Yes, I said it

My Medium friends can read this story over there as well.

You don’t need Notion.

There, I said it.

I’ve been a long time Notion user. This app is fantastic and can do so much. But sometimes, more isn’t better. Sometimes, you just want to note something, remember something quickly, transfer voice into text, and move on without 79 clicks to find the correct database and then waiting for the mobile app to load.

Enter: Apple Notes + Reminders.

The apps that come with your iPhone and quietly got superpowers while you and I were busy customizing your Notion cover images.

Let’s see how to combine Apple Notes + Reminders into a Notion substitute, with zero lag, little setup, and 100% focus on actually doing the thing.

Why Even Bother?

Because this combo is:

• Instant: No loading screens. No spinning databases.

• Ubiquitous: On your iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch — even Siri’s in on it.

• Surprisingly Deep: Tags, links, smart lists, collapsible sections, audio transcription, Kanban views… it’s all here.

• Private: Apple’s not perfect at privacy and security, but they rank among the top compared to many others.

1. How It Works:

TL:DR

• Notes = Your Brain

• Reminders = Your Backbone

Apple Notes

Think: writing space, idea hub, content bank, SOPs, reference docs.

Apple Reminders

Think: goals, deadlines, repeating habits, smart list filters, project pipelines.

2. The Setup: A Minimalist Productivity Stack (No Setup Hell Required)

Here’s a simple setup you can build in 30 minutes or less:

a) Core Lists in Apple Reminders

Use tags like #writing, #personal, #urgent, #idea to keep things sliceable.

b) Main Folders in Apple Notes

c) Use Internal Links

Apple Notes lets you link between notes now. So you can create dashboards:

• “Weekly Review” note that links to:

• Your “Goals 2025” note

• “Content Pipeline” note

• “Journal” note

• “This Week’s Tasks” smart list in Reminders (yes, you can paste that link)

I wrote extensively about the organization and interlinking system in my blog post about the Forever✱notes framework.

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3. Notion-Inspired Workflows, Apple-Style

Let’s remake your favorite Notion templates using Notes + Reminders.

a) Content Creation System

In Notes:

• Create a note called “Content Calendar 2025”

• Inside: A list of post ideas, publishing dates, inspiration links

• Use collapsible headers (they’ll automatically appear for heading formats) for “Idea,” “Drafting,” “Publish”, etc.

In Reminders:

• Make a task for each post in a “Content Board” list

• Use tags like #draft, #published

• View: Switch to Kanban view and drag them between statuses, just like Notion

b) Goals + Reviews

In Notes:

• Create “Quarterly Review” templates (or monthly, weekly, yearly, etc.)

• Track wins, lessons, focus areas

• Use checklists and block quotes for clarity

In Reminders:

• Make a list called “Goals 2025”

• Break each goal into subtasks

• Set reminders to review them monthly

• Smart List: Tag #Q2goal + Due this quarter = automated focus view

c) Partners & Affiliates

In Notes:

• One note per person/company

• Add email links, call notes, affiliate terms, next steps

• Link these notes from a “CRM Dashboard” note

In Reminders:

• Add follow-up tasks: “Email Jen re: collab”

• Use tag #partner

• Smart List: “This Week’s Partners” = tag + due this week

This replaces your Notion “people database” without building a database.

d) Daily Planner + Habits

In Notes:

• Create a note template:

## Daily Log  
- Top 3 tasks:  
- Journal:  
- Wins:  
- Gratitude:

• Duplicate daily, link to related notes or reminders (you can also create a reusable template with tools like ProNotes or NotesCmdr)

In Reminders:

• Create a “Habits” list with daily repeats

• Morning widget = instant checklist

• Siri Shortcuts can auto-log completion into Notes (pro tip)

Better than Notion?

Of course, better isn’t the correct thing to ask for. What’s best is always determined on your use case, what apps you like, what you’re used to, how much time you have, and how big your system must get.

What’s Missing

Obviously, Apple Notes and Reminders don’t have all the functionality. That’s a given. You’ll miss some things. I do.

• Databases: Nope. But you can simulate with linked notes, tags, and smart lists.

• Advanced filtering: Less flexible, but tags + smart lists cover 90% of my use cases.

• Fancy formatting: No callout boxes or code blocks, but block quotes, tables, and checklists do a solid job.

How My Superwriter Template Fits Into This

I created a complex Notion template for my writing workflow and project management system. Superwriter. But as I dive more into Apple Notes and Reminders, I try to move my system over. Still, there are things I can’t do (well) without Notion.

But what I use Apple Notes and Reminders for now, is:

• Long-form planning

• Financial tracking

• Affiliate management

• Full campaign dashboards

• Daily tasks

• Writing drafts

• Quick thoughts

• Short-form content

• Managing collaborators

The Bottom Line

Notion is beautiful. Don’t get me wrong. I am not a Notion hater now. It’s just… very complex and time-consuming, and I know many people who simply don’t want to dive into another tool.

Sometimes you just need fast, quiet, and native.

Apple Notes + Reminders won’t win design awards, feature contests, or privacy competitions.

But it beats Notion at many small yet important things. And at the end of the day, that’s the only metric that matters to me.