afoo

Six slots.
One day.

I wanted a calmer workday, so I built a productivity app on the Ivy Lee Method, with a nod to Bauhaus design. Six tasks for today, six planned for tomorrow, and a midnight reset that moves tomorrow's plan into place.

Open Elf How it works

Chrome extensionWeb appiPhoneWorks offline

Elf on iPhone: the Priority list with four tasks, one being dragged into a new position, and two empty slots

Tasks 00/06 completed today

Priority /Planned

Two lists, six slots each. Priority is today. Planned is tomorrow, and you fill it tonight.

Pin today's sixPriority holds no more than six tasks. Empty slots stay visible, so the limit is always in view.

Drag to rankThe order is the plan. Drag a task up or down until the most important one is on top.

Plan tomorrow tonightPick up to six tasks on Planned. At midnight they become tomorrow's priorities.

Elf's Planned tab: six empty slots under the heading Six slots. One day.

00:00 every night

Resets at midnight

Finished tasks are archived and unfinished ones move to Leftover. Nothing piles up, and nothing gets lost.

Finished

→Complete

Done is done. Finished tasks are archived where you can look back at them.

Unfinished

→Leftover

Anything you didn't get to waits in Leftover, so you can decide where it goes next.

Deleted

→Poop

Deleted tasks land here for three days. Tap restore to bring one back.

Elf's Leftover screen: All caught up, no leftover tasks from previous days — **Leftover**"Nothing left over. The dog bowl's licked clean."

Elf's Poop screen: deleted tasks are kept for three days and can be restored — **Poop**"Squeaky clean. Nothing to scoop today."

The method since 1918

Ivy Lee /Elf

01Write six

The six most important things to do tomorrow. No more.

02Rank them

Put them in order of real importance.

03One at a time

Start at the top and finish each before moving on.

04Carry over

Unfinished tasks move on. In Elf, midnight handles the move.

In 1918, the consultant Ivy Lee gave Bethlehem Steel's president, Charles Schwab, this routine: at the end of each day, write down the six most important tasks for tomorrow, in order, then work through them one by one. Elf keeps the routine and automates the handover.

Capture saved while you browse

Bookmarks /Knowledge /Workflows

Elf also keeps what you find while you work: links worth keeping, passages worth remembering, and the routines you repeat.

Elf's Bookmarks: saved links with tags and share buttons — **Bookmarks**Links with tags, one tap to share.

Elf's Knowledge: notes and selections captured from web pages — **Knowledge**Select text on any page and it joins your knowledge base.

Elf's Workflows: a saved workflow with seven steps — **Workflows**Routines you repeat, saved as step-by-step SOPs.

Elf's New Workflow form: name, detail, steps and tags — **New workflow**Name it, add steps, tag it. Swipe a step to delete it.

Account make it yours

Pick your Elf

App icon choices: Elf, Sweater and Bauhaus

Three app iconsElf, Sweater, or the Bauhaus dog.
Light, dark or systemFollows your device, or set it yourself.SystemLightDark
Signed cardsYour name signs the bottom of the cards you share from Capture.
A walkthroughReplay the tips on every screen whenever you like.

Sync works offline

Three places, one list

01Chrome extension

Capture bookmarks and selections while you browse.

02Web app

Plan your day at elf.afoo.app.

03iPhone

Your six in your pocket, online or off.

Questions

What is the Ivy Lee Method?

A productivity routine from 1918: at the end of each day, write down the six most important tasks for tomorrow, rank them, and work through them one at a time. Unfinished tasks carry over.

What happens at midnight in Elf?

Tomorrow's planned tasks become today's priorities. Finished tasks are archived, unfinished ones move to Leftover, and deleted tasks stay in Poop for three days in case you want them back.