Funtasking vs Notion: Focus vs Flexibility

The Notion Trap

Here's the thing about Notion: it's amazing. Genuinely. You can build anything. Wiki, CRM, project tracker, habit tracker, book database, recipe organizer, life dashboard.

And that's exactly the problem.

I spent three weeks building the perfect Notion workspace. Databases linked to databases. Custom views. Formulas calculating my productivity score. It was beautiful. A work of art.

Then I spent two hours every Sunday maintaining it. Updating relations. Fixing broken formulas. Tweaking the layout. I became more focused on perfecting my productivity system than actually being productive.

What Notion Does Incredibly Well

Let's be fair. Notion is a powerhouse:

• Flexibility: If you can imagine it, you can build it. Databases, wikis, docs, tasks – all interconnected.
• Collaboration: Share with teams. Comment. Real-time editing. It's Google Docs meets Airtable.
• Databases: Relations, rollups, formulas. Power users can create incredibly sophisticated systems.
• All-in-One: Notes, tasks, wikis, knowledge base. One app to rule them all.
• Templates: Thousands of community templates. Want a life dashboard? Download one.

If you need a workspace for everything – personal and team – Notion delivers.

Why I Switched to Funtasking

The breaking point came on a Sunday evening. I spent 90 minutes reorganizing my Notion dashboard. Moving tasks between databases. Updating my "life balance" tracker manually.

Wait. Manually? I was tracking life balance in a spreadsheet-style database. Typing in hours. Calculating percentages with formulas.

That's when I realized: I needed a tool that showed me balance automatically, not one where I had to build the entire system myself.

Funtasking's Purpose Wheel just... works. You assign tasks to life areas. The wheel updates in real-time. No databases. No formulas. No two-hour setup.

The "Everything App" Problem

Notion can be a daily planner. You can absolutely build one. Download a template, customize it, add databases for tasks, habits, and goals.

But here's the catch: you have to build it. And maintain it. And when it breaks, you have to fix it.

Funtasking is opinionated. We decided on 8 life categories (Body, Mind, Connection, Work, Learning, Impact, Play, Space). You can't change them. Some people hate that.

But you know what? Most people find it liberating. You don't spend weekends tweaking your system. You just use it.

Notion's Life Balance Fantasy

Search YouTube for "Notion life dashboard" and you'll find gorgeous setups. Databases tracking work hours, workout minutes, social time.

Here's what they don't show: the manual entry. You have to remember to log everything. Update your databases. Calculate your own balance.

Funtasking tracks this automatically. Schedule a 30-minute task in the "Body" category? That's 2 coins earned and 30 minutes added to your Purpose Wheel. No manual logging.

Speed: Funtasking Wins

Adding a task in Notion:

1. Open your task database
2. Click "New"
3. Type task name
4. Select category (if you set that up)
5. Add date
6. Maybe add time estimate (if you built that field)
7. Save

Adding a task in Funtasking:

1. Type task name + life category + time
2. Done

Notion is powerful. Funtasking is fast.

Gamification: Notion Has None

You can build a "points system" in Notion with formulas. I've seen it. It requires:

• A database for tasks with time estimates
• A rollup formula to sum points
• Another database for rewards
• Manual tracking of when you "spend" points

Or you could just use Funtasking, where coins are automatic and rewards actually feel rewarding.

Who Should Choose Notion?

• You need collaboration features for teams
• You want one app for notes, docs, wikis, AND tasks
• You enjoy building and customizing systems
• You need databases with complex relationships
• You have time to maintain your setup
• You're managing projects, not just daily tasks

Who Should Choose Funtasking?

• You want a daily planner that just works
• You're tired of building and maintaining systems
• You need automatic life balance tracking
• You want to see your Purpose Wheel, not build it
• You prefer focused tools over everything-apps
• You respond well to gamification

Can You Use Both?

Sure. Use Notion for work wikis, documentation, team projects. Use Funtasking for personal daily planning and life balance.

That's actually a pretty solid combo. Notion for the "everything else," Funtasking for daily life.

Pricing

Notion: Free plan with block limits. Plus ($10/month) removes limits. Team plans get expensive fast.

Funtasking: Free with full features. Premium coming soon.

Both are affordable for personal use. Notion gets pricey for teams.

Final Verdict

Notion is the Swiss Army knife. Funtasking is the scalpel.

Swiss Army knives are great when you need 17 different tools. But if you just need to prevent burnout and track life balance? A scalpel (focused tool) works better.

I still use Notion for work documentation. But for daily planning and life balance? I switched to Funtasking and never looked back.