It's Basic and Boring, But It Works Every Time

The hidden power behind the humble checklist

I love checklists. Few tools have saved me more pain and frustration. Checklists are integral to my life. Let me explain.

Raising kids in sports, we go to a lot of tournaments. Our weekends are often spent on the sidelines, watching kids chase plastic and navigating the surprisingly emotional world of ultimate frisbee. This weekend was no different as we arrived in Colorado for the Youth Club Championships.

Travel and tournaments are tough. There are many logistics, and it's easy for things to slip through the cracks. To make matters worse, when you have anxiety like I do, you can't help but look for what might go wrong. My head often gets filled with the cluttered urgency of things that could be lost, forgotten, or needed. It’s great.

To stay sane (and keep everyone around me sane), I turn to a checklist. I have travel day checklists. Day-of tourney checklists. End-of-tourney checklists and so on.

• Got cleats? Check.

• Jerseys? Check.

• Made time to hit the merch tent? Check and double-check.

Checklists are super handy for creating reliable and efficient processes in life and work. So, let’s explore how checklists can simplify your life, reduce mistakes, and bring peace of mind.

Checklists seem to provide protection against such failures. They remind us of the minimum necessary steps and make them explicit. They not only offer the possibility of verification but also instill a kind of discipline of higher performance.

What’s so special about a checklist?

Our minds can be unreliable—no, really!

This is especially true with routine tasks that might slip through the cracks when we're under pressure. If you think about it, checklists actually save lives. According to The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, checklists in medicine have saved lives by guaranteeing that safety protocols are followed and preventing avoidable errors. Gawande also explains how the pilots of US Airways 1549 were able to safely land the plane in the Hudson after it struck a flock of Canada geese and the engines shut down—all thanks to the disciplined use of checklist protocols. Watch out for those geese; they will F. You. Up.

But checklists are more than just ticking stuff off a list. They are tools that outline essential tasks or items in a systematic way. They foster teamwork and communication by making sure that everybody is on the same page. AND they are critical in process and delegation. A solid checklist can strike a balance between providing guidance and allowing professional autonomy.

In short, checklists help maintain consistency, reduce errors, and improve efficiency. See, checklists are neat!

What makes a good checklist?

Now don’t go thinking you can just go and create a checklist. Slow your roll there boy·o (or girl-o), there are rules.

• Checklists need to be specific. Each item should be concise and easy to understand and in the jargon of the profession or situation using it.

• Checklists cannot be too long. Ideally in the 7-8 item range. Break complex tasks into smaller, actionable steps.

• A checklist needs to be simple. Ideally, it would fit on one page and not be fancy or distracting. This isn’t a Hallmark card, it’s a tool.

• Consider the critical path. Focus on the most crucial tasks that if overlooked can have serious consequences if skipped. Arrange items in order of importance or sequence of actions.

• Test the Checklist. Try out the checklist in a real-world scenario to see if it works as intended. Gather feedback and make improvements based on your experience. Update the checklist to keep it relevant. The best checklists are battle-tested.

The checklist aims to protect against the fallibility of human memory, distraction under pressure and to highlight the minimum necessary steps for success.

Here is what this looks like for our Ultimate Frisbee morning:

Night Before

1. Check the cooler; make sure it is easy to get to and empty.

2. Pack canopy in the car.

3. Pack camp chairs in the car.

4. Pack sunscreen.

5. Make sure any devices needed for the day are charged and that you have cords and charging banks ready to go.

Morning Of

1. Eat a solid breakfast and start off strong on hydration because it’s 90+ degrees today.

2. Review route to fields, traffic, and field map so you know where to load/park.

3. Grab stuff from the fridge and freezer that need to go, e.g., drinks, applesauce, yogurts.

4. Pack cooler and load it into the car. Leave it easy to get into.

5. Double-check sunglasses and hats.

6. Pick up ice on the way to the fields.

Setup

1. Scout a location that has a good view, not in the way of teams or support, and easy to reach for family.

2. Set up canopy (note: requires at least 3 people.) Anchor and stake in case of wind.

3. Sunscreen up.

4. Set up camp chairs.

5. Scout bathrooms, water stations, and field food.

(Note our daughter was already dropped off with the team, this is for me, my wife, and my son.)

You can see there are multiple checklists for different parts of our day. It goes on for teardown, fields transfer, getting back home, and so on. And I know this makes me look like a crazy person, but in fact, it is the opposite. Without these in place, I go a little insane. These keep me grounded and help us stay covered for some long days.

Conclusion

Checklists are invaluable tools. They shield us from the pitfalls of oversight and safeguard against failure. It’s incredible how such a simple thing can be so useful.

Checklists help manage both simple and complex tasks by relieving our cognitive load, which lets us focus on more in-depth stuff. By using checklists into our personal and professional lives, we create trusted processes which reduce errors and make it easier to get things done. They also provide peace of mind, especially when your brain works against you and all you want to do is watch some frisbee.

So start using checklists to simplify your life. Share your own checklist experiences and tips, and let's learn from each other how to make the most out of this powerful tool.