Determine a starting and ending point for your timeline. A timeline about the life of a famous person might start with her birth and end with her death. A timeline for a business project might start with today's date and end with the project's due date.
Brainstorm a list of all the most important points in your timeline. Arrange them chronologically or in the order they need to happen. Following the famous person example, this might include the dates of her most significant accomplishments. For the business example, it might include due dates of key parts of the project or goals that break the project into smaller, more manageable parts.
Fill in minor accomplishments worth mentioning, or tasks associated with your goals under each major event or goal.
Draw a line, either vertical or horizontal. Mark your starting date or time at the beginning and your ending date or time at the end of the line.
Mark dashes on your timeline to indicate your major goals, in chronological order, from Step 2. Leave space between them to fill in your minor or sub-goals. On these dashes include important dates or times.
Add your sub-goals or tasks from Step 3 in the spaces between your major goals, as they correspond with the date or time on your line.
Refine your timeline by adjusting goals or assigning more tasks until you have a clear picture of all the events or goals you're tracking.