The Case for Checklists: Your Secret Weapon for Smarter Work

Hi, Coach Jake here. Let’s talk about one of my all-time favorite tools for getting things done: checklists. These humble little lists have saved me (and countless others) from disaster and helped turn complex ideas into actionable plans. From personal projects to massive undertakings like the Apollo 11 moon landing, checklists have proven their worth time and time again.

Why do I love them so much? Because our brains aren’t built to hold and organize all the steps of complex tasks, especially when life gets chaotic. A checklist is like your trusty sidekick, offloading mental clutter and keeping you on track.

Let’s dive into why checklists are a game-changer and how you can create one that works for you.

Checklists Help Us Avoid Terrible Mistakes

No matter how experienced we are, mistakes happen. That’s part of being human. But checklists can act as a safety net, catching us before we fall into those basic yet costly errors.

Take this horrifying example: In 2018, Kenyan doctors performed brain surgery on the wrong patient. Yes, the wrong patient. A simple check of the patient’s ID tag—something included in the World Health Organization’s Surgical Safety Checklist—could’ve prevented it.

That WHO checklist, created by surgeon and public-health expert Atul Gawande, includes 19 crucial steps, such as confirming the patient’s identity and allergies. These aren’t fancy procedures—just basic things that prevent catastrophic errors.

Even in high-stakes fields like aviation, checklists save lives. In 1935, Boeing created the first official flight checklist after a tragic crash revealed that new, more complex planes required more than memory to operate safely. Since then, checklists have become a staple, even helping Apollo 11 astronauts land on the moon. Fun fact: They relied on checklists so much that Michael Collins, one of the astronauts, called them the “fourth crew member.”

The Quiet Power of Checklists

Checklists might seem boring or beneath us—Atul Gawande talks about this mindset in his book The Checklist Manifesto. But in reality, they’re an amazing tool to navigate complexity with confidence.

Here’s how some of the world’s best use checklists:

Launch Better Products: Apple uses a step-by-step checklist called the Apple New Product Process (ANPP) to design and launch its iconic products.
Make Better Decisions: Venture capitalists often use checklists to evaluate investments, ensuring they don’t miss critical factors like market trends or leadership quality.
Ensure Team Alignment: Rock band Van Halen famously included a clause in their contracts about having a bowl of M&Ms backstage—with all the brown ones removed. Why? It was a sneaky way to check if the venue staff had actually read the checklist. If the M&Ms were wrong, chances were the rest of the setup was too.

How to Design Your Perfect Checklist

Not all checklists are created equal. To make yours effective, follow these simple steps:

Define a Clear Objective Think of the checklist as a tool to reach a specific goal. For example, don’t just list random tasks for a product launch—start with the end in mind and work backward to identify what absolutely needs to happen.
Keep It Short The best checklists fit on one page. Keep it lean and focused, so it’s easy to use. Sure, astronauts need 100-page lists, but unless you’re piloting a spaceship, stick to the essentials.
[Optional] Assign Owners and Deadlines If you’re working with a team, assign each task to a specific person and set deadlines. This ensures accountability and keeps the project moving smoothly.

Why Checklists Work

Here’s the magic: Checklists free up your brainpower. Instead of juggling everything in your head, you can focus on executing tasks. They reduce mistakes, lower stress, and make you feel more in control.

The next time you’re tackling something big—whether it’s planning a trip, managing a project, or launching a product—take a few minutes to build a checklist. Better yet, make it collaborative if you’re working with a team.

You’ll be amazed at how much smoother, faster, and less stressful things become. Cheers to smarter, safer work!

Ready to get started? Let me know how you use checklists in your life—I’d love to hear your stories!