How to Create the Perfect Book Log in Your Bullet Journal

By Elisi Studios

If you are an organized planner and a reader, a book log may be a great way to track all those awesome books you’ve read this year. Using a book log in your bullet journal is a great way to track what you’ve read, reflect on the things you’ve learned, and accomplish your reading goals.

Keep reading for some ideas, tips, and tricks for creating your book log in time for the new year.

If You Want to Keep It Simple

If you want to keep a book log, but you want to start small, start by creating a list in your bullet journal. Make columns for some organization, titling them with a column for the book name, the author, and the genre.

If you want, you can add a final section for your own personal notes and ratings, which can be great for giving friends some recommendations. You can also make a list of the books you want to read, checking them off and rating them as you complete them. 

Motivate Yourself with a Reading Challenge 

A reading challenge can be a great way to accomplish your reading goals, especially when you challenge a friend or loved one. You can try challenging yourself to read outside of your comfort zone, or a wider range of book genres with this idea. 

Are you feeling you need to read more female authors? Challenge yourself to read books with a certain amount of different females writers. Maybe you only read fiction and want to read more non-fiction, self-help or autobiographies for some extra inspiration this year. 

Find an online reading challenge for ideas, or create your own with friends or members of your book club. This can be a great way to create some friendly competition both with yourself or others, which will motivate more regular reading habits. 

Chart Your Progress 

Charting your progress is a great way to see how you’re doing with your reading goals or challenges. This is especially great if you’re the kind of person who prefers to read two books at once.

If you’re reading a thrilling fiction book as well as a book about starting your own business, you can track which one your favoring and reading more. This will allow you to know where you need to catch up with the other to stay on track. 

Use your bullet journal pages to create a chart. Create a key, using each color to represent a certain book. On one side of your graph, number the days of the month, and on the other put page ranges or numbers.

This will help you track your daily reading right down to the number of pages you read per day. 

Incorporate a Book Log into Your Bullet Journal Today 

Try these book log ideas to start off the new year right, accomplishing all your reading goals. This is a great idea for any book worm, book club leader, or someone who wants to make reading a new priority in their life. 

For more advice, tips, and tricks when it comes to effective planning with your bullet journal, head to our site. 

Get Things Done! How Time Chunking Improves Productivity

By Elisi Studios

Just 7 percent of American workers say that they feel productive during working hours. We can guess that the rest struggle to get things done. 

You may have a long list of things to do. And yet, you get constantly distracted and never complete every task by the end of the day.

Are you desperate for another way of getting things done? Check out this blog to explore how time chunking could help you be more productive in your day. 

1. What is Time Chunking?

You may think you can actually multi-task constantly. Just get everything done all at the same time.

However, researchers at Stanford University have found that this doesn’t work. In fact, people who try to multitask could even impair their cognitive control.

But, that doesn’t mean that you need to slowly tackle one task at one time. You can adopt the time chunking method instead.

Rather than reading emails, answering the phone and cooking dinner at the same time, you chunk similar activities together.

For example, you could have a bunch of social media tasks to do today. You should chunk that by doing them all in the same slot of your schedule.

2. Keep Your Objective in Mind

When you’re tackling a task, you could quickly forget why you’re doing it. Just ensure that you’re reminded of your goal all of the time.

If you don’t remain goal-oriented, you could end up getting distracted by people’s requests for your attention or checking the news.

The goal may not need enough. You could need to give yourself more incentives to motivate yourself to keep going.

3. Planning the Chunks in Your Schedule 

It may not always be obvious which tasks can be “chunked” together. That’s why it’s so important to plan before you get started.

Once you have created your time chunks, you may have a few miscellaneous tasks. You can simply put these together at the end as a time chunk.

Then, you need to create a schedule to determine when you’re going to achieve your tasks. You can use blocks of time in your calendar to ensure that you get everything done.

4. Learn to Stay Focused  

Time chunking only works if you can focus. The constant checking of our smartphones has undermined our capacity to concentrate.

Wearing headphones or going somewhere quiet can help to avoid other people talking to you when you’re doing your tasks.

If you don’t need the internet for your task, turn off your computer and smartphone. They will only distract you further.

Time Chunking

Don’t confuse being busy all the time with actually getting things done. You’re not productive because you’re always working on tasks.

The time chunking method can help you to improve your results and get more done quicker. Now you know how it works!

Do you want to explore more ways that you can be more productive? Check out our blog with much more. 

Practical Bullet Journal Ideas to Keep You Motivated to Crush Your Goals

By Elisi Studios

Bullet journaling has become one of the most popular methods to organize your life, accomplish goals, and track your daily habits. Instead of buying dated planners that don’t cover each area of your life, you get to make your own journal.

Whether you keep it simple and minimalistic or prefer to add an artistic touch, a bullet journal is the best way to get your life in order. Journaling can make you more productive, happier, calmer, and better organized. It’s also therapeutic because your mind stays in the present moment and is focused on creating the spreads.

Here are the best bullet journal ideas you should try and watch your life change for the better.

Daily Log

Your daily log is a plan or a list of all the activities you have to do during the day. It’s not a long to-do list that you can’t get to the bottom of; instead, it’s a tracker where you plan your day into organized chunks.

Typically, a daily log consists of sections, including daily meals, morning/night routines, daily goals, activities, appointments, and notes. This will help you stay productive every day and see the progress you’ve made. 

Habit Tracker

If you’re trying to break an old habit or create a new one, a habit tracker is the best tool for the job. Seeing what your habits are every day will help you understand your patterns so you can slowly change them.

Start by making a list of the habits you want to implement for 30 days and each day, fill in one the entries with different markers.

Future Project List

Goal setting is easy, but accomplishing those goals takes a deep level of strength and dedication. Most bullet journal spreads include a future project list that outlines all the goals you have for the near future.

This spread will help you break down your goals into actionable steps so you can keep track of your progress. You can do this for a month, a quarter, or the entire year.

Mood Tracker

Your mood can change several times during the day and that’s normal. However, if you’re experiencing profound mood changes that affect your life negatively, you should try tracking your mood. Even if you want to actively improve your mood, a mood tracker can be a great bullet journal inspiration to see how far you’ve come.

You can make a color-coded list of moods and fill in each day. Then, at the end of the month, you’ll see the overall result. This is a great way to check-in with yourself and see if you need to change anything.

Brain Dump

Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed and overworked, grab your bullet journal and do a brain dump. This section doesn’t require any special drawing or planning skills.

All you do is write down every single thing that comes to your mind, from things to do to emotions, fears, plans, and things that bother you. Brain dumps work so well because they’re therapeutic and help you release all the stuff you’ve been carrying around.

These Bullet Journal Ideas Will Help You Be More Productive in the New Year!

Whether you’re making your New Year’s resolutions or just want to take control over your life, these bullet journal ideas will help you get organized and more productive.

Need more inspiration to succeed? Read this article to learn about the daily habits of other successful people and how you can implement them in your life.

Rapid Planning Method: How to Plan Your Day and Execute With Purpose

By Elisi Studios

Do you ever find that at the end of the day, you’ve spent the whole day working and somehow gotten nothing done? How often do you find yourself scribbling down random to-do lists on whatever piece of paper is on hand and then throwing it away, undone, at the end of the day? What if we told you there’s one quick method that can help you be more productive every day?

The rapid planning method can help you make the most of your time every day. Read on to learn more about how this method works and how you can use it to live life at your own pace.

Result

Step one of the RPM method is to ask yourself what result you really want. The more clear you can be on what you want from the day, the easier it will be to achieve that goal. Try to set SMART goals for your day.

Purpose

Once you’ve determined what it is you want, try to nail down why you want it. If you’re going to achieve difficult goals, you need to have something that’s motivating you to push through. Your purpose is your motivation, the touchstone you can go back to whenever you feel like quitting.

Massive Action Plan

With your result and your purpose in place, it’s time to come up with your massive action plan. This will be the steps you can take to make that result happen, always referring back to your purpose. This will help you devote your energy to efforts that will make a difference rather than wandering around aimlessly.

Commit and Schedule

Once you have your result, purpose, and massive action plan in place, the planning section of your rapid planning method is done. Now it’s time to commit to your plan and schedule a time to get it done. Prioritize the items that must get done, and schedule those things into your day.

Complete and Achieve 

This is where the rubber hits the road – follow your schedule and knock out the goals you’ve set for yourself. If you find yourself flagging and wanting to give up, refer back to your purpose. This will help you find the motivation to keep pushing, checking goals off your list. 

Celebrate

At the end of the day, don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments. Even if you didn’t get everything on your list done, celebrate the things you did complete. This positive reinforcement will help keep you motivated to pursue your goals in the future.

Learn More About the Rapid Planning Method

The rapid planning method can be a great way to increase your effectiveness and productivity and achieve your goals. Remember, start with your desired result, determine your purpose, and make your massive action plan. With those pieces in place, you’ll be amazed at how much you’re smashing your goals.

If you’d like to start being more productive in your own life, check us out at Elisi. We are here to help you live your life at your own pace. Try our app now and get more out of your life.


Theme Support

Elisi is loved by many users, as its functions hit a sweet spot for many bullet journal lovers. However, it seems that not everyone loves the default green color; many users have asked for the ability to change it.

As we aim to please, today, we are adding six new color combinations in addition to the default green, so you can now choose to have Elisi in purple, pink, yellow, blue and more. Of course, we recognize that this is just a small step towards making Elisi more personal, so feel free to send us suggestions about other ways you’d like to customize Elisi.

Sub-tasks

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.