Where most see a tool, she sees an art canvas; where many find complexity, she discovers potential. Hailing from the vibrant heart of the Philippines, Eljay crafts realms in Notion, the popular organizational tool, that many can only dream of.

In an age where mastery is often linked to experience, here’s a young maestro who stands defiant, with wisdom that belies her years. From the annals of his legendary Daily Agenda Template to the nuances of balancing academic rigors with the demands of being a Notion savant, Eljay’s journey is a testimony to the boundless possibilities of the digital age.

Join us as we step into Eljay’s world—a realm where creativity and code waltz in perfect harmony, where every pixel tells a story, and where the boundaries between the student and the creator blur into an exhilarating dance of passion and purpose.

Q: At just 16, you’ve become a Notion creator. What first drew you to Notion, and how did you begin your journey?

A: My mom introduced me to Notion when I was 13. It was a potential solution to the heavy workload I had as a first-year high school student. In elementary, we had “Homework Notebooks” which the school added to our subject notebooks list for keeping track of assignments and tests. That’s the system I used before and it wasn’t gonna cut it anymore.

When I first explored Notion, I hated it. I didn’t understand how to take advantage of all its features and it wasn’t working the way I wanted it to. So, I abandoned it for a few months and went to Google Keep.

I came back to it during the summer before my second year, after seeing videos of other people’s workspaces on YouTube. I would copy their set-ups block for block, then change anything I didn’t like. Eventually, I understood Notion well enough to create my own systems from scratch.

That’s what drew me to Notion, being able to design my own system and change elements whenever I wanted. I didn’t like being boxed into the systems of other apps. And, as people, how we work and achieve productivity can change as time goes on. What used to work before may not work now. Instead of having to adapt to a whole new app, you can just create one instead.

My mom likes to refer to the trackers and pages I create as “apps” because it really works kind of like that, creating your own personal app that works for whatever you need and changes with you.

Q: Tell us about the process behind creating your Daily Agenda Template. How long did it take, and what were some challenges you faced?

A: The Daily Agenda template is based off of one of my most used and longest-used pages in my Notion workspace. So creating it didn’t take that long because I essentially had the whole blueprint right there. I didn’t have to create it from scratch or brainstorm that much.

The most challenging part about creating the template has got to be being able to make it stand alone and explaining how it is used to the customer. I use the Daily Agenda by pasting it on every single page in my workspace like a little journal. It’s designed to work within other pages. That was difficult for me to explain, especially to people who aren’t super well-versed in Notion.

That kind of workflow also doesn’t work for everybody so I had to come up with a solution for people who may want a more centralized Daily Agenda when I made the template.

Overall, the making of the template was honestly the easy part. It was all the other things, the marketing, and the mockups, that I found more challenging.

Q: How do you personally stay organized and maintain productivity, especially juggling school and being a Notion creator?

A: I started creating during my summer break. All my focus and time has been put into being a Notion creator.

My first week of school is in a few days from me writing this so I’m just about to find out what it’s like to be a Notion Creator and have school.

If I had to come up with a game plan for how I’m gonna juggle everything, the first step would be establishing defined folders and systems for both areas. For example, I have a browser profile for @eljaysnotions and another profile for school.

The second step would be doubling down on planning my weeks and months. Planning is what helps me stay on track with the deadlines and ensure I make time for everything I need and want to do. Flexibility is still in the front of the mind though.

The third step is to use the time and energy management methods (e.g. GTD, Pomodoro, Batching) that work for me to accomplish things as efficiently as possible.

No idea if this is gonna work, might have to come up with something else when I discover how much the school workload is this year.

Q: Can you share a productivity hack or routine that you swear by?

A: Flowtime Technique, hands down.

It’s an alternative to the Pomodoro technique created by Zoë Read-Bivens. It aims to solve the problem most people have with Pomodoro which is the fixed timeframe that can either force you to work for longer than you can handle or is too short for you to get into the flow. With creative work, it is so hard for me to get into the flow because sometimes 25 minutes is enough and other times it isn’t. Using Flowtime, you start a stopwatch and focus on a single task, then work until you feel like you need to take a break. You really have to be in touch with your energy levels and thoughts while doing it.

It just gives me the feeling of being in control of my time. I find that so empowering and motivating.

If I could only live my life by one system or technique, it’d have to be this.

Q: With the templates you’ve already created, what’s next on your Notion creation journey?

A: Keep creating! I’ve got a lot of template ideas and content ideas I wanna try out. I aim to make my first paid template after doing a few more free ones, do my first launch on Producthunt, and do my first collab. I plan on trying out short-form video content too. I don’t really have a grand scheme of things goal that I’m working towards, it’s just learning and doing as I go.

Q: Being a young creator in a digital space must have its learning curves. Can you share a lesson you’ve learned along the way?

A: The biggest learning curve had to be discovering all the parts involved in creating in a digital space.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m young or it’s because I’m just new to being a creator, but I wasn’t aware there was so much that went into the whole thing. I had that misconception that all you had to do was make a template, put it up on Gumroad and that’s it. One and done.

It was only when I joined the Notion digital space that I found out you had to know how to market, how to design mock-ups, and more. You really have to wear a lot of hats and each hat has its own learning curve.

So the biggest lesson I learned has got to be being open to all the parts involved in whatever you want to do, and embracing the learning curves to make sure they don’t bend you out of shape.

Q: What’s your favorite way to relax or destress?

A: Watching movies and TV shows! I’m a huge fan of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place.

Q: How do you balance your personal life, school, and your role as a Notion creator?

A: The key to balance for me would be to treat things from all those areas in my life as important. In the past, I’ve had this tendency to prioritize school the most just because the consequences for not delivering are more in your face. If I don’t submit an assignment on time, I get a deduction. If I perform badly on tests, I get low grades. I think that’s why I end up throwing my personal life and any other areas out the window. There’s no one to scold me if I don’t get enough sleep (except my body maybe) or if I don’t post anything on social media.

My motivation for doing something had to change from the thought of consequences to the thought of progress & results.

And the number one thing I had to keep in mind is that all areas in my life are equally important and deserving of my time & energy.

Q: What advice would you give to other young individuals looking to create, innovate, or make a difference in the digital space?

A: You can start right now.

Early on, I sort of had this mindset that I didn’t know enough because I was still young. I thought I needed to know all these things that adults do in order to do what I want to do. I should just focus on academics and finish school, then that’s the only time when I can start creating in the digital space.

That isn’t true at all.

You do not need a degree to start publishing articles or selling products. And filling that knowledge gap is as easy as clicking the search button. Anything you don’t know yet, you do not have to wait 10 years to find the answer. You can find out right now.

You can have fun and experiment a lot more because there is way less pressure. And the longer you do it, the more you learn and the more sustainable it becomes in the long run.

Your age is an advantage!

Q: Can you share a goal or dream that you’re currently pursuing?

A: I want to publish books and become an author. I’ve been writing since I was 8 years old, basically half my life. Creating with Notion was something new I wanted to explore and I don’t intend on stopping, at least not anytime soon. Writing is just a calling within my soul that I want to fulfill.

As our conversation with Eljay draws to a close, we’re reminded of the limitless expanse of the digital frontier. In a world where age is merely a number, boundaries are but mirages and the tools of today become the canvases of tomorrow. With the zeal of a creator and the curiosity of a perpetual learner, Eljay defies conventions, melding together the spheres of student life and digital creation with an elegance that leaves us in awe.

Her tale is more than just an account of a young prodigy thriving in the digital space; it’s a beacon of inspiration for every dreamer, an assurance that with passion and perseverance, the realms of possibility stretch far beyond the horizon.