TLS
- Computador: Pastas
- Evernote: Cadernos
- Mundo Real: Caixas
- Obsidian: Pastas
- Definição de “Em Andamento”: Um item é considerado “em andamento” no momento em que entra na esfera de pensamento do usuário. Este status se aplica a todo o ciclo de execução: desde o estágio inicial de conceituação e planejamento (mesmo sem uma estrutura escrita) até a fase final de criação de conteúdo. Por exemplo, uma nota para um roteiro de vídeo pode começar de forma tão básica quanto um rascunho de título e permanecer “em andamento” até que o trabalho seja formalmente concluído (por exemplo, o vídeo é publicado) ou a ideia seja completamente abandonada.
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Movimento de Conteúdo vs. Container: Para manter a integridade estrutural para trabalhos futuros (por exemplo, futuros projetos de vídeo), a ação padrão é mover apenas o conteúdo (por exemplo, a nota do roteiro concluído) para uma estrutura de Container correspondente na prateleira da Timeline, em vez de mover a pasta inteira do projeto. Isso permite o movimento de conteúdo específico de um status para outro, mantendo a estrutura principal do projeto pronta para reutilização futura.
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Desativando Containers: Existem três cenários em que o Container inteiro deve ser desativado das prateleiras de Action ou Static e movido para a Timeline:
- A atividade é definitivamente abandonada e não será revisitada.
- A atividade foi uma tarefa única (por exemplo, um projeto curto e autocontido) para a qual a estrutura organizacional não é mais necessária.
- A categoria mais ampla de atividade que ele representa não está mais ativa ou relevante (por exemplo, cessar a produção de vídeo ou a consultoria de clientes).
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Os Papéis da Timeline: O conteúdo na Timeline nunca é descartado; ele tem um valor crítico ao cumprir várias funções:
- Referência de Longo Prazo: Serve como uma base de conhecimento ou memória abrangente, permitindo que os usuários consultem dados, documentos ou imagens antigas para conectar atividades passadas e informar o trabalho atual.
- Reutilização: Permite a recuperação e reativação de projetos passados. Se um cliente retornar, seu Container pode ser localizado e movido de volta para a prateleira Action para reutilização imediata.
- Arquivo Histórico: Armazena com segurança todas as informações, mesmo as que nunca mais sejam consultadas. Ao mover todo o conteúdo concluído para lá, o risco de perda de dados ou incerteza é minimizado.
- Propósito: Static Containers contêm materiais de suporte frequentemente usados ou constantemente consultados. Exemplos incluem uma base de conhecimento, documentos familiares ou manuais e modelos departamentais essenciais.
- Fluxo: O conteúdo na prateleira Static deve manter sua utilidade. Se um ativo (como um documento expirado) deixar de ser frequentemente usado, ele é movido para a Timeline para armazenamento de longo prazo, e o ativo atualizado ou novo é colocado na prateleira Static.
- Status e Contexto Instantâneos: Ao vincular o status (Action, Static ou Timeline) diretamente à informação (o Container), o sistema garante que o contexto necessário para entender uma atividade esteja sempre imediatamente disponível junto com seu estado atual. Não há necessidade de consultar uma lista de tarefas separada para saber do que se trata um projeto ou em que ponto ele se encontra.
- Fluxo Otimizado: O ato de mover conteúdo entre esses três estados definidos transforma o elevado custo de organizar em um reflexo simples e natural do ciclo de vida do trabalho (em andamento, suporte ou concluído).
- Computer: Folders
- Evernote: Notebooks
- Real World: Boxes
- Obsidian: Folders
- Definition of “In Progress”: An item is considered “in progress” the moment it enters the user’s active thought sphere. This status applies across the entire execution cycle: from the earliest stage of conceptualization and planning (even without a written structure) to the final phase of content creation. For example, a note for a video script can start as basic as a rough title and remain “in progress” until the work is formally concluded (e.g., the video is published) or the idea is completely abandoned.
- Content vs. Container Movement: To maintain the structural integrity for future work (e.g., future video projects), the default action is to move only the content (e.g., the completed script note) to a corresponding Container structure on the Timeline shelf, rather than moving the entire project folder. This allows for the movement of specific content from one status to another while keeping the main project structure ready for future reuse.
- Retiring Containers: There are three scenarios where the entire Container should be retired from the Action or Static shelves and moved to the Timeline:
- The activity is definitively abandoned and will not be revisited.
- The activity was a one-time task (e.g., a short, self-contained project) for which the organizational structure is no longer needed.
- The broader category of activity it represents is no longer active or relevant (e.g., ceasing video production or client consulting).
- Retiring Containers: There are three scenarios where the entire Container should be retired from the Action or Static shelves and moved to the Timeline:
- The Roles of the Timeline: Content in the Timeline is never discarded; it retains critical value by fulfilling several roles:
- Long-Term Reference: It serves as a comprehensive knowledge base or memory, allowing users to reference old data, documents, or images to connect past activities and inform current work.
- Reuse: It allows for the retrieval and reactivation of past projects. If a client returns, their Container can be located and moved back to the Action shelf for immediate reuse.
- Historical Archive: It securely stores all information that may never be consulted again. By defaulting all completed content here, the risk of data loss or uncertainty is minimized.
- Purpose: Static Containers hold frequently used or constantly consulted support materials. Examples include a Knowledge Base, family documents, or essential departmental manuals and templates.
- Flow: Content on the Static shelf must maintain utility. If an asset (like an expired document) ceases to be frequently used or current, it is moved to the Timeline for long-term storage, and the updated or new asset is placed on the Static shelf.
- Instant Status and Context: By linking the status (Action, Static, or Timeline) directly to the information (the Container), the system ensures that the context required to understand an activity is always immediately available alongside its current state. There is no need to reference a separate task list to know what a project is about or where it stands.
- Streamlined Flow: The act of moving content between these three defined states transforms organization from a cognitive burden into a simple, natural reflection of the work lifecycle (e.g., in-progress, support, or complete).
Timeline System: Uma Estrutura Unificada para Gerenciamento de Informações e Atividades
Autor: Vladimir Campos
Data: 10 de novembro de 2025
Resumo
O Timeline System apresenta uma metodologia de baixa fricção para gerenciar ativos digitais e físicos, estruturando informações com base no status da atividade. Em sua essência, estão os Information Containers (ou Containers), que definem três estados operacionais distintos—Action, Static e Timeline. Esta estrutura é projetada para gerenciar o fluxo de conteúdo, reduzir a carga cognitiva e unificar o gerenciamento de tarefas com informações em uso e conhecimento adquirido. Este artigo descreve a estrutura, o mecanismo e a aplicação prática do sistema.
en: The Timeline System: A Unified Framework for Information and Activity Management
1. Introdução: A Metáfora do Container
O Timeline System apresenta uma metodologia de baixa fricção para gerenciar informações com base no status da atividade. Em sua essência, estão os Information Containers (ou simplesmente Containers) — espaços virtuais que contêm informações relacionadas à mesma atividade, tópico ou projeto.
O sistema em si é definido por três estados operacionais distintos: Action, Static e Timeline.
Para simplificar a compreensão, este artigo emprega a metáfora da organização vertical. Imagine três prateleiras e caixas de papelão para ilustrar o movimento do conteúdo. É importante notar, no entanto, que essa metáfora é puramente descritiva, pois o mecanismo de armazenamento real varia amplamente em diferentes aplicações digitais (por exemplo, pastas, cadernos ou quadros).
2. Arquitetura do Sistema: Os Três Tipos de Containers
O Timeline Sistem define três tipos primários de Containers, cada um correspondendo a um status distinto no ciclo de vida de uma atividade ou ativo de conhecimento:
| Tipo de Container | Status | Função |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Em Andamento/Ativo | Atividades em andamento, projetos, trabalho, etc. em progresso. |
| Static | Suporte/Referência | Suporte de curto prazo e materiais frequentemente referenciados e que são necessários para as atividades diárias. |
| Timeline | Completo/Histórico | Atividades concluídas ou materiais de suporte de longo prazo. |
Fundamental para o Timeline System é o ato de mover notas ou pastas entre Containers para indicar uma mudança de status. Este mecanismo reduz a fricção e utiliza elementos visuais para o acompanhamento de atividades, redefinindo a organização digital ao fundir a passagem do tempo o gerenciamento de tarefas e a estruturação da informação.
Exemplos de como os Containers são representados em diversas aplicações:
3. Como Funciona: A Analogia da Prateleira
O sistema pode ser visualizado como uma estrutura com três prateleiras. Ao mover um Information Container (ou conteúdo dentro dele) de uma prateleira para outra, isso sinaliza uma mudança no status da atividade relacionada.
3.1. Action (A Prateleira Superior)
A prateleira superior é a superfície de trabalho. Ela contém os Action Containers — as caixas em uso e o trabalho efetivamente em andamento.
3.2. Timeline (A Prateleira Inferior)
A prateleira inferior serve como registro histórico. Uma vez que o trabalho é concluído no Action Container, seu conteúdo é movido para a Timeline.
3.3. Static (A Prateleira do Meio)
A prateleira do meio, posicionada entre Action e Timeline, é a prateleira Static. Ela abriga Static Containers — ativos que auxiliam nas operações diárias, mas não estão necessariamente vinculados a um marco específico do projeto. Estendendo a analogia da mesa, se a prateleira de Action representa a superfície de trabalho ativa, a prateleira Static pode ser comparada às gavetas abaixo, onde materiais de referência e suporte frequentemente acessados são guardados.
4. Conclusão
O Timeline System oferece uma estrutura robusta e adaptável ao unificar o controle de atividades e a organização da informação. Ao contrário de sistemas que separam o gerenciamento de tarefas do armazenamento de conhecimento, o Timeline Sistema trata o próprio Information Container como a unidade fundamental de trabalho.
Esta unificação oferece duas vantagens:
Ao definir claramente o status através dos tipos de Action, Static e Timeline Containers, o sistema oferece uma vantagem visual e cognitiva, unindo a passagem do tempo e a estruturação da informação em uma metodologia única e coesa.
The Timeline System: A Unified Framework for Information and Activity Management
Author: Vladimir Campos
Date: November 10, 2025
Abstract
The Timeline System presents a low-friction methodology for managing digital and physical assets by structuring information based on activity status. At its core are Information Containers (or Containers), which define three distinct operational states—Action, Static, and Timeline. This structure is designed to manage content flow, reduce cognitive load, and unify task management with both active information and retained knowledge. This paper outlines the system’s structure, mechanism, and practical application.
pt: Timeline System: Uma Estrutura Unificada para Gerenciamento de Informações e Atividades
1. Introduction: The Container Metaphor
The Timeline System presents a low-friction methodology for managing information based on activity status. At its core are Information Containers (or simply Containers)—virtual spaces that hold pieces of information related to the same activity, topic, or project.
The system itself is defined by three distinct operational states: Action, Static, and Timeline.
To simplify understanding, this paper employs the vertical organization metaphor. Imagine three shelves and cardboard boxes to universally illustrate the movement of content. It is important to note, though, that these conceptual tools are purely descriptive, as the actual storage mechanism varies widely across digital applications (e.g., folders, notebooks, or boards).
2. System Architecture: The Three Container Types
The Timeline System defines three primary Container types, each corresponding to a distinct status in the lifecycle of an activity or knowledge asset:
| Container Type | Status | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Action | In Progress/Active | Ongoing activities, projects, and immediate work in progress. |
| Static | Support/Reference | Short-term support and frequently referenced materials necessary for daily operations. |
| Timeline | Complete/Historical | Completed activities or long-term support materials. |
Central to the Timeline System is the act of moving notes or folders between Containers to indicate a change in status. This mechanism reduces friction and leverages visual cues for activity tracking, redefining digital organization by merging time awareness, task management, and information structuring.
Examples of how the Containers are represented across various applications:
3. How it Works: The Shelf Analogy
The system can be visualized as a structure with three shelves. By moving an Information Container (or content within it) from one shelf to another, this signals a change in the status of the related activity.
3.1. Action (The Top Shelf)
The top shelf is the working surface. It holds the Action Containers—the boxes in use and the active work in progress.
3.2. Timeline (The Bottom Shelf)
The bottom shelf serves as the historical record. Once work is finished in the Action Container, its content is moved to the Timeline.
3.3. Static (The Middle Shelf)
The middle shelf, positioned between Action and Timeline, is the Static shelf. It houses Static Containers—assets that assist in day-to-day operations but are not necessarily tied to a specific project milestone. Extending the desk analogy, if the Action shelf represents the active working surface, the Static shelf can be likened to the drawers beneath, where frequently accessed reference and support materials are kept.
4. Conclusion
The Timeline System offers a robust and adaptable framework by unifying activity control and information organization. Unlike systems that separate task management from knowledge storage, the Timeline System treats the Information Container itself as the fundamental unit of work.
This unification delivers two advantages:
By clearly defining status through the Action, Static, and Timeline Container types, the system provides a visual and cognitive advantage, successfully merging time awareness and information structuring into a single, cohesive methodology.
I’ve been gradually replacing my Action Containers subfolders and notes with Obsidian Bases tables. Each one has at least two views: (1) list of notes in progress, and (2) list of all notes of that kind. They are created using the status checkbox property.
Notes is a list of all my .md files (notes) in reverse chronological order.
As for Organizing Blog, that’s a table of posts I have to fix. Long story short, I made a mess when I imported my blog from Obsidian Publish and have been reviewing all my posts since. The status checkbox property is also how I can tell what notes I still need to work on.
Ando refletindo muito sobre a simplificação das pastas que tenho no meu #Obsidian. Apenas ‘pensando alto’… e se eu criar novas notas dentro de uma única pasta e usar visualizações do Bases para filtrar informações com base em propriedades? Tenho feito alguns testes e está funcionando muito bem.
O arquivo chamado Timeline.bases tem atualmente 5 visualizações. A principal é “Notes”, que mostra todas as minhas notas em ordem cronológica com base na data e hora que estão na propriedade “Date”. Depois tenho “Journal”, “Trips”, “GPL” e “Clientes”. Cada qual filtrando notas com base em propriedades específicas. Mas todas as visualizações têm em comum o uso da propriedade “Date” como filtro primário.
Com a ajuda do plugin oficial Unique Note Creator já estabeleci que todas as notas devem ser criadas na mesma pasta e basta configurar cada nova nota com as propriedades corretas.
Nada mudaria na forma de usar os três Containes de Informação do Timeline System—Action, Static e Timeline—, mas as informações dentro de cada um viriam de tabelas do Bases. Essa última parte é, definitivamente um pouco mais complicada e ainda não pensei em detalhes sobre o assunto, mas acredito que seja possível fazer.
Once I switched my site back from Obsidian Publish to Micro dot blog, I needed a way to make sure I had a copy of all my posts in #Obsidian. It would also be good to keep track of the progress of all the article and video ideas I have. After giving it some thought, I came up with a system that combines #Kanban and the Timeline System, and I’m excited about it.
O plugin Bases criou um super #Obsidian
O Bases é um plugin do próprio Obsidian que transforma informações que temos nas propriedades das notas em um banco de dados. Ele estava em beta há algum tempo e foi disponibilizado para o público recentemente, mas me comportei.
Tomei a difícil decisão de nem olhar para o Bases durante todo esse tempo porque estava aqui imerso em diversos projetos e sabia que se eu começasse a brincar com uma novidade dessas, eu nunca mais iria parar. Dito e feito. Hoje, comecei a investigar o recurso e, quando percebi, já tinham se passado algumas horas. Mas foi incrível. Já me ocorreram tantas ideias! Estou impressionado.
Obviamente, vou publicar diversos vídeos a respeito, mas ainda quero me familiarizar um pouco mais com as principais funcionalidades. Abaixo um pequeno teste demonstrando uma tabela criada com base em duas notas onde adicionei a data, quantidade de litros abastecidos, o total pago, o local onde abasteci e o título da nota.
Todas essas informações são propriedades e foi super simples montar um filtro para gerar a tabela acima. Outro detalhe importante é que essa tabela pode ser inserida em qualquer nota, como fazemos com diversos elementos do Obsidian.
Mas estou também testando algo mais avançado. Quero encontrar uma forma de filtrar tudo que está na minha Timeline sem precisar me preocupar com a estrutura de pastas que criei para viabilizar o Timeline System no Obsidian. Falei um pouco sobre isto no vídeo abaixo.
Enfim, o Bases representa um incrível avanço em termos de organização de informações no Obsidian.
Recentemente, fiz alguns ajustes em dois dos meus cofres no #Obsidian e me pareceu uma ótima oportunidade para demonstrar, em tempo real, como implemento o Timeline System.
O que é e como usar o Timeline System
O Timline System é um sistema que junta em um único local a organização de informações e o controle das nossas atividades. Há uma estrutura composta por três tipos de espaços, conhecidos como Containers de Informação. A movimentação de notas entre os Containers modifica o estado da atividade relacionada a cada Container.
Links
O que não tem solução, solucionado está.
A frase “o que não tem solução, solucionado está” aparece em diversos livros do meu autor predileto, Fernando Sabino. No caso dele, a impressão que fica é de que há certas cosias na vida que não podemos mudar e o melhor a fazer é aceitar. Porém, a minha visão a respeito dessa frase é um pouco diferente. Está mais ligada a algo que meu pai sempre diz: “Há solução para tudo, exceto a morte”.
Não sei se você já passou por isso, mas às vezes a nossa mente quase entra em pane de tanto tentarmos encontrar uma uma saída para um problema. Naquele momento, tudo parece terminar em barreiras insuperáveis, completamente impossíveis de serem contornadas.
Com o passar dos anos, aprendi algo que funciona muito bem tanto para a vida pessoal quanto profissional. Simplesmente vá fazer outra coisa. Foque em outro trabalho ou problema e, de repente, você ouvirá aquele click interior.
“Já sei!” 🎉
Isto acontece porque, ao alternar, o
Careful. This can mess up your Obsidian Vault settings.
What you are about to read is a real story that happened to one of my clients recently.
Let me start with some context. This is a person who was an Evernote user and who recently switched to Obsidian. He contacted me to help him with his company’s workflow and also with his personal life organization.
We started with the personal life part, and as I was showing him how to set up the Timeline System, I was also sharing some Obsidian good practices. There was a lot to do, and that’s why I was gradually introducing him to the system and adding plugins as he needed them. All that to say that it was a bit frustrating for him to see everything going away so easily.
When he shared his screen, the accent color he had already changed was back to the default purple, all the plugins were gone, and there were other small problems here and there. I could clearly see that something had happened to the Obsidian settings folder, but when I asked if he had done something to it, he told me he didn’t even know about it. Just in case, I decided
Refining my note-taking workflow—lessons from Evernote for Obsidian.
As someone who believes that serious note-taking needs a solid system, I’ve frequently encountered a challenge: effectively managing my ever-growing collection of notes.
Dynamically switching between multiple views of the same information is a strategy I used a lot in the past. However, I lost that when I moved to Obsidian, as I find its handling of lists of notes less intuitive than Evernote’s elegant approach.
I can’t think of any note-taking app that handles note lists quite like Evernote. Its “All Notes” list is essentially a dynamic filter displaying all your notes. If you’re an Evernote user, you’ve likely noticed that the list automatically refines as you click on notebooks, tags, and so on, transforming to show exactly what you need. This brilliant method of listing notes is something I truly miss in Obsidian.
When you select a notebook, tag, stack, etc. in Evernote, the items in the list are filtered to show only notes within that group. So much so that you can easily replicate this filtering using the advanced search operators.
For example, typing tag:tag-a in the search box yields the same list as clicking on the tag-a tag. Evernote’s AI-powered search functions similarly; the displayed items adjust based on the elements the AI selects to create the filter.
In Obsidian, however, filtering notes by a tag or using the search box will also list the items, but I’m limited in what I can do with the results. While I can clearly see the list, there’s no way to select all items and, for instance, add a tag to them or move that group of notes to a different folder.
In Evernote, this is not only possible but incredibly easy. You just select and move them to another notebook. While a limit on the number of selectable notes exists now, it wasn’t there before Evernote 10.
This clever way of displaying notes does come with technical challenges, though. For example, I believe the current selection limit was imposed because, in the past, moving long lists often led to significant conflicts.
Because there’s no easy way to filter notes in dynamic lists like in Evernote, I opted for subfolders within my Timeline System in Obsidian. But by doing so, I sacrifice a true timeline of my life’s events, as each type of information is located in a separate subfolder.
I haven’t tested Bases yet, but judging by the official documentation, it appears there’s no limit to the size of lists a Bases file can handle. If true, I’ll finally be able to build a real timeline by creating a single Timeline.base file that lists everything from the subfolders within my Timeline folder. Not only that, but I’ll have access to various dynamic filters within that Timeline.base file.
While I’d prefer not to, if the number of files proves too large for the new Bases feature to handle, I can always split it into yearly files: 2025.bases, 2024.bases, 2023.bases, and so on.
It will not be a perfect replacement for Evernote’s list of notes, as I will not be able to select multiple notes to add tags, move them elsewhere, and any other bulk action. But I’ll at least, have a real timeline and multiple possible filters.
The Bases feature is still in beta, and online discussions suggest the final public version will take some time. Meanwhile, I can ensure my Timeline notes have all their properties populated with the proper data, allowing my Timeline.base to beautifully simulate the visual effect of multiple views of the same list, just as I was accustomed to in Evernote.
Ultimately, my goal with the Timeline System is to create a note-taking system that truly adapts to how we think and behave, allowing us to interact with all the information we deal with in a fluid, intuitive way. Bases seems to be a promising step in that direction regarding using the Timeline System in Obsidian.
What about you? Any plans for the new Bases feature?
Como uso notas com tarefas no Obsidian
Um exemplo do dia a dia em que eu precisava juntar alguns documentos e depois solicitar outro documento via correios. Onde foi que guardei os documentos no Obsidian e como estou controlando o tempo de resposta via tarefas em uma nota.
Conteúdo Relacionado
Como controlar o vencimento de documentos usando o Obsidian.
Como organizo meus documentos pessoais no Obsidian para acesso rápido e, ao mesmo tempo, controlo a validade de cada um deles.
Conteúdo Relacionado
Como guardo no Obsidian um arquivo que usarei só no futuro
Há situações em que precisamos guardar informações para um futuro e não temos ideia exata de quando necessitaremos destas informações. No episódio de hoje, compartilho uma estratégia que utilizei no final de semana.
Lidando com anexos no Obsidian
O Moacir Junior deixou um comentário com uma pergunta sobre como lido com anexos no Obsidian e este é o tema do episódio de hoje.
Se você está fazendo, trata-se de um Action Container
Em uma sessão recente com um dos meus clientes, notei que ele criou uma pasta no Obsidian que não estava dentro de nenhum dos Containers de Informação. Será que isto faz sentido?
Three everyday situations where the Timeline System in Obsidian can help you
What I love about the Timeline System is how simple it is to change the status of an activity by simply moving a note from one place to another.
A friend recently came up with a challenge. He told me he would like to know how I would use the Timeline System to organize and keep track of two everyday situations.
Bring it on, I said.
The first one was about a concert. He would like to know what I would do with the PDF tickets, that were incompatible with his phone wallet. Since this is still in progress, it should be in the Action Container.
I’m pretty sure there are other approaches, but this is how I would do it. In fact, I’ve done it before a few times, and it worked pretty well. I think of events like this as trip activities, even though it is happening in the city where I live. So, the Action Container would have a format similar to the one below.
Where the folder ‘2025–04–25 Porto’ is the fake trip storing the concert tickets.
The other situation was an Amazon QR code he needed to show when returning a product. Since this one has no specific date, I’d simply keep it loose inside the Action Containers folder. Without a specific subfolder, it will be easier to find, and it will be an inconvenience working as a natural reminder every time I go to Obsidian to check my activities inside my Action Containers.
It’s a scenario very similar to what I’m currently doing (see video below) with the #Nadsat Glossary that I have to keep around to be able to read A Clockwork Orange.
What I love about the Timeline System is that all the above situations are notes that will eventually be moved to the Timeline container (folder). This will remove them from the list of activities in progress and, at the same time, keep them naturally organized in a place that I can go to retrieve information.
I ended yesterday’s video telling you I had an idea that got me really excited. Actually, it’s a plan that combines two visions into one. First of all, I realized that instead of doing all the complicated maneuvers to synchronize only my Action Containers, I could create and synchronize a new vault just for my Action Containers and keep everything else, including the Timeline, in the current vault.
When it comes time to move a file to the Timeline, I can do so using the computer file system. This will have no impact on the way the Timeline System works, and I may be able to come up with an automation in the future to move completed actions to the Timeline on the other vault.
The second part of the plan is to put this new vault in the Supernote SD card. This not only keeps me from using all the Supernote internal storage space with my vault, but also opens up countless possibilities. I’ll show some of them in more detail in an upcoming video, but here’s an example.
Imagine that I sketched a project on Supernote and wanted to add that to a note on Obsidian. In the past, I would have to synchronize the image using Google Drive, for example, then, on my computer, drag it to Obsidian. I can now do it right there on the Supernote.
It’s just a matter of exporting it as a PNG and saving it to the folder where my Obsidian vault is. This will make it instantly available to use on Obsidian, which, in turn, will also synchronize with my computer and phone. Mind-blowing!
The inspiration behind the Timeline System
A brief history of the pitfalls and struggles that ended up leading me to create the Timeline System. And how Evernote helped me twice.
Years ago, when I worked for big corporations, I quickly realized how much of a problem it was not to have a good system for organizing information and keeping up with activities.
After trying many existing options, it became clear to me that they often felt rigid and unnatural, forcing users to adapt to the system rather than the other way around.
The closest I got to something that would work in a more intentional way was Agile, which I studied for many years. I ended up adapting some of its core concepts to Kanban boards, which I still use to help companies. But it is far from ideal for managing life. Anyway, this learning experience led me to Kaizen, which also heavily influenced the way I see mindful work.
Back to my journey. I knew my system needed to output information based on how we move things around. In addition to that, it had to do more than one thing with a single action from us, the users.
Some examples of the system accomplishing that are the auto-updated number of notes in the Action Containers and the dynamically created list of tasks, as shown in the video below.
Another important “discovery”, was the realization that time passes. In other words, there’s nothing we can do about it.
Time. Will. Pass.
The good news, is that it will democratically happen in the same way for all of us. However, if there’s no way to slow it down, accelerate it, or go back or forward, we are nothing but slaves to time. In other words, the most accurate representation of our lives is a timeline.
The third element was the recognition that human memory is much worse than many of us believe it to be. There are several great books on this topic, but there’s one I enjoyed the most: Memory Illusion by Julia Shaw. And that’s why I strongly believe that a system will only be truly efficient if it starts with good note-taking.
If we put all the above together, we have the Action Containers representing all the work in progress and, at the same time, clearly showing us the number of activities going on. Then, there’s the Static Containers, which help us with all the information we constantly need and wish we were able to always remember. Think of them as a memory caches.
Finally, there’s the Timeline, to where everything goes. That’s your long-term memory. It’s a representation of everything that happened in your life. And because it is chronologically ordered and categorized with tags, you can go to a specific moment and that will trigger other memories. Going there is like recollecting facts when someone shows you a picture of something you don’t remember happening. It’s almost a flashback experience.
If you haven’t, please watch the video below. It will help you understand the Timeline System dynamics.
Ditching the Kanban Board
Although notes are a much better way to store information, a Kanban board is unbelievably better at representing the current state of activities in progress. One might think that it is possible to address the problem by making cards as rich in information as notes. That’s technically possible using, for example, an Obsidian plugin that I tried for a while. However, it ends up creating another issue. We would require a multitude of boards to manage all aspects of our lives, which, in turn, makes the system excessively complex.
Notes it is
If you look back to my first videos, you will notice how I was struggling with making it work with multiple Filtered Notes Widgets on Evernote Home. I could never find a seamless solution, and Evernote made my life even harder when they removed Home from the mobile client. Yes, I’m aware that it is still there, but it is so many clicks away that it feels like it is not there.
Anyway, that forced me to go back to using the Shortcuts area to replicate the mess I created on Evernote Home. Little did I know that its constraints would push me in the direction of figuring out the solution that I had been seeking for a considerable amount of time. Interestingly, many years ago, after fighting with how Evernote organizes our notes, I realized how powerful chronology is.
Evernote’s features probably make it the best place to run the Timeline System, but I didn’t want it to be exclusive to one app. So the next step was to make it as simple as possible to enable it to run in as many apps as I could.
That was not an easy task, but to be honest, the hardest part has been figuring out a way to explain how the system works and all its benefits in a way that it’s easy to understand. After so many years, it all happens naturally when I’m doing things or teaching my clients. But putting that in words has been a challenge.
Anyway, after the first video explaining how to set it up on Evernote, there’s now the one below explaining how I’m using the system on Obsidian.
First, explain what it is, then make it look nice
Picasso once said, Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working. In other words, one must be doing it — putting itself into the zone — to finally find the solution.
This is evident in Picasso’s museum in Málaga, Claude Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, or Van Gogh’s museum in Amsterdam, where you can see these master’s art in a chronological order, starting from the beginning of their careers.
It’s been a while since I’ve published anything on my blog, but this doesn’t mean I’m not writing. On the contrary, I’ve been incessantly working on my book. But that, on the other hand, doesn’t imply that I’ve made a lot of progress. In reality, it was only today, after starting the third draft, that I was finally happy with the book format.
In addition to Picasso’s mantra, what helped me find my way was a strategy I use when I can’t figure out a solution. What frequently helps is to first explain what it is, then make it look nice. Ironically, that doesn’t seem like it applies to understanding art.
Anyway, when I restarted the book for the third time, I did it from the middle, explaining what the Containers of Information are. It was then that I gradually began noticing that parts of it connected to many things I had already written in the two previous drafts, which I started repurposing.
Another strategy I tried was to use Obsidian Canvas to create a simple diagram of how the book should be structured. That’s what you see at the beginning of this video, but that was also a first draft. I moved those boxes around a lot and created new ones until I finally found the structure I was looking for.
Some people might see it as working twice or three times, as it was in this case, but if that means a book structured in a way that’s easier to understand, I’m fine with it. Furthermore, the parts that have already been written are being put to good use in a different order in this new version, which leaves me with a mystery to solve: how could authors do it with typewriters or, before that, pen and paper?
Those were the real geniuses.
✍️ PS. If you are not familiar with the Containers of Information concept, you can learn more about it by watching the first part of the video below. Even if you are not an Obsidian user.