The One Simple Tool You Need To Ensure Success

The Checklist.  It's one of the simplest tools, yet how many of us are using it to it's full potential?

I've become obsessed with checklists after reading   The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande.  Gawande, a prominent surgeon, makes a case for the use of checklists in medicine by citing examples of the effective use of checklists in everything from pre-op procedures to piloting aircraft to building sky scrapers. 

Nothing is too complex to benefit from a checklist.  In fact, Gawande points out that the more complex a task, the more it benefits from a checklist.  Checklists ensure that the simple yet important steps are taken while freeing up thought processes for more difficult problems and unknown variables.  Often it is the small, seemingly obvious steps that become the Achilles heal when forgotten or missed. Steps like properly washing hands before a medical procedure or making sure you are performing the correct operation. We often overestimate how much we can remember.  Checklists make certain we don't forget. 

I've been utilizing checklists more diligently and seeing checklists everywhere. Another book, How to Organize (Just About) Everything by Peter Walsh has been tremendously helpful in developing checklists in my life.  Basically it's a big book of checklists for everything from organizing your home to planning an IPO.  I've used checklists in planning events, networking, job hunting and keeping my family on task. Not only am I more productive, I'm not as stressed. 

Now I can check off "Write blog post" for today.