Kay:
Hey, hey, Questers. Welcome and Happy Friday! It’s October 30th, which means it is Halloween-Eve! And it also happens to be National Checklist Day – so today we have a super fun quote for you. Jon Stewart said it, “Even Han and Chewie use a checklist.”
Shi:
Oh my gosh. Well, Jon Stewart…The Daily Show…Longtime fans. Love his advocacy and the way he uses his fame to help influence policy, especially in his community of New York that he loves so much. And I’m sure every time that he is initiating a large project or an initiative that he uses a checklist too.
Kay:
Well, Jon Stewart was interviewing the author of the book, The Checklist Manifesto, and he mentioned his love of Star Wars and then said, “Well, even Han and Chewie use a checklist.” And they totally DO when they get into the Millennium Falcon and they’re kind of rolling through the things that they need before they get off the ground. And so, because you’re about to fill up on candy and get into a crazy weekend and then the holidays come: #ChecklistsMatter.
Shi:
Checklist life, yo! It does matter. It helps so much. And it can be such an easy thing and many of us work well with a list. I know for me, there is no greater feeling than having a completed list or crossing off those things as you go. That feels SO good. But if you don’t even create the list, you don’t get the chance for that dopamine release, and you also get the chance to maybe miss something that would have been on that checklist. And, sometimes, lives are at stake when that happens…
Kay:
I personally have had an interesting journey when it comes to checklists, and note taking, and list making in general – being somebody who did not come into this loving world with the chromosomes that some of us get for organization. I don’t know if you’re one of those people who got that chromosome, but I did not – it did not come as a part of my DNA set. So I’ve really had to learn about what organization tactics work for me, and they are SO basic, because I am that bad at it. But, oftentimes, I don’t even feel like I can come up with the things that I need to put on my list because my projects are so big and they feel so overwhelming I don’t know what to do. So, if you’re like me, I want to suggest that you maybe find a friend, a family member, or a partner who is especially good at seeing a larger project and helping figure out those tasks or who’s really good at assigning tasks. Because you might think that we’re both just natural born leaders, but Shila is a way better leader than I am. I am super good at checking off a checklist, IF that checklist can be given to me first 😉 But understanding that weakness has really helped me to improve my efficiency and my proactiveness.
Shi:
Well, you are a very good leader, and I love to see you lead and continue to grow in that way and love that we’re able to partner in this way as well. I would say that one of my strengths is really seeing some of those top of the waves and next steps that may be not necessarily getting more into the weeds. It seems like you can take something and say, “Oh yeah, once I get a little bit of structure, I can build a lot more structure under it.” So, we each recognize our strengths and weaknesses in that way, but we both use checklists and we both implement them in different ways. I think the point is: find the way that works for you but don’t leave this advice on the table. History has shown us that checklists – they change the surgery room. The U.S. used to have all kinds of tools getting left inside of people by the hundreds because they weren’t checklisting all of the tools that were coming out when they would be done with the surgery. So something this simple literally impacts and changes lives! From astronauts to the ER, and from the operating room to the executive boardroom – to the moms at home-
Kay:
Leaving your house, I got my keys, I got my-
Shi:
The verbal checklist. HUGE. They are such an easy tool that all of us can implement and use and should!
Kay:
Okay. Two tips when it comes to tackling your checklist that Shila and I have implemented in the last two years that have been very helpful for us. The first one is a fairly well known one, which is the principle called, “eat your frogs.”
Shi:
The frog is the big, ugly, nasty thing that you don’t want to swallow. So if you were looking at a plate of food and a frog was on it, you might eat all the yummy food around it and then, oops, you’re too full to eat the frog when you’re done! You can see how this translates to your list. Eat your frogs first.
Kay:
Yes. And doing your best to eat your frogs first and tackle your to-do list at the time when you are most energized. That’s the second piece of advice. Don’t go against your own human nature. If you are a night owl, who gets really energized at night, maybe try doing the things that you do not want to do at the time that you have the most energy. Shila and I are both morning chippers. We are bright and early, can’t wait to be added in first thing in the morning, kind of people. So that’s when we’ll be tackling some of those harder to-do things because it feels good to get it done before we get into our days.
Shi:
And podcasting is definitely not a frog for us. We LOVE to do it.
Kay:
Not even a little!
Shi:
So it’s one of those things that we like to do towards the end of the day. So being able to structure your day so that your checklist is optimized for your own maximum output can help you just get more of the results that you’re looking for! So, just to remind you, Jon Stewart told us, “Even Han and Chewie use a checklist.”
Kay:
Which – (I bet you can guess it!) – today’s quest is a checklist quest. Today we want you to make a checklist of everything that you would like to accomplish before Halloween, which (newsflash!), is tomorrow!
Shi:
So finish your Friday feeling accomplished and get out there to have a stellarly spooky weekend! Happy Halloween, everyone! Are you ready?
Kay & Shi:
Let’s quest!
