While “The WorkFlowy Timeline” will walk you through a complete system to manage all of life’s to-do’s, projects, events, checklists, reminders, recurring tasks, backlogs, worries, etc., etc,… many of the principles therein can be applied to the art of scheduling in practically any app or task-management system. Even if you’re married to your current system, there’s a LOT that will inspire you in this book.

Scores upon scores of my coaching clients have put the timeline system through its paces and have come out the other side—in a matter of days—with significantly less stress, overwhelm and task overload anxiety. The benefits to this system have been dramatic to say the least. I’ll be sharing with you everything I’ve implemented and lived out for over a decade now.

Some of the standout features of the “Timeline” system:

1. It's impossible for anything to fall through the cracks or get misplaced, since everything lies ahead of you on the timeline and streams toward you one day at a time. It’s a system you can really trust as you begin to make one micro decision after the other.

2. No more cluttered inboxes to sift through. Your timeline doubles up as an inbox.

3. Backlogs no longer exist. Your backlogs now become "forward logs". This and similar such dynamics give one a huge psychological lift.

4. There are no lengthy reviews and planning sessions for the week ahead, because the system has a built-in, rolling review... so that you always know where you've come from and where you're going, a step at a time.

5. Everything actionable lives on your timeline—not in hierarchies some place far away—all your ducks in a row. And yet you get to exercise all the productivity concepts that you've already learned. For instance, your timeline gives you unprecedented flexibility for the Kanban-like pushing and pulling of items so that you can limit your work in progress and focus on the stuff that's important to you. You also get to continue with the typical Kanban workflows within projects, along with GTD-like organization. 

6. The timeline system also deals with recurring events and reminders in an elegant way. 

7. Admin is cut down to just a couple of minutes at the end of the day when planning for the day ahead. This is because the timeline system intuitively gets you to make micro decisions each step of the way. There's never a sense of falling behind or having too much on your plate. All you have in front of you are the tasks that you've actively chosen to engage with. Everything else gets deferred to the next opportune, reasonable or logical space along your timeline.

Etc. There are numerous other advantages to working off a timeline. It's simple enough to use without any prior productivity systems knowledge... and flexible enough to bring together whatever systems and flywheels you want to hold onto. It lines everything up and declutters your digital brain so that not only do you always know what's up next... but visually, that is all that grabs your attention.

I've spent years with too much to do. My attempts at finding a solution has been to be super organized. Notes in the right place. Project plans well designed, and ready to refer to. Reference materials ready at hand. But turning this organization into ACTION? That's been a different challenge. Over the years I've used many systems and software to help get stuff done. Todoist. Trello. Evernote. Notion. Calendar + Tasks. I've also set up my own task management system in WorkFlowy. Despite the best intentions, somehow the tools weren't the answer... there was still too much to do.

Enter Frank Degenaar, and his Timeline system. It's a thing of beauty. Not only aesthetically, but in its simplicity. What the Timeline system does is something NONE of the other tools have done for me. It removes the need for weekly planning and reviews. It keeps what matters... current. It releases the pressure to 'get loads done'. I suspect, for Frank, the most frustrating thing about his idea are that (a) it's so simple it's under-appreciated, and (b) it can't really be fully appreciated until it's used. So, if what I've written here is at all useful... all I can do is to encourage you to use it. And I hope it gives you the same sense of clarity, control and calm as it's giving me.

— Chris Gardener, business mentor & investor, UK

The WorkFlowy Timeline is sparking profound transformation in my life! I discovered the timeline process through Frank Degenaar's webinar back in June, started building my own timeline and pre-ordered his book. The webinar had given me enough information to start the process, and once I read the book, everything fell into place.

Setting up the Workflowy Timeline was a breeze, and I quickly found that its simplicity belies its power. This system is not just easy to maintain and adapt; it's trustworthy. It's now my go-to method for handling tasks and projects, helping me stay organized and allowing me to make informed decisions about how I use my time.

Based on recommendations from the book, I also added a journal to my timeline system. Easy access to a journal that lives alongside my productivity system has been a revelation. The journal has become a powerful tool to work through resistance, discover needed changes and understand my limits better.

Thank you, Frank, for this transformative system and the incredible insights it's provided!

— Tanya Mills, music teacher/ photographer, Tübingen, Germany

I can't express how transformative 'The WorkFlowy Timeline' by Frank Degenaar has been for me. The productivity process outlined in the book, centered around the use of Workflowy, has truly revolutionized the way I manage my tasks and projects.

Before discovering this method, I often felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of tasks and information I needed to juggle daily. However, with the guidance provided by 'The WorkFlowy Timeline,' I've gained a new sense of control and clarity. The structured approach of using WorkFlowy as the central tool has helped me streamline my thoughts, prioritize effectively, and track my progress effortlessly.

What I particularly love about the book is how it breaks down complex ideas into actionable steps. Frank's writing style is approachable and engaging, making it easy for readers to implement the concepts he presents. The integration of real-life examples and case studies further solidifies the practicality of the methodology.

Thanks to this productivity process, I've not only become more organized and efficient, but I've also found myself with more time to focus on the things that truly matter. From managing personal projects to excelling in my professional endeavors, 'The WorkFlowy Timeline' has been an indispensable guide that continues to yield positive results.

I wholeheartedly recommend 'The WorkFlowy Timeline' to anyone looking to enhance their productivity, simplify their workflow, and regain control of their time. Frank Degenaar's insights have proven to be a game-changer, and I'm immensely grateful for the immediate and positive impact this book has had on my life."

— Ricky, Software developer, Vancouver, BC.

Frank has a way of simplifying things that’s just amazing. The content of this book is as elegant and mind-blowing as the timeline itself.

— Kristian Borglund, content strategist, Sweden

Being a list-maker, Workflowy is right up my alley. I am a stay-at-home mom who has been homeschooling for 25 years. List making is what I do – for home, for homeschool, for projects, for books I've read, etc. But my problem is that every system I have set up in the past has had so many moving parts that it is hard work to not only keep it running but to find things when I need them. I also had much of my planning and organizing spread out across multiple apps, calendars, files on my computer, etc. Enter....Frank, his books, and WorkFlowy! I have read Frank's other books and they were inspiring as I began to dabble in WorkFlowy. But this one hit the mark in helping me see how I can not only use Workflowy to organize all my information, to do's, etc., but to do it in a way that is productive, streamlined, all in one place, and easy to maintain. Thank you, Frank, for sharing what you have learned – making a timeline that not only gets things done, but allows me to live life to the full every day, keeping my priorities where they need to be!

— Sheri Graham, Kansas, Homeschool mom, Entrepreneur

Of Frank’s 3 books, "The WorkFlowy Timeline," is the icing on the cake. The efficiency and time-saving attributes this book introduced were simply phenomenal. Its impact was so profound that I am on my third reading. I wish to extend my deepest gratitude to Frank Degenaar for sharing these invaluable insights. His books have not only improved my proficiency in WorkFlowy, but have also enhanced my daily life, enabling a harmonious balance between my fervor for development and my personal life as a software developer.

— Alain Tardiff, software designer, Orléans, France

I want to show some love to Frank for this book. Absolutely loved it. I’ve already been using the Tickler system for a long time as a system I dip in and out of. What this book has done for me, though is 1) help me for the first time to use time blocks effectively. 2) not batch everything and carry it through my system day by day as a backlog. Basically Frank has brought all the logic together, and I’m really liking it. It has to be super lightweight for me to get any milage… and this is. I also love that it’s all taking place on the first layer and its 'shallow'. In the past, I have always reverted back to using the home page as where I work from, and then tidy up later… and this system has captured that brilliantly. I’m really impressed and super grateful also for the colour schemes etc. I’ve more or less copied them. My brain just doesn’t do so well with bringing those categorical organizational elements together, so actually the book just really helped me see how Frank does it and where necessary just lift that into my system. I’m super stoked and working really well with it now too. Thanks so much for working on this.

— Nick Catton, Creative Process Coach, El Hierro, Canary Islands

I think the tag line for Frank's new book "The WorkFlowy Timeline" motivated me to not only buy the book but sign up for a coaching session! The tag line boldly states, "Line up and live out your life, one micro decision at a time". I declared about 20 years ago that I planned to live to 100. I'm in the third-quarter of that goal and Workflowy has always been one of those tools that has made my work more enjoyable because of WorkFlowy gurus like Frank. Sitting through my coaching session and learning the insight that went into this book, I really believe that the WorkFlowy Timeline is destined to not only help me fully live out my life, but also create a legacy for my grandchildren by helping me capture and implement my hopes for their lives! I wonder if there's a WorkFlowy Eternity version in the works. LOL.

— Bradley Utpadel, Chief Content Creator, The Place Network, Minnesota

I've tried pretty much every productivity system going, from GTD to PARA to time blocking to etc. etc.. They all suffer with one flaw – either they are really good bottom up (tasks and projects) or really good top down (goals, etc). Not many get both right. The power of the WorkFlowy Timeline is its flexibility to do both from day to day, breaking down top-down and bottom-up decisions in micro steps. It works because it comes from a neutral perspective: the one constant in life is time, which is put at the core of the Timeline system. It means we can put both bottom-up and top-down decisions/ activities into play with time as the rhythm.

As an Engineering Director, I have to lead the setting of what we need to achieve (the top down) with the practicalities of life (bottom up) and so my system has to handle both. Just been reading 'Systems Thinking Made Simple' by Derek Cabrera, and in his four simple rules (DSRP), the Systems rule (S) is "Any idea or thing can be split into parts or lumped into a whole" – bottom up and top down. I would thoroughly recommend a deep read of this book as the WorkFlowy Timeline really embeds these rules naturally and intuitively.

— Simon Scott, Engineering director, Canada

Confession time: I've had a WorkFlowy account for almost 12 years and had hardly used it. Sure, the odd checklist here and there and some project outlines, but that was it. I'd read Frank Degenaar's "Do Way More with Workflowy" book when it came out and was fascinated by the possibilities, but at that time I was too invested into my (then) Evernote & Trello system.

I kept Frank on my radar. When his Journaling book came out, I bought and read it, and used a bunch of his ideas in my Evernote journal. Now, out of tradition (and because I enjoy his writing), I bought the Timeline book. I read it for the 1st time to get a feel for the information contained. It was both fascinating and engaging to read. During the 2nd pass I tried to recreate all the ideas and nuggets in my current Evernote & AmazingMarvin setup. I got close, but there were a bunch of workarounds and extra steps needed, so I thought, "Why not try the Timeline setup in my existing WorkFlowy account?"

That's what I did during read #3. I implemented as much as possible in WorkFlowy while running my pseudo-timeline system in the old tools in parallel. Well, that lasted for 2 or 3 days until I got sick of the extra duplicate work and switched to WorkFlowy as the main driver. I've worked through the book again (read #4) to catch anything I missed and with a new perspective after a couple of days of use.

The last week has been eye-opening. It's so cool to see things fall into place in the timeline, making those micro-adjustments as things change, catching oneself and pushing some activity to another (better suited) day because the shape of a day's activity is so obviously visible in the timeline. And, the biggest benefit, which is such a mindbender, is having all the relevant information right in the timeline – not in some far-away nested areas of responsibility structure. Now, after only a couple of days experience with the Timeline system in WorkFlowy, I shudder at the thought of the app/tab switching I had to go through when simply trying to plan my next day and coming up with my list of next actions. Looking at my GCal, checking an Evernote note nested in some Notebook, switching over to AmazingMarvin to create the task... checking again in Evernote to then add subtasks to Marvin etc.

This truly hit home. Of what use are notes with lots of intentions, protocols, well-formulated action steps? Beautiful tombs (as Frank described it) in some areas of responsibility section that one never does look at, compared to that paradigm shift of having those ideas/plans right there in the timeline.

It'll probably still take a while for me to utilize all the opportunities with mirrored bullets, templates and then the Script Powerpack that I want to get in the future, but what I have in place now, is already way better than what I've used for the last few years.

Again, after the positive experience I've had so far, I can't see myself going back to my old system. Thank you Frank for sharing this awesome simple, yet deep and elegant system.

— Marko Zirkovich, music teacher/composer/producer, Sigless, Austria

I am thrilled to share my experience with Frank Degenaar, whose book The WorkFlowy Timeline has been an absolute game-changer for me. Not only did the book provide valuable insights into managing time effectively, but Frank also went above and beyond by offering a free coaching session as part of the package. He has an incredible ability to see through the clutter of life and distill complex processes into simple and clear steps. The way he explains the intricacies of time management and the integration of Workflowy is nothing short of remarkable. His book doesn't just scratch the surface; it delves deep into the techniques and strategies that can truly transform the way you approach your daily tasks.

What sets Frank apart is his genuine dedication to helping others succeed. The free coaching session I received after purchasing the book was a testament to his commitment to his readers' success. During the coaching session, he patiently addressed my questions and concerns, tailoring his advice to my unique situation. His personalized guidance gave me a clear roadmap to implement the principles outlined in the book. I first discovered Frank through his extensive YouTube videos and am able to continue to ask questions on the user Slack chat that he's set up.

If you're looking to take charge of your time and achieve a level of productivity you never thought possible, I wholeheartedly recommend Frank's book and coaching services. His ability to simplify the complex and provide actionable insights will leave you empowered and equipped to tackle any challenge that comes your way. Thank you, Frank, for helping me reclaim my time and transform my life!

— Kim Barke, Creative Director, Claverack, NY

One of the most radical ideas (for me) from Frank's book is that putting your stuff in a top-down storage system like PARA (which I've been using) forces you to build in ponderous review and maintenance tasks into your workflow, whereas simply allowing everything to live in your timeline at the most "reasonable" and "opportune" point in time will not only remove this ponderous review requirement, but will actually make sure you see everything... and only when you need to/ plan to see it.

It's a simple enough idea, but it requires me to reevaluate this notion that my personal life needs to be organized like a library - nice and neat, by topic, top-down. But face it I have, and I have seen repeatedly over the summer that this very simple system just works. I see things when I need to see them, and not before.

— Zach Blocker, Software Development Professional, Massachusetts