Making a list can often make a job easier, reduce the number of decisions we must make, and ensure we don’t make mistakes.
It’s true that using lists can quickly earn you the title of “nerd,” but who cares if it makes your life better? And besides, many of us who regularly use lists are nerds!
Lists Can Be Used in Many Areas of Life
Using checklists can make a huge difference in our lives.
• Medical checklists. Several years ago, I read a book by a surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, titled The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. In his book, Dr. Gawande describes how tusing a checklist in a hospital surgical room cut the rate of fatalities by more than a third and how using a simple cleanliness checklist in intensive care units virtually eliminated a deadly hospital infection.
• Trip packing checklists. Many people have experienced the advantages of making a packing checklist before going on trips. This helps them not forget to pack an essential item.
•Project checklists. Before starting a project, many people use a checklist to think through the steps necessary to reach a project goal and keep on track. A checklist informs them of the next step to complete at each project stage. A standard checklist can be prepared and called up for repetitive projects.
• Daily Tasks Checklists/Schedules. Many have found that preparing a daily checklist for what they want to accomplish that day and when they will do it is the most helpful productivity tip they’ve ever used. Planning your work for the day and following the list helps us focus on what we plan to work on.
• Quarterly, Monthly, and Weekly Review Templates.A template is a form of list. In the Productivity Field Guide, David Sparks recommends using Quarterly, Monthly, and Weekly templates to complete reviews. The template reminds and guides users through the review process.
The Benefits of Making and Using Lists
There are many benefits to using lists:
• Lists reduce mental load and decision-making. Making a list can reduce the number of decisions we have to make. If we have a list for completing a project, we don’t have to decide what’s coming next—all we need to do is look at our list and do the next item.
• Lists help us remember essential steps or items. When packing for a trip, a checklist can help ensure that we bring everything we need and don’t forget essential items. Likewise, using a checklist when conducting a quarterly review keeps us on track and helps us remember crucial steps in completing a comprehensive review.
• Lists help prevent critical mistakes. You can use a checklist to prevent making critical mistakes in your work.
The U.S. Air Force has used flight checklists for decades. Every time I flew with a bomber or tanker crew, each crew member carried a big leather briefcase containing the checklists they would go through before takeoff to ensure everything had been done to prepare the aircraft for safe flight.
• Lists reduce the mental load for repeatable projects. If you have prepared a checklist or template for a repeatable project, you’re spared the mental work of deciding what steps to take to complete the project. You follow the list or template you’ve previously prepared.
How I Benefit From Using Lists in My Life
I use lists in many areas of my work and life.
• Publishing my blog. I have created a template that I use to guide my process for writing and publishing a weekly blog post. Selecting a topic and drafting a mind map has become habitual (and have task manager reminders at different points in the week). However, the steps necessary to publish the blog, post links in multiple venues, and administratively clean up the process benefit significantly from using a checklist. On weeks when I fail to use a checklist, I discover I’ve regularly forgotten an item or two.
• Doing my quarterly, monthly, and weekly reviews. I use a system to manage my life built on my life roles and my “best possible version of myself” statements for each role. (See David Sparks, The Productivity Field Guide) I want to stay on track to ensure my work gets done and evaluate whether I’m progressing in my roles (Husband, father, friend, serving altruist, etc.) I need regular reviews.
Without templates that list the steps for each type of review, I would not be consistent in what I did during my reviews and would forget vital questions I need to ask and answer. A list keeps me on track and ensures that I do everything I intend to do in a review.
• Making a daily list of the tasks I intend to work on and when I plan to work on them. To get work done, I’ve found the best tool I’ve used to make a list each morning of what I intend to do and what time I intend to do it. Creating and following this list keeps me from becoming distracted and wandering off my intentions. For more details about how to do daily planning, see my blog post, “Achieving Your Best Self Through Consistent Weekly Reviews and Daily Planning.”
As a part of my morning routine, I review my calendar and task manager, list my three main tasks for the day, and select a priority task. I then make up a simple schedule of times in the day and tasks. Today, my schedule included a shower and breakfast from 7-8 and writing this post from 8-11. After I complete this first draft, at 11 I’ll do a final revision of the post I’ll publish tomorrow. I’ll publish it to WordPress and make the final layout edits. It will then be ready to publish tomorrow morning.
• Making a packing list before a trip. I’ll call up a prior list and make any changes necessary. Then, as I pack my suitcase and backpack, I’ll check off items as I complete them. I also typically use a “morning of” checklist to ensure I turn off the coffee maker, lock the back door, and place my iPad in my backpack.
Use Lists That Benefit You
In conclusion, using lists in various areas of life can significantly improve productivity, reduce the likelihood of mistakes, and simplify decision-making. Despite the stereotype of being a “nerdy” habit, the benefits gained from utilizing checklists outweigh any negative perceptions.
Whether it’s medical checklists to ensure patient safety, project checklists for efficient workflow, or daily task checklists for focused work, incorporating lists into our routines can significantly impact us. Lists also help prevent critical errors and reduce the mental load for repeatable projects.
I have experienced the advantages of using lists in my blog publication process, conducting reviews, planning daily tasks, and packing for trips. By creating templates and following these checklists, I can stay organized, stay on track, and ultimately achieve my goals.
So, embrace the power of lists and customize them to suit your needs – the benefits you’ll reap will be well worth it.