Knowing that many people love or prefer paper, I’ve been studying the viability of an analog version of the Timeline System.

There is no separation of topics across different pages, sections, or anything like that. Everything is written in chronological order. I just write down today’s date and start taking notes. I haven’t decided yet, but I’m also thinking about including the time for each entry throughout the day, as long as things stay simple and intuitive. Basically, the entire notebook is the Timeline.

In the margins (image below), I add the Status indicator (Action or Static) as well as the tags or note type, simulating the type: property I use in my Obsidian. In my case, that means M (maker), b (blog), and so on. I’ve also established a rudimentary form of hypertext and other elements that mimic many of the conveniences of the digital world.

2026-07-02 09.43 TLS em papel.png

Although the core idea is already defined, the Symbols are still being added in a somewhat chaotic way. As I said, I want it to feel as natural as possible, so I haven’t established the best pattern for myself yet.

For example, what should come first in the margins: the Status icon or the note type? What about the date? On the right, left, or center?

I believe I’ll only figure out the best position for all these elements after writing a lot and having to go back to find something from the past. Anyway, I still want to make several adjustments, but I’ll soon publish a video for supporters on Patreon and YouTube sharing my first experiences.

P.S. The different ink colors mean absolutely nothing 😄. I was just experimenting and trying to find out which pen tip I liked the best. I ended up deciding on the blue one, but I wish the ink were black 🤪. Anyway, for now, it is what it is.