As I prepared for my first adventure travel trip in over two years – 12 days trekking in the Andes and the Amazon – the overwhelm of what seemed like a ton of things to do threatened my sanity, my sleep, and frankly, my joy. Before I departed, I had what seemed like a million things to do to be ready and relaxed in the departure lounge on time, awaiting my flight. These included, but were not limited to:
- Complete client assignments
- Set up client assignments for my return
- Write new proposals
- Pack lightly for trekking in the mountain (over 13,000 feet which means winter clothes, and then in the Amazon which means summer clothes)
- Fertilize my plants
- Navigate COVID travel requirements
- Make Sushi’s grooming appointment (and organize someone to take her and pick her up)
- Write and schedule 3 episodes of my weekly newsletter, a blog and social media posts to make sure that my community continues to be supported and joyful whilst I am on my vacation
- Do my nails
- File my tax returns
In his book “The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right”, Atul Gawande writes from his experience as a surgeon: “Good checklists, on the other hand, are precise. They are efficient to the point and easy to use even in the most difficult situations. They do not try to spell out everything – a checklist cannot fly a plane. Instead, they provide reminders of only the most critical and important steps – the ones that even the highly skilled professional using them could miss. Good checklists are, above all, practical”.
I got to work and created a checklist that included a list of things that I had to complete before I departed. I chose to write it by hand on a post-it note, so that I could experience the joy and little celebration of completing each item, and crossing it off the list. I reveled in my slow, yet steady progress. Lo! The day before I departed, I awoke to only two items left to be done!
Checklists are invaluable in life or death situations like surgery and flying, where one seemingly minor item neglected can cause major tragedy. Most of us are not faced with life or death situations at work, but the constant stress of endless things to do and looming deadlines can morph into burnout, anxiety and illness. It’s worth it to take time to create checklists. This is not your running To Do List that you add to every day and look at with dread. Here are the steps I follow to create checklists that work:
- Identify the specific outcome and make sure there’s a timeline
- Carefully, and thoughtfully write down the things you MUST do. I also sometimes indicate the “want to do if I have time” (those usually get crossed off) and the not necessary right now
- Keep the list to 1 page, a task per line so that you can quickly see what’s next
- Place the list beside you as you work as constant reminder to focus and get it done
- When you compete a task, cross it off with the greatest of joy and relish
More importantly it is worth taking the time to create checklists proactively, as Gawande advises. For example, now that travel is back, on my return, I shall resurface and review the checklist I had created many years ago for travel. It was invaluable in providing me with a system to travel at a moment’s notice, and not forget anything.
Checklists are simple tools, that in the age of complex technology may be dismissed as being too simplistic. They work for surgeons, pilots, scientists, entrepreneurs (and me). They can work for anyone faced with a multitude of tasks, both complex and simple. They just might work for you!
Other blogs by Marguerite related to this topic:
How to Travel on Business with Ease, Grace and Joy
How To Have A Great Vacation – 7 things to do before you leave
