Checklists: Simple Productivity

Do you struggle with getting things done, and yet don’t want a big fat complicated system?  Checklists might be your answer!

I was reading Shannon’s post today about managing time like money.  I love the idea of treating time as a commodity, as I think it requires a certain amount of respect.  Time is kinda like real estate: they ain’t makin’ any more, so use it wisely.

Some people use two separate calendars, one for personal and one for work (my husband is a fan of this method).  I prefer to use one calendar that is coded with colors for a small list of categories for appointments.  Coloring the appointments in this way helps me see (yep, I’m visual) what the landscape of my weeks look like.

Managing Tasks

Last month, I launched my BlogTalkRadio show with my lovely co-host, Krista Colvin.  We got to talking one day, and decided to create a truckload of checklists for just about everything including our show.  Now, I’ll confess I’m not a newbie to checklists, so it was a welcome little tune-up and reminder. (Astronauts use them too!)

Here’s a few things I use checklists for, along with a sample of what’s on mine:

• Marketing: tasks like my eNewsletter and speaking gigs
• Radio Show: A list of things that must be done shortly before we hit the air/Net waves (like get a cup of coffee and use the little girl’s room!)
• Weekly To Do: errands, bookkeeping, writing blog posts
• Daily To Do: phone calls, email, taking allergy meds and Morning Pages

Get it out of your head and onto paper.

Get your routines out of your head and onto paper.  Being organized doesn’t mean you have an extensive database in your head with a killer search feature.  Paper and simpler tools may be a lot more helpful.  It’s also easier to ask for help or hand off tasks to someone else (like to my imaginary housekeeper and virtual assistant *grin*).

Checklists are a great productivity tool, as a brain dump for the repetitive things of life and business. Not having to remember those tasks in the heat of the moment or under stress can be extremely helpful.  They give you a blueprint, written by you.  It’s a way to live your life on purpose and get out of it what you really want!  Isn’t that what it’s really all about?

So, what’s on your checklist?

(photo by akaalias on flickr)