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The Power of the Lowly Forgotten Checklist
A Simple Binary System
Since the early 80s when I first adopted the paper version of the Daytimer system, I have used some manner of project and task management system. Around the middle of that decade, I got my first computer, went digital, and never looked back. Since that time, I have probably used every task management, project management, and to-do list software that runs under the DOS or Windows operating system. I have written many articles on how to use these methods in general, or specific tutorials on particular systems.
But that’s not what I want to talk to you about today.
I want to discuss the lowly checklist. The simplest of task management systems where everything is in a single list next to checkboxes that are either checked or not. On or off. 1s or 0s. A binary task management system.
I know everyone is familiar with checklists, but to illustrate, they look like this: (except boxes instead of bullets)
- Make a List
- Do Things
- Check Them Off
It’s not exactly rocket science, is it? Actually, it is. The Apollo 11 astronauts, besides drinking Tang (an inside joke for my older readers), carried a paper checklist with them on their journey to the moon. Don’t believe me…
