I have a checklist for every key relationship in my life.
Every morning I leave a short message to my family to wish everyone a good day.
Sometimes I feel like it. Sometimes it feels fake.
And I still do it, because, just like exercise, if you show up every day, whether you feel like it or not, whether you are faking enthusiasm or not - results happen.
Fitness. Or deeper, lasting, nourishing connections - routine works.
Do you think less of pilots or surgeons because they use checklists to do their work?
Probably not.
Because in situations where the outcome is life or death, falling through the cracks of human memory isn’t an option.
So they use checklists to make sure everything that needs to happen for the best outcome happens consistently.
What I’ve learned in coaching and in managing complex projects is that while most things aren’t life or death, they do matter.
And when something matters, I’d rather not rely on my memory alone.
People who make things happen consistently aren’t those with the best memory.
They’re the ones who build systems so nothing important slips through.
Like checklists.
My brain works well, sometimes too well for its own good. I’ve grown a little sloppy relying on it.
But as my life and work get more complex, I realize this isn’t the time to “train my brain.”
It’s the time to build better systems.
Over to you, dear reader,
What checklist, or system, could stop your important things from falling through the cracks?
What would make your airplane take off and land smoothly, every time?
Surgeons and the entire operating room team use a surgical safety checklist, such as the one developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), to improve patient safety. These checklists are used at key points, including before anesthesia is given, before the incision, and before the patient leaves the operating room. They are designed to reduce complications and mortality by ensuring critical steps are followed, improving teamwork, and enhancing communication among the staff.
