There is a dark side to dating: relying on digital dates. If you print a photo, write the date on the back in pencil (ink fades). If you label a file, ensure the date is in the filename, not just the "modified" metadata, because metadata gets stripped when you email a file or upload it to a cloud service.
The golden rule: The date must be human-readable without a computer. If you can look at the object and see 2025-05-20 with your naked eye, you have won.
Dating everything transforms fleeting moments and ephemeral changes into a navigable, accountable timeline — the simplest step toward clearer decisions, better learning, and reliable systems. date everything
If you want, I can:
This is the emotional heart of the habit. There is a dark side to dating: relying on digital dates
Journals and Notebooks: We all have half-filled Moleskines. Open the cover. Write "Started: March 12, 2025 - Paris trip" and "Ended: April 30, 2025." When your grandkids find these, a date turns a random notebook into a historical document.
Photos, Before the Cloud: You printed a digital photo? Great. Turn it over. Write the date, the place, and the people. "Uncle Joe, BBQ, 2019" is infinitely more valuable than "Old guy, food, summer." This is the emotional heart of the habit
Receipts and Warranties: You buy a blender. You register the warranty. You lose the email. Instead, staple the receipt to the manual, and on the outside of the manual, write "Purchase: 01/15/25 - Expires 01/15/27." Date the reminder.