By Matus Horniacek, MIB Shanghai
The Ephemeris, a productivity journal sold around the world to those seeking the right guide in their life, was created through my own needs. At a young age, I started traveling a lot, and I used to write down my memories on paper so that in the future I could come back to what had been written and be able to see how I had changed. Later on, I started to work full-time while I was in college, and my life became a total mess. I didn’t have time, not only for my priorities but also to simply stop and think about my life. I was jumping from one task to another without thinking about the benefits or disadvantages of any given thing. The direction my life was heading became vague and blurry. Despite the fact that I was reading books about personal growth and productivity, I never stuck to any technique described. I did try them, and some turned out to be efficient, but I was never able to keep them as a habit and observe improvements in my life long term.
I started using online productivity tools as a remedy. However, I ended up creating never-ending “TO DO” lists, which made me feel depressed when I was not able to complete them on time, if ever. Also, through my own experience, I realized it was rude to use your phone during any business meeting even if it was to type notes for records. That’s when I came up with the idea of having a paper-based journal which can represent you while you have it on the table. The benefit of this would be two-fold, not only would it still be possible to take notes, but by bringing a physical journal, it certainly indicates your interest in the person and the meeting.
As I researched the design of a productive journal, I discovered that there is scientific backing for my desire to create this type of journal. A study published in May 2014 by Psychological Science conducted by Pam A. Mueller of Princeton University and Daniel M. Oppenheimer of the University of California Los Angeles explained that different types of cognitive processing occur in our brains when we write by hand as opposed to taking notes on a laptop. What the study shows is that when a person types they copy a speakers words verbatim whereas when taking notes on paper an individual will process information and reframe it in their own words which greatly benefits retention.
Through the knowledge, I gained via my personal experience as well as the research I conducted I decided to create Ephemeris. A journal based on the techniques used and explained by Robin Sharma, Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Ferris, Tony Robbins, and many more authors, to increase my productivity and put myself on track to success.
Thanks to the Ephemeris journal I can monitor and improve my habits. The journal regularly reminds me to take care of my fitness level and health as well as stay on top of various work assignments. The variety of different quotes on its pages keep me motivated daily, along side the weekly and monthly reviews which help me to adjust my plans towards my larger goals and allow me to see my improvements tangibly.
However, the journal has a challenging issue – if you want to see the real results, daily usage is a must. Without daily usage, the journal will not serve its intended purpose because without regular monitoring success is always harder to achieve. It is essential to plan your day before you go to sleep and follow it throughout the day for proper use of the journal.
As the creator what I have found most surprising about Ephemeris Journal is the community that is being built around it. If there is something you have to suggest or complain about – we are glad to review it and implement the corresponding changes, increasing overall experience and improving the product. When hearing stories how it helped others to change, it makes me feel happy and even more motivated to work on and spread the word about it.
At the beginning of July, we released the second part of the Ephemeris Journal. If you believe this journal is for you, or think it might be but still have questions do not hesitate to contact me at mhorniacek2017@student.hult.edu, or via our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ephemerisjournal.
The Hultian 