Many companies, including where I work have these binders that hold procedures for almost every emergency or situation. Author David Allen suggests that checklists can be really handy time-savers. Whenever a situation calls for it you can pull out the particular checklist and not worry about too much on-the-spot thinking.
For instance, in my efforts to build my checklist binder I created a travel checklist that I can pull anytime I’m planning to travel. I divide it by categories like prep and packing, even a category of items for international travel. I printed a few copies and put them in my binder. I also created a “Personal Periodic” checklist that focuses on maintaining personal well-being. Am I spending enough time with my family? Am I staying healthy? I put a couple copies in the binder and placed a copy in every other month my new tickler file. Here are some more checklist ideas:
Car maintenance- Key contacts to maintain
- Party planning
- Spring cleaning
- Questions to ask when interviewing for a new job
- Common shopping lists
- Weekly/monthly checklists
- Financial
Lists like this in general can be helpful to productivity. If you have a Mac and Pages, you can download a checklist template below, otherwise check out a PDF of my travel checklist.
Check-List Template
Travel Check-List
