Notion vs Dedicated Habit Trackers
Notion is the ultimate sandbox. You can build anything. And that is exactly why it fails most people as a daily driver for habits.
The Friction Problem
Rule #1 of Habit Building: Reduce friction.
Notion: Open app → Wait for load → Navigate to Dashboard → Scroll to Habit Table → Click Checkbox. (15 seconds).
MainQuest: Open app → Tap Quest. (2 seconds). Speed matters for consistency.
Those 13 seconds are the difference between sticking to a habit and abandoning it.
Procrastination by Design
With Notion, you spend more time designing your tracker than using it. This feels like work ("I'm being productive!") but it's actually sophisticated procrastination.
The Verdict
Use Notion for your Wiki, your long-term goals, and project docs. Use MainQuest for your daily execution. Let the dedicated tool do the heavy lifting of gamification and stats for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Notion bad for habit tracking?
Friction. Opening Notion, navigating to a page, and waiting for it to load takes 10-15 seconds. This micro-friction kills habit momentum compared to a dedicated app that loads instantly.
Can I embed MainQuest in Notion?
Not yet directly, but you can link out to your MainQuest dashboard. We focus on being a standalone, distraction-free environment.
Is it better to build my own tracker?
Only if you enjoy the building process more than the result. If you actually want to build habits, use a tool built by experts who understand the psychology of behavior change.