
Pocket Planner flow:
Click "Add Daily Task" button
Everything else is automatic. 5 seconds instead of 30 seconds = actually used.
5. Three-Layer Organizational Hierarchy
Information architecture matched to actual usage patterns:
Daily Layer – Check multiple times daily (Dashboard, Notification Center)
Weekly Layer – Review weekly (Weekly Plan, project updates)
Life Layer – Check 2-3x per week (Personal HQ, Work Hub, long-term goals)
Different information needs different review frequencies. The structure enforces this.
6. Recurring Task Generation
Pre-built system for daily/weekly repeating tasks:
Parent task: "Everyday Repeating Tasks"
Templates for each recurring task
Button generates all of them at once
Progress bar shows daily completion
One button click = all recurring tasks for the day. No manual recreation.
Results & Impact
Quantitative Outcomes
✅ 21 integrated components designed (3 dashboards, 16 databases, 2 utility pages)
✅ 16 relational databases with single-source-of-truth architecture
✅ 4-part modular system users can replicate infinitely for any life area
✅ 3-layer organizational hierarchy matched to actual usage patterns
✅ 15-step setup guide with phased onboarding (Essential → Full → Advanced)
✅ Template-based quick capture reduces task creation from 30 seconds to 5 seconds
✅ Automated progress tracking via parent/child rollup calculations
✅ Exception-driven dashboard (Notification Center) prevents forgotten commitments
Qualitative Impact
For users with ADHD/executive dysfunction:
Progress bars provide tangible proof of effort (counters "I never finish anything" feeling)
Notification Center acts as external memory when working memory fails
Mood→Action system works with variable energy instead of fighting it
Quick Capture reduces friction during low-motivation periods
System remains functional with inconsistent daily use
For knowledge workers, job seekers, and creatives:
Single source of truth for all tasks, goals, and progress
Context-specific dashboards reduce cognitive switching costs
Parent/child structure mirrors natural project thinking
Status logic matches real workflow states (not aspirational ones)
Visible progress reduces anxiety about "spinning wheels"
For system designers:
Demonstrates modular architecture applicable to any domain
Shows how operations principles scale to consumer use cases
Proves documentation quality drives adoption
Models designing for real users instead of ideal users
Technical Highlights
Modular Architecture Pattern
The four-part system (Parent Task → Category → Template → Button) is the core innovation. It's not just how Pocket Planner works—it's a teachable framework users can apply anywhere:
Want organized email tasks? Apply the pattern.
Need a creative projects list? Apply the pattern.
Tracking school assignments? Apply the pattern.
This is what separates a system from a template. Templates are static. Systems are generative.
Exception-Driven Interface Design
Notification Center shows ONLY:
What's new (unprocessed)
What's urgent (due today)
What's overdue (past deadline)
Principle: Humans can't process 100-item lists. Show what needs attention NOW. Everything else can wait.
This mirrors how enterprise operations dashboards work—executives don't see every transaction, they see exceptions.
Status-Driven Views
Databases auto-populate based on task state:
Status = "New" → appears in Notification Center
Status = "In Progress" → appears in active work views
Status = "Done" → clears from all views, updates progress bars
Status = "Blocked" → appears in exception view
No manual sorting. The system organizes itself based on task state.
Automated Progress Calculation
Parent tasks use rollup formulas to calculate completion:
Count of child tasks where Status = "Done"
Count of total child tasks
Display as "Launch Website (3/8 completed)"
Progress bars update automatically as tasks are checked off. Visual feedback without manual tracking.
Relational Database Architecture
Tasks, projects, goals, and habits all interconnect:
Tasks link to Projects
Projects link to Goals
Goals link to Life Areas
Habits link to Daily Plans
Single source of truth. Update once, reflects everywhere.
Comprehensive Documentation System
The ✨Welcome to Pocket Planner✨ guide includes:
System map – All 21 components with descriptions and links
Architecture explanation – How the modular pattern works
15-step setup guide – Phased onboarding (Essential → Full → Advanced)
Daily/weekly routines – Morning, evening, and weekly review workflows
ADHD-specific strategies – Time blindness, task paralysis, motivation, overwhelm
Troubleshooting FAQ – Common issues and solutions
Visual examples – Tables, diagrams, and before/after comparisons
This level of documentation is rare even in professional systems.
Lessons & Iteration
What Worked
Starting with user behavior, not features. By observing how ADHD brains actually work, I avoided building features that look good but don't get used.
Making progress visible. Progress bars aren't just aesthetic—they provide the dopamine feedback ADHD brains need to stay engaged.
Designing for inconsistency. The Notification Center safety net means the system still works when users forget to check it daily.
Teaching the architecture. By explaining the four-part pattern, users can customize infinitely without needing to understand Notion's backend.
What I'd Do Differently
More guided first-run experience. The setup guide is comprehensive but could be interactive (e.g., checkbox walkthrough).
Pre-built views for common use cases. Job seekers, students, and parents have predictable needs—could include starter templates.
Integration with external calendars. Many users want Notion + Google Calendar sync for time-based reminders.
Mobile-optimized quick capture. The system works on mobile but could be streamlined further for on-the-go thoughts.
Why This Project Matters for Your Business
This project demonstrates my ability to:
✅ Apply enterprise operations principles to consumer-facing systems
✅ Design for real human behavior instead of ideal users
✅ Build modular, scalable architecture that users can customize without breaking
✅ Create comprehensive documentation that drives adoption and sustained use
✅ Balance structure with flexibility – Organized without being rigid
✅ Think in systems, not features – The four-part pattern is reusable across domains
✅ Design for accessibility – ADHD-specific features benefit all users (clear naming, visual progress, low friction)
✅ Deliver measurable impact – 21-component system with automated tracking, exception-driven dashboards, and 5-second task capture
Tools & Skills Demonstrated
Platform: Notion (relational databases, formulas, templates, buttons, views)
Skills:
System architecture and modular design
Relational database design and normalization
User psychology and behavioral design
ADHD/neurodivergence accessibility
Information architecture (3-layer hierarchy)
Exception-driven interface design
Template and automation logic
Progress tracking and rollup formulas
Comprehensive documentation and onboarding
Change management and adoption strategy