A human’s memory is fickle and fallible and without aid; alone, it will surely fall short. In order for you to counter this, you must have a checklist that will help you remember what needs to be remembered for you to keep and stay on track. Checklists are known for two things: one is to remind you of the things you should not forget and the other is for you to keep guided of the specific processes that must be followed in one of your daily tasks.
With the benefits that you can get from making and following a checklist, you should already consider securing yourself with one. In this article, we have provided you with checklist examples and templates to help you get started.
To make a checklist effective, it must contain all of its necessary elements, for, without these elements, your checklist will not be of any use to you at all. And with that, here are the necessary elements that make up a good checklist.
1. Clear heading or title: If you want your checklist to be understandable even at a quick glance, you have to make sure to place a clear heading or title for it and place it on the topmost part of your checklist. Ensure that your heading or title is direct and straightforward.
2. Comprehensive table: Since checklists are basically a table that contains the list of your organized tasks and activities, having a comprehensive table is a must so you will be able to work around an area where you can allow other things such as additional and unforeseen activities and tasks to fit in. You may also see to do checklist templates.
3. Time, date or duration: Without this element, you will have no idea when you must complete a certain task or activity. This element is important since this will help you in making sure that that you will meet your goals and complete everything that needs to be completed. Plus, including this element will also help you to double your efforts just to continue your progress.
4. Appropriate labels: An effective checklist must contain labels, for labels will help you easily know and understand every item written in your checklist even if you were also the one who made it. Through these labels, you will also easily figure out the priority levels, status levels, etc. of every task you have at hand. Plus, labels will help you make a quick review of the contents in your checklist.
5. Checkboxes: What’s a checklist without checkboxes? Having checkboxes will give you a sense of fulfillment especially if you are going to tick it off after a task beside it has been done. Aside from this motivational factor, having checkboxes will make your checklist look well put together.
Checklists are only effective when it is done the right way and with that, here are the steps to create a checklist that can serve its purpose well for you.
1. Write the heading or title: Even though you know what a checklist is in just one glance, it is still important that you have to write the heading or the title on the uppermost part of the page to know what the checklist is for. You must also follow a format particularly in how you are going to place it on the page as well as how you are going to make the font style and size readable.
2. Insert table: As mentioned, one of the elements of a good checklist includes a comprehensive table. By inserting a table, you can provide more rows and columns for the categories and items of your checklist. When adding rows and columns, it is better if you exceed in the number of rows and columns rather than have a shortage of spaces where you can add your categories and items. You may also see project checklists.
3. Add appropriate labels on columns: Now that you have a comprehensive table with your preferred number of rows and columns, you can now write down your preferred labels. The spaces below your labels are where the categories and items of your checklist will be located. The possible categories you can include on your checklist are the levels of priority of every task and the status level of every task—it really depends on what you want to include.
4. Organize and list items: Right after making sure you have the right labels for the categories on you checklist, you can now organize and list down the items that you want your checklist to contain. Make sure that you will have a logical and comprehensive arrangement so you will not get confused along the way and that you will have a smooth flow of things.
5. Proofread and edit: Before using your checklist, you have to proofread it well so it will not affect the rest of your activities and its processes. Any mistake and error on your list can really have an impact on the procedure of how you do things in your checklist. As soon as you notice any mistakes, make sure you edit it immediately before you forget about it. You may also see task checklist examples.
As mentioned, there are two things that a checklist can do for you and that is to remind you of the things you must remember and to guide of the steps of certain process. To help you make most of what a checklist can do for you, here are some tips that can help you so.
Here are the two different types of checklists that can help you determine what type is best for you:
1. Read-Do Checklists: This type of checklist can help you in outlining the necessary steps and processes that need to be done in order to complete a certain task or activity. The items that can be found under this type of checklist is listed in descending order, which can also mean that the items you listed first must be complete before you can proceed to the next item on the list.
This checklist can be likened to that of recipes or an organized guide or list of directions in a certain procedure wherein you can certainly not proceed to its following steps without accomplishing the ones that go before it. Simply put, this type checklist strictly follows a definite order of how things must be done. You may also see construction checklist examples.
2. Do-Confirm Checklists: Contrary to the aforementioned type of checklist, the do-confirm checklist type does not follow any order or process at all and the things or items that are found under this type of list can be done in any order of your choice. This type of checklist generally provides you with more room for freedom.
This type of checklist follows no rules or some sort of standards—just list things down in any order as long as it serves its purpose, which is to confirm things and to help you make sure that no important tasks will be missed or forgotten. Such an example is safety checklists.
The best checklists out there are the checklists that are made the right way. We hope that with the help of this article, you can create an effective checklist that can help you with whatever purpose you want your checklist to serve you. We also hope that the checklist examples, templates, and design ideas that we have uploaded have been a great help for you to get you started.
