Logic and simplicity seem like something that continually evade me as I struggle with life's complexities. It can be easy for any of us to overlook routine tasks when we get busy and overwhelmed by the everyday pressing demands of life. I have turned to computer gadgets and programs of all types to help me stay organized and on task. Yet, at the end of the day the one thing that continually works WHEN I USE IT of course, is a sheet of paper and writing things down into a list. It almost sounds too easy doesn't it? Even when things don't get done in the exact order that I intended, or by the deadline I set, they seldom fall through the cracks and get totally overlooked. Lists are very powerful in bringing simplicity to things that otherwise can be very complex.
A great example of this are lockup procedures in many of the buildings we clean. Some buildings have very complicated alarm system procedures that require certain doors to be shut and the alarms turned on in a specific order. Such procedures usually require the expertise of one person in the cleaning crew to remember a lot of steps to make sure the building is secured. What happens when that employee is off sick? Over the years we have learned from our mistakes that relying so heavily on one individual can lead to an issue. So what is the answer? "Write it down." If we know that some element of our job goes beyond a few easily remembered words of direction, the best solution is to write it down. To use the same example, if lockup procedures are listed in a clear checklist, than nearly anyone on a crew can follow it and assure we deliver on our customer’s expectations.
So how can this be applied to your everyday life. Start by writing down the top three things you want to accomplish daily. Even if you don't get to all three things, you can forward something to the next day. If you do this each day of the week and take the weekends off, that will result in accomplishing 780 task over the course of just one year, now that is powerful! The same principles can be applied to your job as well. Want to be known as the person who always comes through and gets the job done? Make a list and people will start to notice you are the kind of person they can depend on. Even just the act itself of saying to a customer or supervisor, “Hold on one second, let me write this down,” communicates concern and a commitment to getting it right on a whole other level.
Why are written lists so powerful?
1-Lists can bring order to chaos and make the overwhelming more manageable.
2-Checklists are a great “back-up” for our brain’s natural tendency to get distracted by other things.
3-Lists are finite, meaning there is a clear beginning and end, you know when you’re done!
4-Lists can actually relieve stress by giving your mind permission to move on to other things for awhile and manage the anxiety that can come when you think you are forgetting something important.
5-In making the list itself, you are engaging in the first important steps of problem-solving.
So what's stopping you from "Writing it Down" today?
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