The Life-Changing Magic of Setting Up A Life Dashboard
Iโve always been that kid with planners and journals, writing to-do lists, taking excessive notes and bulleting down observations about myself and others, desperately noting down all my favorite moments in the day. Transitioning to a more digital life as a college dropout trying to figure out freelancing and entrepreneurship, it made sense to build on a personal database to have all parts of my *very messy* life and biz organized in one place. And so begins my journey in building my very own Notion ecosystem/Universe/world as I like to call it :)
At first I made random lists like I was used to doing all my life. Travels, Routines, My Wishlist, Goals, Weaknesses :)
In time and as I got the hang of Notion and its features, I started building more intricate dashboards and workspaces.
In the beginning of 2020 I found myself building my very first Life Dashboard. The concept was simple reallyโI wanted to have a one-page reference with all my big-picture objectives and everyday to-do lists, along with all my work & life documents, spreadsheets and wikis organized neatly on one side for easy access.
Most times my life dashboards were helpful. At times though, they were overwhelming, distracting even. So Iโd find myself reverting back to using simpler tools like post-its, pen and paper.
And so I found that for a life dashboard to be truly effective and truly yours, you must grow with it. That means figuring out what works, what doesnโt, and taking the time to move things around until they feel better.
Thatโs exactly what I found myself doing at the end of each year, and Iโm so glad I stuck with it, and took the time to find a setup that works for me.
5 years and 5 versions later, Iโm so proud to share with you my personal life dashboard โChiaratopiaโs 2025 Life Dashboardโ which Iโd say is the prettiest and most succinct, most refreshingly simple.
Sharing a deeply personal, tried-and tested Life Dashboard Iโve refined to perfection in the last 5 years. Designed and laid out to keep you organized and inspired minus the overwhelm, this everyday reference gives you a one sweep overview of your big-picture aspirations this year while keeping you focused on what needs to get done today to build on your dream life. เญจเง
Iโve been refining this Life Dashboard in the last 5 years, so what youโre getting here is a thoughtfully laid out and simplified one-pager reference that will keep you inspired to build on your dream life, one day at a time.
My goal is for you to spend a lot less time on Notion, and more time actually working on your goals and projects so I made sure to keep this layout clean and smart, without unnecessary toggles or nestled databases.
I like this sweet, succinct, refreshingly simple, so you can head out and make things happen, or be absolutely present with the people you love.
Included features:
Easy overview of your ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ for the year (so you know if you have the bandwidth to accept more work or have to say no in the meantime)
An ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ pane to remind you of personal everyday must-dos and think-abouts
๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข to keep you inspired, with a prominent 2025 mood board as a visual guide to all you want to turn into reality this year
Prominent ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ pane for quick links and pages to refer to
Super simple ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ ๐๐๐๐ right across your Projects, so you know what needs to get done today, tomorrow, this week and so on, simply dragging-and-dropping items as you move through the days
๐ฟ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ or ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ for the year, clearly set out for you to act on
๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ธ ๐ป๐๐๐ pane so you remember to spend time with friends and family
๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ to remind you of important goals and boundaries youโve set for yourself this year
๐ค Quick access to an ๐ธ๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐ to prettify your page
๐ค Includes a free version of the ๐ ๐ฟ๐พ๐ท๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ป ๐ด๐๐ Self-Discovery template by Sincere Studios and Chiaratopia
Watch this 20-minute walkthrough of Chiaratopia's 2025 Life Dashboard เซฎ๊ฐหตโข ๏ป โขหต๊ฑแ โคต
If you prefer to buy this template on Notion Marketplace, you may do so here โคต
https://www.notion.com/templates/chiaratopia2025dashboard (new payment methods to follow after we get approved for Stripe, maybe in 1-2 weeks)
Payment
Buyers from the Philippines may opt to pay through bank deposit since direct checkout only allows payments with Paypal. If youโre from the Philippines or have Philippine bank accounts, please fill out this order form and Iโll get in touch within 2-3 days.
Buyers from the US and anywhere else in the world can use direct checkout and pay via Paypal.
This template will be available in the Notion Marketplace soon for more payment methods, thank you for your patience!
Shipping
This is a digital item that can be accessed using a life organization app called Notion (available on browsers and as a computer app) which honestly is life changing, please sign-up for free here. The link to the Notion template will be sent to you after purchase, which you can duplicate and customize.
My diatribe on a life dashboard is that it needs to be on single, simply-and-beautifully-laid-out page that gives you a one sweep view of your big-picture aspirations for the year + quick easy access to what you need to do today to build on that dream life.
I really do not like the idea of you wasting time fiddling around unnecessary toggles or going back and forth finding information in nested folders and databases. I like this sweet and succinct, so you can head out and make things happen, or be absolutely present with the people you love. โก
Hereโs a video walkthrough if youโd like more babbling, and tips on how to make your Life Dashboard your own โคต
I've been using a Life Dashboard on Notion for 5 years now but this is the first time I'm ever getting to share my workflow and selling it as a template, so this is really special for me. I hope you consider buying my template and setting it up for your own daily use. It is life-changing เซฎ๊ฐหตโข ๏ป โขหต๊ฑแ I blab more about it on the video!
So what is a Life Dashboard?
A life dashboard is a digital hub where all your goals, projects, finances and everyday to-dos are neatly organized in one place, in a way that makes sense to your personally. Think of your life dashboard as a digital version of a physical planner or a bullet journalโitโs something you carry around wherever you go and refer to many times in a day to plan your days, list your to-dos, track your goals and finances as well as jot down your thoughts and ideas.
The beautiful thing about a digital life dashboard is how everything is organized in just one place, and in a way that makes sense to you personally.
Youโre also able to find exactly what you need when you need it. You waste a lot less time head-scratching looking for notes or information you need, which right now most likely are spread across multiple platforms and physical documents. That means youโll be able to focus on getting things done, and then later on things that actually matterโspending quality time with your friends and family, going on adventures, doing things you love.
While you can set this up on different platforms like Google Docs or Evernote, Notion stands out as a favorite because its very lego-like framework is what inspired and prompted people to get their life organized on one digital hub in the first place. More on this below!
The concept of life dashboards feel so daunting, but it's actually really simple, and we don't have to cover all aspects of our life right away. We start with essentials and build on it and refine it as we use it and find better ways to organize our thoughts and tasks.
Why should I set up a personal Life Dashboard?
Life is just different now. There are so many moving parts to a productive life, so much information to properly organize so we can refer back to them when needed, responsibilities and routines and tasks to juggle, and then thereโs another big part of life outside work and responsibilities where we take the time to truly understand our own selves, our worldviews and aspirations.
Creating your own personal life dashboard is a great way to get your life organized with easy-to-understand visuals. Youโll also be able to easily schedule tasks, manage files, set reminders and organize everything from your work to your personal projects.
Life dashboards are both power and personal. They're for the go-getters who need complex systems to manage their work but itโs also very much for the sentimental ones who just like to keep records of things or memories so they can have something to someday look back on.
How do I build a Life Dashboard on Notion?
It's easy! Start by signing up for a free Notion workspace. From there, create a new page and begin adding elements (or what we call blocks on Notion) like headings, text, images, videos, sub-pages, and linksโalmost everything you can imagine to build on your personal life dashboard.
Notion's flexibility allows you to experiment with layouts and refine them over time. Donโt be afraid to keep moving things around, delete or add blocks as you see fit.
Itโs also good to note that it takes some time to build a life dashboard structure or layout that works for you perfectly, and this is why I highly recommend starting with a Notion template (there are free and paid ones) that gives you a good starting point in building your own set up. You might want to consider starting out with my very own 2025 Life Dashboardโread more about its many features here, or watch the video above for the full walkthrough.
What makes up an effective Life Dashboard?
I would say that the best, most effective life dashboards are simple and visually appealing. They are laid out to be visually appealing and distraction-free, with clear sections and straightforward text that outline key information, like our objectives, prayers and projects for the year.
It's also important for life dashboards to be inspiringโa reference that you actually like looking at and using, so that you will find yourself always referring to it. A lot of that involves a layout that's clean and organized, with inspiring imagery like a mood board or images to act as visual guides and aspirational reminders.
Many life dashboards have multiple pages and databases nested inside themโI used to have set ups like this as well, but I find that a simpler layout with very minimal nested pages and databases is what works better for me because I can then spend more time on my actual goals rather than on organizing them.
What makes Chiaratopiaโs Life Dashboard so special? Can I use it every year, not just in 2025?
My personal life dashboard is a labor of love. Itโs something Iโve built for myself the last five years, and now finally get to share with you, also out of love.
Imagine a single place where all your dreams, goals, and projects come together, allowing you to focus less on organizing and more on living. This template is a culmination of my experience building my own dream life, and I do believe it can help you do the same.
I made sure the layout is timeless too, so you can refine it as your needs evolve over the years. Youโre not just limited to 2025; Iโm certain this life dashboard will keep you good company this year and beyond.