One of the most frequently requested features we’ve received for the planner is sub-tasks. Sub-tasks are a great way to break a big task down into smaller, more manageable pieces. For a long time Elisi didn’t have sub-task support, but now it’s available. You can find sub-tasks in the task detailed view by tapping/clicking on a task. We hope you enjoy this feature.
The Secret to a More Productive You: 6 Ways to Boost Productivity In Life and Work
Without realizing it, you may be wasting over 20 hours of your productive time every week. That’s enough time to have a second job!
Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to boost productivity whether you’re at work or home.
By using the time you were wasting to be more productive, you can start to get results faster and have more time to enjoy. Keep reading to learn six secrets of productivity.
1. Set Goals
The first thing you need to do if you’re going to be more productive is to set goals for yourself. This will allow you to know where you’re going and what you should be doing.
Set a few big goals that will take at least a year to accomplish. Then, break those down into smaller monthly and weekly goals to make it more manageable. Don’t forget to write them down so you don’t forget them.
2. Make Lists
Creating lists will help you see what you need to do and will encourage you to keep working to cross everything off at the end of the day. It also prevents you from forgetting anything that needs to be done.
Feel free to add both big and small tasks to your list. Every item you cross off, even if it only took you five minutes to do, will motivate you to keep going.
3. Eliminate Distractions
Take some time to identify the things that distract you so you can eliminate them from your workspace.
For example, if you find yourself wasting 20 minutes on Facebook first thing in the morning, consider leaving your phone in another room so you can start your day off right.
4. Reward Productivity
As you reach your goals for the day, week, or month, reward yourself. It’s a good idea to set up a reward when you create the goal so you know what you’re working toward in addition to simply achieving the goal.
Make sure the rewards don’t negate the accomplishments, however. Spending $500 on a night out on the town, for example, isn’t a good reward for earning an extra $300 in commissions that week.
5. Use Peak Times
Keep track of when you’re the most productive. If you’re a morning person, this is likely the first few hours after you wake up. Otherwise, it may not be until after lunch or even later in the evening.
Once you identify the times of days in which you’re most productive, block them off in your schedule and use them to do the most important tasks of the day.
6. Batch Tasks
You’d be surprised at how much time you waste by checking your email ten times a day. Instead, you can save time and be more productive by batching tasks like this.
Ready to Boost Productivity in Your Life?
Now you know six ways to boost productivity in your life or at your workplace. Doing these things can change the way you work and help you do more than you thought possible.
One of the best ways to use all of these productivity hacks is to use a tool that keeps them all in one place. Check out our app to start reaching your goals today.
What Is the F.I.R.E. Movement?
By Elisi Studios
Most people in the United States retire at age 62. However, a new movement that’s getting a lot of attention believes you can retire a lot sooner than that.
It’s known as the F.I.R.E. movement, and it’s no surprise that there are a number of people interested in it because of everything it promises.
Keep reading to learn more about what this movement is and how you can join it to gain financial independence so you can retire as early as you want.
What is the F.I.R.E. Movement?
F.I.R.E stands for financial independence, retire early. It’s a movement filled with people who believe retiring in your 40’s or even 30’s is achievable through hard work and dedication.
How to Catch on F.I.R.E.
Now that you know what this movement is all about, let’s take a look at the four things you need to do so you can retire when you want.
Know Your Retirement Number
The first thing you have to do is figure out your retirement number. This is the amount of money you need to have saved before you can safely retire. There are three things you need to consider to come up with this number.
Life Expectancy
The first thing you want to think about is how long you expect to live and for how many of those you want to be retired. On average, Americans live 78.6 years, but this varies depending on your gender, race, genetics, and location.
Living Expenses
The next thing you need to figure out is how much you expect to spend every month and year during your retirement. Start by looking at your current expenses and thinking about where you want to live and do during retirement.
Ongoing Income
Hopefully part of your retirement plan involves having some type of ongoing income. This could include:
- Social Security benefits
- Rental properties
- Passive income
Once you know your retirement number, you can figure out how much you need to save every year and month to reach this goal.
Lower Your Expenses
The next step is to start budgeting so you can cut out all of the unnecessary expenses in your budget. This could help you save hundreds or even thousands of dollars and is half of the equation to reach your savings goals.
Increase Your Income
For most people, cutting expenses won’t be enough to save the 50% or more of your income you need to retire early. For that reason, you’ll likely have to increase your income by starting a side hustle or working another job.
Create Good Habits
To lower your expenses and increase your income, you have to create good habits. This includes excellent time management along with improving your spending habits.
Ready to Reach Your Goals?
Now you know what the F.I.R.E. movement is and how to retire early. As you can see, it takes hard work and dedication. But it’s worth it to escape the rat race and live life as you want it.
If you’re ready to start achieving your financial goals, check out our app. With it, you can set up habits and start planning for your future so you can build it according to your own dreams.
Being Productive vs. Being Busy: What’s the Difference?
By Elisi Studios
At first glance, being productive and being busy appears to be the same thing. We see someone who is working with something at their desk or someone else heading somewhere with a determined look on their face and are often impressed. However, it turns out that one of those people is being productive while the other is simply being busy. What’s the difference?
Being Busy as a Form of Lazy
There are some people who, depending on their personalities and the circumstances that they’re presented with, get into the habit of being busy as a purposeful means to pass time in the easiest way possible. This is a form of self-imposed busy work. It’s especially common amongst those who are paid on an hourly basis as they often don’t have an outside incentive to be productive during their time. As long as the hours are put in, that’s what matters to them.
Having Too Many Plates
Then there are those who are as productive as they can be, but they have put their energies into too many plates at once. They were always taught to give 100%, and they have defined that to also mean that they must be as involved in as many different areas as possible. However, the result of that is that something needs to give, and that is often something that shouldn’t be what’s giving, like family and self-care.
Benefits of Being Productive
Something that surprises many is that moving their focus from being busy to being productive really does allow them to do more with less with the things that are not as important but that are still important. In other words, spending more time with family might result in less time at the office. However, being able to physically and mentally recuperate from how busy they were before often allowed them to be much more productive at work with the time that they did spend there.
Working Smarter
This is the biggest difference between the two. It’s not simply the hardest-working person who experiences successes in life. It’s the one who works smarter and who focuses on what’s truly important to them when they look deep within themselves. Is joining yet another committee worth spending even less time with your family, with working on your physical health, taking some “me time”?
It’s okay to say, “No.” Of course, if you feel bad about passing up on something, communicate that too, but, if it’s in your own best interests and in the best interests of those you care for if you don’t partake in it, politely turn it down, and focus your time on what does interest you, what calms you and what centers you.
Keep Things Simple
If you want to be productive, not busy, simply keep your life, well, simple. Whenever possible, focus on one task at a time. Of course, multitasking will be necessary from time to time, but minimize it, and don’t take pride in being able to do it for long periods of time. That type of work is too taxing. Also, you cannot dive deep into something and really hit the flow of productivity if you’re constantly switching tasks.
How Can College Students Benefit from Using Elisi?
College students need good time management and goal-setting skills to keep up and get ahead. Using Elisi gives them a simple, intuitive bullet journal as a digital app organizer on the go.
Conventional panoramic planners helped students plot out the future. However, they remained limited in interactive features to assist students in reaching that future. If anything, the planner of old was a liability. Students had to remember to keep track of it and refer to it. Those obligations added even more to the busy college workload.
Elisi is more involved when a college’s newfound independence daunts students. In absence of daily class meetings and access to teachers stationed in one building, even the brightest coeds can flounder under expectations to handle so much. Jobs, online distractions and social opportunities can halt productivity fast. Elisi integrates with the smartphone a student is most likely to carry anyway and plays a more active role than a planner stashed in a bag.
The streamlined Elisi interface pivots around four essential areas: Notes, a Planner, Lists and Habits.
Notes
Elisi automatically sorts notes according to the week. Notes may be academic or personal in nature. A search feature can help students find their notes quickly and easily through key terms. Notes may also sort according to good habits students set Elisi to track.
Planner
Conventional paper planners are bulky and can get lost. Elisi keeps students traveling light with security. Even if they lose a device, their information remains password-protected in the app. When students input tasks with deadlines, Elisi gives them alerts when they near those deadlines as well as recognition when they achieve them.
Lists
College students have much to remember, from grocery lists to class meeting times. Elisi’s list application utilizes convenient drag and drops technology to move students easily between notes and the planner’s tasks. Students can stack lists according to priorities and deadlines Elisi notifies them of.
Habits
Stress and homesickness can lead to lapses in healthy living and better judgment for college students. Encouraging good habits is Elisi’s unique benefit to keep students on track to what matters most. Parents can remain at ease when students have Elisi to present a visual of their exercise, eating habits, spending and more.
Elisi pushes college students beyond just recording their activities, schedules, and habits in advance. The app becomes an accountability partner to remind them of important dates and times. It also serves as a study partner. Students must no longer carry multiple notebooks and laptops to jot essay ideas or work on problems over time. Elisi has features to record ideas and thoughts to store them safely in the cloud. The benefits of an Elisi digital bullet journal will vary from student to student. It is designed for simplicity but still customizable to every individual’s unique needs. College students will see their academic and personal lives coalesce seamlessly once they put Elisi at their fingertips to help.
Why You Should Sync Your Devices on Elisi
If you ever feel unorganized and unmotivated, then Elisi may be the key to harnessing productivity in your days. Elisi is an app that allows you to plan at both a high-level and detailed view, track what is important to you, manage projects and take notes in one easy-to-access place. All you have to do is simply synch each of your devices to your account in order to have productivity at your fingertips no matter what the time is.
Elisi was built off a style of a personal organization called Bullet Journaling. It is basically a single space where you collect anything and everything pertaining to your goals for the future. Bullet Journaling allows you to plan your life, celebrate small accomplishments as you go, improve your focus on those things that really matter to you and make it fun and interesting to build your future. Elisi integrated all of this into a fun and interactive digital app so that you can stay focused on your goals without getting overwhelmed.
The best part is that the app is intelligent. It not only comes with things like easy-to-follow pre-made templates and the ease of making changes because they realize that sometimes life requires you to be flexible, but it also has the ability to track habits that you input. So, for example, if you wanted to start a meditation habit you would simply input the details of that into your account and Elisi would motivate you the entire way to habit creation. With so many ways to integrate Elisi into your life, it is more than just a digital way to track personal organization – Elisi is a support system that you can always rely on.
Elisi has an app for both iPhone and Andriod phones. They have also developed a flawless Mac app. If you happen to be on any other device that isn’t listed, then you merely just need an internet connection to sign in to your account through their website. They really have made it easy enough to take Elisi anywhere as indicated on the home page of their website.
Recently, they have even made it possible for your Elisi account to fully integrate with the calendar that is right on your phone. If you don’t care to have the app on all your devices, but know that you will always have your phone, then linking your account with your phone calendar is the easiest thing you can do to make sure that personal organization is always at your fingertips.
Let Elisi support you through setting and accomplishing what you envision for your future by helping you meet your goals. No matter how you connect to your account, whether that is web-based or through the app, synching your devices to your Elisi account is setting yourself up for success in your life’s accomplishments.
It is time to start your partnership with the digital nomad of the incredibly effective way to manage your personal organization. Elisi is ready to support you. Try it today!
If You are A College Student, You Need This App
Amid packing to live in a dorm or apartment, registering for classes, and buying books, students might overlook the software that can make their school careers easier, especially if it’s not required for their classes. However, apps like Elisi can make your life easier. Elisi is a digital bullet journal for anyone who finds that a physical journal is easily misplaced or not easy enough to browse. With apps for phones, tablets, and PCs, Elisi brings the Bujo experience wherever you might be.
Elisi stands apart from other note-taking and productivity apps because it’s based on the bujo ethos. Students won’t just add tasks. Instead, you’ll add tasks to lists, which allow you to group each class or specific activities together.
You can also use Elisi for on-the-fly note-taking during class or as you study. You can quickly search notes via text to find what you’re looking for. The app allows for bookmarking notes that are important or need to be referenced frequently. Elisi is especially useful for students because notes are associated with the week in which they were created.
One unique function of this app is the ability to create and track habits. If you want to make sure that you read or workout, you can enter the habit into Elisi and specify which days of the week you’d like to participate in this habit.
Along with these capabilities, Elisi comes with a planner that can be set to a daily or weekly view depending on which information you need to see now. Add classes, sports, appointments, and even social commitments to the app to make sure you don’t miss anything. Each of these entries can then be added to a list. Elisi’s planner works well for one-off activities, while the habits function is ideal for recurring tasks.
Each note, task, list, or habit can be associated with a goal, and Elisi tracks your progress to keep you accountable. The app’s “Goal Mode” helps you focus on specify tasks without distraction, and you can easily switch back to weekly view when you need to. While setting goals is optional, and users don’t have to depend on every aspect of Elisi, the app’s features work together to create a comprehensive organizational scheme.
Elisi syncs all of this across your devices, so there’s no excuse not to use it. You always have at least one device on you, and the digitization means there’s no worry about misplacing information if you lose your planner. Elisi is free to sign up, so there’s no risk involved. Try it today!
A Guide for Staying Organized in Daily Activities
Staying organized throughout your daily activities is important because it enhances productivity, lowers stress levels, and reduces the number of mistakes. To stay organized, you need to use an app or planner to write items down and keep up with important events and deadlines. It is important to schedule specific times throughout the day to answer emails and messages and keep your workplace clutter-free. As a way to avoid losing items, you should always keep important items in the same place so you know exactly where they are. Take to learn about the benefits of organization and tips for staying organized in your daily life.
Want to Get More Done? Here is How to Stay Productive Every Day
By Elisi Studios
If you get distracted it can take you around 23 minutes to get back on track. We live in a world full of distractions. It may be more fun to interact with the distractions instead of doing what’s important.
Below we’ll look at how to stay productive in a world where you want to do everything but work.
Focus on One Task
When you multitask you may believe you’re getting more done. Yet, you’ll find if you do the tasks separately not only will you get them done faster, but you’ll do them better as well.
When you do one task at a time it’ll help better focus your mind and keep you on track.
Perhaps you’re multitasking and don’t even realize it. This could be listening to music or having a movie or show on in the background. Try to turn off the noise as it’s just another distraction.
Try doing your most difficult task first. That way all tasks after will feel like a breeze. If you do the simple tasks first you may find you don’t have the energy to do the more difficult task later.
Change Your Environment
Maybe you’re completing your tasks in a location where there is a lot of foot traffic or noise. Perhaps you’re too comfortable in your current space and can’t force yourself to work. If either of these is true, try finding a new location to get your work done.
Put Devices Away
Another form of distraction is devices. When you need to get something done, make sure your phone or tablet isn’t near you. You’ll be more likely to avoid the temptation of looking at them.
Turn off notifications as well. The sounds can draw you towards your phone and distract you from your tasks.
Make a Schedule
One way to get yourself to be productive is to create a routine. Make a schedule of what you would like to get done each day. If there is something you need to do every day, make sure it never leaves your calendar.
Once you have everything in your schedule, create deadlines for yourself. Make sure to write the deadlines down, otherwise, you’re less likely to follow them.
Get up Earlier
To start the day right you need to get a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, you won’t have the energy to get through the day.
Once you get up in the morning, try setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier. Then you may not feel as rushed to get things done in the morning. Your levels of stress will be reduced.
You can fit in time to exercise, drink coffee, take a shower, anything that will help get your mind more motivated.
Take Short Breaks
Remember to leave time for breaks in your schedule. Working all day isn’t realistic. You’ll be more stressed and fatigued.
Do the opposite of what you had been doing. If you were sitting, get up and walk around, and vice versa. Try to keep from thinking about the task you were doing before to get the full benefit of the break.
Try taking five-minute breaks throughout the day.
How to Stay Productive in a Fast-Paced World
Hopefully, you have a better idea of how to stay productive now. It may not seem like these methods work at first, but remember you need to do them continuously to make them a habit. There is no quick fix.
Review our blog to learn other habits you can start to improve your life.
Note Taking App: Writing Things down to Get Things Done
Are you one of those people who’s always looking for ways to boost your productivity? Do you have paper lists everywhere in an attempt to organize your work? Have you tried every organizational method out there and found that none of them help you stay focused?
If this sounds like your struggle then a note-taking app might be exactly what you need. Read on to find out how you can manage your time and tasks more efficiently and how the right note-taking app can help.
How Writing Things Down Helps Productivity
The impulse to write things down as an organization method is strong, and there are very good reasons for that.
Writing down everything you have to do and notes about those tasks gets all of that information out of your brain, which helps relieve the anxiety that comes with having lots to do. Writing makes you feel more in control of the work and the information.
Writing also allows you to see everything in one place. This allows your brain to process it differently, which can help you figure out how to tackle the work effectively.
And writing things down helps you remember. Several studies have shown that information retention increases when we write things down.
So, when you’re looking to get things done and organize but you don’t know where to start, writing a to-do list is a great place to start.
Writing an Effective To-Do List
What makes a to-do list effective?
- Specificity: Don’t write a vague task like “Call Vince.” Add some details that help you remember what the task is about.
- KISS: Keep It Short and Simple! Keep your daily to-do list short – ten tasks maximum. Keep your daily to-do lists to tasks you can actually accomplish today.
- Prioritize: What actually needs to be done first? What can wait? Be brutally honest so you can pare down your list to follow the KISS method.
- Have multiple to-do lists, but tackle them one at a time: Have a daily to-do list, a weekly to-do list, and a project to-do list. Move tasks between them as the project develops and you finish tasks.
Having an effective to-do list makes the difference between having a plan to move forward and floundering from one thing to the next.
Organizing Your To-Dos and Your Time With the Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool that allows you to work through your to-dos in a way that boosts efficiency and productivity.
The Pomodoro Technique suggests working on each task for a short period – a half-hour or an hour – and then taking a 5-10 minute break. When you come back from the break you resume the task or move onto a new one. Every three hours, you take an extended 15-20 minute break.
The idea behind this is when we work for too long on one task fatigue and frustration set in and our productivity and efficiency decrease. By working in sprints and taking breaks, we can hyper-focus on the task at hand, leave it behind, and come back or start something new with fresh eyes.
Break down the tasks on your daily to-do list into half-hour or hour-long tasks, so they can be done in line with the Pomodoro Technique.
How a Note-Taking App Helps
To-do lists and pen and paper have always gone together. But there are downsides to writing your to-do list in a notebook, on sticky notes, or in a planner.
The main downside is that you can lose or leave these things behind. Sticky notes get accidentally thrown away or fall off your desk. Notebooks and planners get left at home or the office.
The one thing you always have on you is your phone, which is why a note-taking app is the ultimate way to manage your to-do list. It’s always handy, so you can pull it up as soon as you think of something.
In an app like Elisi, you can organize your to-dos in a planner that allows you to see your daily to-do list and your weekly to-dos all in one place, organized by day. This app also has a separate section for notes. So, if you think of something related to your to-dos or you have new information, you can quickly pull up the app and take down notes for later.
Having an organizational tool always accessible means you’ll always be able to see what needs to be done and write down anything else that pops up.
More Tips for Boosting Productivity
Staying organized can be difficult, especially when you’re overwhelmed by the amount of work you need to get done. Getting everything you need to do written down and organizing it into an effective to-do list helps you feel in control of your work and gives you a path to accomplishing it efficiently.
Using a note-taking app to assist you in organizing all your information and your to-do lists means that you’ll always have the information you need right at your fingertips.
For more tips on how to boost your productivity, check out our blog.