✍️ How to make a lab notebook like a Scientist
by ReneeInspired · 41 things on Twos
- Lab Notebooks | Sam Bleckley
- This is how I want to start documenting my projects. Since starting n8n and some other big projects, I have been finding myself lost. It is difficult to even go to lunch because I am afraid of losing my place in the project. Below is Sam's notes for documenting a project like a scientist does.
One of the most important parts here is to doing it before and during, not after.
- ✍️ Always in Pen
- Don’t erase past thoughts — preserve your thinking process.
- Use a single strike-through for mistakes.
- Your system/code is the resul* — this is the story of how you got there.
- ⏳ Always During
- Write as you work, not after.
- Include:
- What you’re trying to solve
- What you plan to try
- What you expect to happen (yes, even “I don’t think this will work…” is valid)
- If you change course mid-way, log the deviation and why.
- 🔁 Always Forward
- Don’t revise old entries — correct mistakes in a new day’s entry.
- Reference the earlier note:
- “See Aug 1 – turned out to be wrong”*
- Keep your trail of thought intact and transparent.
- 📑 Keep a Table of Contents
- Reserve the top of the note for a TOC (or first section in Craft).
- List:
- Entry dates
- Short titles or summaries
- Links or jump links (if using headers)
- 📆 Keep a Habit
- Start of Day
- Re-read the last entry
- Write what you intend to do today
- End of Day
- Record what actually happened
- Update your TOC
- 🧼 Summarize When Necessary
- If your notes get messy or scattered:
- Create a new summary entry
- Clarify what worked, what didn’t, where you ended up
- Mark this entry clearly in the TOC for future reference
- 📦 Store Safely
- At the end of a project, label the Lab Notebook clearly
- e.g. “ConvertKit Welcome Flow – Lab Log [v1]”
- Keep it accessible with your Forever Notes
- Reference it whenever revisiting or rebuilding