Are you working with purpose?
Welcome to Issue #51 of Workcraft, where I share 1 Big Idea & 3 Little Updates to help you work with more focus and intention.
🚨 Attention! Before we get into this edition, we’ll be moving to ConvertKit starting next newsletter! What does this change for you? Not much, but we’ll be sunsetting the Substack page, fyi! 🚨
BIG IDEA
On working with purpose
I got to attend the Second Brain Summit last week in Los Angeles, and came back to work this week with so many takeaways.
I got to hear directly from authors and creators that have been deeply influential, like Ryder Carroll (author of the Bullet Journal Method), Sönke Ahrens (author of Take Smart Notes), and Anne-Laure Le Cunff (founder of the Nesslabs community).
Not to mention getting to meet Notion super-creators like August Bradley, Thomas Frank, Marie Poulin, and Ben Borowski.
But as the 2-day conference wrapped up, and I had a few hours to kill at the airport heading back to Miami, I was determined to put into practice the biggest takeaways from the conference.
Too often, we take courses, attend webinars, and fly to conferences, only to forget the transformative ideas that we were so moved by in the moment.
And for the days following the summit, I kept coming back to the same idea: how can I work with more purpose?
It wasn’t about getting more done, about remembering more information, or even maximizing my time. More broadly, focusing less on the details or tactics, and leaning into the vibe of work, often asking myself if the tasks on my agenda are worth the time, and if so, knowing what goals they’re working toward.
What Does It Mean to Work with Purpose?
For me, purposeful work is the deliberate act of aligning your daily activities with your core goals. It’s about working on tasks that matter, not just what’s most urgent or easiest to check off a list. Purposeful work feels meaningful because it moves you closer to your long-term objectives, whether personal or professional.
The ‘how’ of this is where we usually get tripped up; systems to track our habits, intricate journals that get overwhelming, or tracking every little detail across active projects.
The more complex our systems, the more likely they are to unravel.
Avoiding Reactive Work
This one is especially hard for all you fellow people-pleasers. It can be hard to say no, or even to not respond to every message, assuming they’re urgent when they’re usually not.
Working reactively is like being in a constant state of firefighting. Responding to emails, putting out small fires, and addressing the latest crisis—all without taking the time to reflect on whether these actions serve your larger goals. It feels productive in the moment, but often has little to no relationship to your goals.
The key difference between purposeful and reactive work is intention. When we work with a clear purpose, we are intentional about how we spend our time and what activities we commit to. But how do we break out of the reactive cycle and work with greater intention?
Identifying Your Core Goals and Aligning Work Around Them
I’ll be honest; I tend to go down the goal-setting rabbit-hole (usually at the start of a new quarter), only to never look at those goals again. But this is such a critical part of purposeful work. This usually means too much reactive work – the more we react to external triggers, the less time and energy we have to take on goal-driven work.
The nice thing about goals is that they should be big, ambitious, moonshots that make you uncomfortable. Well-crafted goals push us out of our comfort zones, and if achieved, can have a profound impact on your life or business.
To clarify my goals, I always go back to a variation of the OKR method (Objectives & Key Results), asking yourself these critical questions:
1. Goal Check: Am I working on tasks that contribute to my long-term goals?
2. Objective Evaluation: Are my current objectives clearly moving me toward my goals?
3. Key Results Review: Are my key results measurable and showing real progress?
4. Project Alignment: Do my current projects directly support my key results?
5. Low-Leverage Activity Audit: What tasks can I eliminate or delegate that don’t move the needle?
6. Habits and Rituals Review: Are my daily habits helping me achieve my objectives?
Purposeful work requires clarity, intention, and a commitment to focusing on what really matters. Once you’ve set your sights on meaningful objectives, the key is to protect your time from distractions and low-leverage tasks.
It’s a practice that requires constant reflection, but the rewards—more meaningful achievements and greater fulfillment—are well worth the effort.
Do you have any strategies that you use to work with purpose? I’d love to hear them!
NOTION UPDATES
Notion AI Gets a Refresh
Notion AI just got a serious upgrade! The platform's AI assistant is now more integrated to your workspace, with several new features that work best for users/teams who are organizing lots of information/knowledge in Notion (or linking to other docs in Google Drive).
Notion AI can now analyze your spreadsheets, extract action items from your rambling meeting notes, and even help you brainstorm big ideas. One fun fact: there are now over 30 languages supported. It still can’t make your coffee though. 🤷🏻
I’ll be honest, I fluctuate between ChatGPT and Claude for AI-based tools, but there are a few Notion AI updates that I’ve started taking advantage of:
AI Database Properties: for pages with lots of content, you can write a custom script to pull out specific information from the page (super useful!)
Reading PDFs: This is a huge timesaver, not having to use another tool, and potentially copy/paste info back into Notion. It’s also working a lot better recently!
Asking Notion AI: The chat experience has also gotten a lot more useful, especially pulling up relevant pages that live in your workspace. All the more reason to keep your workspace organized!
ON THE ROADMAP
What should we expect from Make With Notion?
Notion's throwing its first-ever U.S. conference, and it's shaping up to be a can't-miss event for Notion creators. The event's happening in San Francisco, but they're livestreaming the juicy bits, including a keynote from Notion's Co-Founder, Ivan Zhao.
From what I do know, they’re announcing at least three new features, with one big surprise. 👀 The one I know for certain is Forms – which allows you to easily create forms and automatically connect them to a database. I think this one is going to be hugely popular!
Can I make a suggestion? You’ll want to RSVP to the virtual event. Everyone who attends (in person or virtual) will get first access to an exciting new…thing from Notion (that’s all I can say about it!)
LIVE SESSION • OCTOBER 22 • 1:00 PM • VIRTUAL
How to Build Purpose-Driven Workspaces
Join us for a live, interactive webinar that will dive into key steps to make sure you build Notion spaces with purpose.
In this free session, you'll learn seven simple steps to transform your initial idea into a fully functional, personalized Notion workspace designed for you or your team. We’ll guide you from blueprint to buildout, helping you create an efficient workspace that enhances productivity and collaboration.
Be among the first to preview our new team template, Workcraft OS, launching just days after the webinar! Plus, you'll receive the Workcraft Guide to explore the process live. This free webinar is your chance to stay updated on all things Notion—just RSVP to get the latest insights, and feel free to unsubscribe anytime. Don’t miss out!
🙌🏼 That’s it for this week!
One more reminder that our next newsletter will have a different look and will be coming from ConvertKit (now Kit), fyi!
I’d also love to hear what you think. What content resonates? What do you want to see more or less of? Just hit reply to let me know!
And if you’re loving this newsletter, I’d love it if you helped spread the word!
Purpose driven Notion!! Amen and can't wait to see more of that :)