The Positive Power of Checklists

The Prioritized Daily Task List is a major part of the Franklin Planner System. We encourage people to write down their tasks as you think of them, then go through and assign a value and order to each one. But why do we do this? Checklists may seem too simple of a solution and are often overlooked as a way to reduce mistakes and boost efficiency. A simple checklist can save lives and stop buildings from crumbling. It can make you better at your job and save you time.

Make Delegating Easier. When you have a list of tasks to do, it’s much easier to hand things over to someone else to handle. Whether you are instructing someone to tackle just one thing from your list, or everything on it, having that checklist in front of you is going to make delegating a whole lot easier.

Reach your goals quicker. Setting goals for yourself is an important step in accomplishing what you want in life, and having checklists will help you to reach those goals quicker. When you break your goals into bite sized pieces and add those pieces to your daily checklists, they seem much more attainable. We also recommend using the Weekly Compass Card and Progressive Task List for breaking down and tracking some of those pieces that move forward from day-to-day or week-to-week.

Creativity. Checklists allow you to master your tasks and utilize more brain power for creative activities. Since the checklist means fewer fire drills and less stress, you not only have more time to be creative, you have the ability to think more clearly. Save time and brainpower. Instead of going through your day trying to remember what you have to do, write it down. Seeing a list of what you have to get done, instead of trying to remember it all, is going to save you a ton of time and, yes, brain power.

Create Order & Accountability. Our brain can only handle so much information at once before it begins to forget. If we break down a task into bite-sized and doable chunks, it’s easier to process and get things done. In today’s age of technology, it’s rare for us to write things down. For some this may be troubling, but it also makes what you decide to write more powerful and creates accountability. Not only that, but something we write down sticks into our mind more than typing it. Once you’ve written something down, you’ve given it life and it’s up to you to accomplish that goal.

Reschedule and Organize Time. Part of stress relief comes in the form of more flexibility and organization of your time. When there are so many deadlines for us to follow, knowing what’s coming up in advance can help us plan better. Seeing everything laid out in front of you helps you know what to prioritize and what can wait until another day. This can also work in the reverse—if you see an opening in your schedule, you can add in another task so you can relax more later.

Checklists seem simple, and therefore difficult for us to accept as a necessity when we’re in high-powered jobs that rely on skills and knowledge. But humbling ourselves by using a checklist can improve our performance and help us achieve more consistent results. Learn more about how to best utilize your Prioritized Daily Task List from our free planner training course.

Also, use The Franklin Five checklists, to add a little more intentionality and awareness to each month.