Checklists and Daily Lists
Checklists
Having read The Checklist Manifesto
Using a checklist makes them an automatic habit, saving time and makes sure that they are consistent. Take for instance, my daily morning checklist, it ensures that I do the following every day without fail.
- Recite affirmations – written down in another checklist.
- Write journal entry – I also have a checklist of questions that I write answers to.
- Daily records log – here I record all the habits and targets I am focusing on e.g. calories consumer, TV watched and internet time etc.
- Meditate
By following this checklist, it becomes a habit and because it is a habit I can adapt and add to it. For instance, I could add to do some yoga stretches to the list and I know that I will do it.
I must stress that you should not work from a to do lists. To do lists are merely receptacles for things that you want or need to do. The list you will work from is your daily list.
The Daily List
The daily list is self-explanatory; it is the list of things you have agreed with yourself that you will achieve that day. No more, no less. It is not something you add to during the day. It is a finite list and anything else should go on your to do list.
I would recommend that every evening (or first thing in the morning if you prefer), that you write out a list of the things that you want to do/ or achieve that day. To start with if you are new to this concept, then start with just one or two items. Just write down the most important things you can do that day.
Your first task of the day will be to complete the first item on that list. You do nothing else until you complete that one thing. If anything should crop up whilst you are in the middle of your most important task, then make a note of it in your notepad to action later, and then return to your task.
Once you do the first task, move to the next one. This discipline, of tackling the most import thing first in the morning, is so important to your success. It will set you up for the day. If you study successful people, you will see that they tackle their most import task first.
Once you are sure that you have pinned down this habit of tackling the most important few tasks, you can start to add to the number. I would recommend no more than 10. If you fail to achieve one of the tasks on the list, then it becomes the most important thing to do for the next day.
How do you decide what your import tasks are? These will come from your goals and projects. From these, you decide what your week’s goals and targets are. This weekly goal list should be your first point of call in deciding your most important daily tasks. Look over your weekly list and note down anything you can do the next day to move you forward. Then you can look down your single action list to see if there is anything there that you can action that day.
Now that you have your daily list, you can see where this fits in with pre-arranged appointments on your schedule. See post on Scheduling.
So there you have it. This is a way for you to move forward to your goals day by day, by using checklists and tackling the most important tasks first.