The Power of Checklists
We have millions of tasks running around in our head which we want to get done. But which one of us is able to remember every single thing. And every day, out of the blue, more tasks keep appearing leaving us feeling that nothing is getting done.
I wake up each day with a plan to cook healthy food, work on my blogs, exercise, manage the family errands through the day, spend time doing constructive things and sleep on time. And then there will be a water leakage, the need for an early pick up from school, unforeseen traffic woes, an appliance refusing to work….and then you can’t find time for the things you had planned for your perfectly normal day and also can’t remember all the things you were planning to complete before the end of the day. Sounds familiar?
Sounds cliché, but a simple thing like a checklist can make life so much easier. I’d like to share some ways a checklist can help:
- A checklist frees up your mind space: Our human brain is an excellent computer, but it can get overtaxed and needs to be cleared.
“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” – David Allen
Experiment: A brain dump – write everything you have on your mind on paper or in the notes on your phone or computer. Sort it and make a list of things that need your attention. You no longer need to waste precious energy trying to remember it all.
- A checklist reduces stress levels: When you aren’t sure about what you have to do or how you are going to do it, it causes a lot of stress.
Experiment: Take your brain dump a step further and make a plan for each item on the list to feel more in control and reduce the stress levels considerably.
- A checklist helps you focus: When you aren’t sure what you have to do, it’s easy to lose focus. You keep having conversations in your head about what you will do first and then make plans about calling someone or checking the email or sorting a drawer and wonder where to start.
Experiment: Keep the list in front of you and see how easily you can plan
- Checking off boxes, deleting the item once done is satisfying: Sounds silly but its true. Scientific reason – Each time you check something off the list, you trigger the release of a small amount of dopamine in the brain which is connected to feelings of pleasure, joy and motivation. That makes you want to get more done and keeps you motivated! My son has his checklist on the whiteboard and wipes out each activity with a big smile.
Experiment: Place a whiteboard in a space easily visible and make the list and wipe things as you achieve. Or strike off the items on the list if on paper. Very Satisfying!
Ideas for Checklists:
At Home
- Maintenance tasks
- Planning for Parties
- Planning for Holidays
- Doctor Appointments for the Family
- Essential Purchases over the month
- Monthly Bills
At Work
- Daily to-do lists
- Project Planning
- Orientation procedures
- Development & Training
- Automatic Emails
- Marketing tasks
- Office Essential Purchases
There are many tools available for checklists. You can jot them on a paper, in a diary and strike them off. Or the notes in the phone, something which I use all the time. Or even make lists on your computers using the sticky notes which pop up each time you turn it on. And there are many apps available for the same purpose.
Once you start, you will probably find that there are a number of different checklists you need. So have separate sections with labels in diary or a different name for a note or a file. It may take some time to figure out what really works, but once you get there, you will feel much more organized & free up a lot of your time.
