How I use ClickUp for client work at Launch Kit and Notion for personal planning. A breakdown of real-world use cases for staying organized at work and at home.
I posted a poll on LinkedIn and Instagram recently asking people about which software they couldn’t live without. Some said email. Others said Slack. But for me, two names rise to the top—ClickUp and Notion.
If you’re familiar with these tools, it might seem odd that I’m using both. Today, I want to take a moment and share how I’ve found success in using ClickUp for business and Notion for personal organization.
If you’re not familiar with either, I’m glad you’re here. Project management tools like ClickUp or Notion can be game-changing for both your work and your life. Let’s break it down.
The quick summary: we use ClickUp for project management at Launch Kit. Personally, I use Notion for daily planning and organization.
Here’s how I use each tool to its full potential.
The obvious use case is project management. Launch Kit is a full-service marketing agency based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We work with small businesses across the U.S. to deliver branding, website design, SEO, photo and video production, social media, and paid advertising.
Since our work is project-based, we’ve structured ClickUp to match two project types:
Here’s how we break it down:
We use ClickUp as our main hub for client communication. Clients are invited into our workspace as guests, and we share the relevant lists or tasks with them directly.
Why? Because keeping communication in one place ensures alignment and transparency. It communicates that we’re all rowing the same direction—together.
We’ve found that:
ClickUp keeps everything organized and searchable, which is key for creative work and collaboration.
ClickUp is also our go-to tool for internal communication. Our team relies on it to keep projects moving without constant interruptions.
We’re intentional about preserving creative flow. That’s why we avoid real-time messaging unless it’s urgent. In those rare cases, we use Google Chat.
ClickUp allows us to focus deeply, maintain a clean inbox, and respond to messages thoughtfully.
I currently manage this list solo, but it’s powerful. I’ve created tasks for all our taxes—each one includes the payment amount, due date, and a direct payment link. Once paid, I upload a screenshot and mark it complete.
Another solo-used list for now, but it helps me keep our finances tight.
Each recurring business expense is a task. Active expenses like rent, payroll, insurance are marked Active; discontinued ones go to Inactive. I’ve added custom fields like department and category to see where we’re spending.
Each week, I cross-reference this list with our QuickBooks P&L to stay on budget.
This is my modern take on a yellow legal pad.
I’ve built a “Journal” database in Notion. Every day I create a new page, titled with the date. It’s a blank page—no template.
I use it to jot things down as they come. In fact, I wrote this blog post in today’s entry.
It’s easy to search past notes by keyword, and while it’s called “Journal,” I don’t use it like one. For traditional journaling, I still use a physical notebook (currently a Leuchtturm1917 Bullet Journal). I also use GoodNotes on my iPad for handwriting ideas.
I built a “Restaurants” database. Whenever someone recommends a place, I add it and mark it as “Not Yet Visited.”
So when we’re wondering where to eat, I just check the list. It’s a better experience than guessing or googling aimlessly—and it helps me try new spots.
Ever had someone recommend a book or podcast and you say, “I need to write that down”? This is where I do that.
My “Library” database tracks books, films, podcasts, and YouTube videos. I tag them by media type and status: Not Started, In Progress, or Completed.
I also add notes, which make it easy to revisit key takeaways and share ideas in conversation.
I started this database years ago, and recently, after reading How to Win Friends and Influence People, I’ve come to appreciate it even more.
Whenever I meet someone new, I log their name, where we met, and a few notes to help me remember.
Remembering names goes a long way. When I see someone at the gym or an event, I don’t have that awkward “what was their name again?” moment. Instead, I can pull up my notes and say, “Hey Mike!”—it helps me enjoy building connections.
There you have it—two tools I use daily to stay organized both at Launch Kit and in my personal life.
I don’t recall who said it (maybe I made it up), but my favorite reminder lately is:
“Everything you need to do is written down.”
When life feels overwhelming, I say that to myself, take a breath, and feel instantly more grounded. Tools like ClickUp and Notion don’t just help manage tasks—they free up your brain to welcome new ideas.
I love talking about setting up systems like these. If you ever want to chat about getting your own systems dialed in, Ill drop a link to my calendar below!
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