My motto is “why reinvent the wheel?” There are lots of repetitive tasks and routines we do in our home and office, with our kids and our assistants. Here are some ideas for check lists that make a difference.
Leave the house check list
- Post this on your child’s mirror and at the back door
- Include the “must have” items for the day, including homework,
Family routines check list
- Post this on the refrigerator or where every one can see it
- Include a column for each day of the week, and a row for each family member
- In each block list the responsibilities for the day
- Create partnerships so everyone works in pairs to get jobs done
Grocery Shopping Check List
- Post on pantry door
- Download your list from your favorite grocery store
Work checklists
- Pay the bills checklist
- Make the deposits checklist
- Assistant’s daily or weekly checklist
- New employee checklist
General lists for smartphones
Find lots more free checklists at www.familymanager.com! A plethra of checklists are available at www.listplanit.com!
My clients with ADD are a blessing to me! They are the brightest, most creative and most fun people on the planet! The gift of ADD is the natural flow of ideas, thoughts and scenarios generated by prolific thinking. ADD people continually come up with new ideas that lead to solving problems, engaging people with new concepts, and starting new projects. Working from these strengths is important for people with ADD. However, when tasks are tedious, mundane and repetitive, it becomes a challenge. People with ADD become disengaged and bored, unable to complete these tasks. When the possibilities are endless and exuberant, people with ADD are at their best.
To catch and prioritize information is important for productivity for people with ADD. In tackling this first step of containing information, there are an array of options such as low tech post it notes, spiral notebooks, the planner pad (www.plannerpad.com), Levenger CIRCA notebooks (www.levenger.com), and technology such as www.evernote.com. Establishing your personal system and working it are important. Keep practicing with your system for a minimum of 21 days for your system to become a habit.
Once captured, prioritizing what is critical to success is important. Making decisions can be one of the biggest challenges facing a person with ADD. First the decision is what is important and what is not. Keeping everything on the list is a way of not deciding. Decisions can be formulated by simple and consistent rules that synchronize with personal goals and mission. With prioritizing as the key, it is important to go beyond making lists. A list can start out as a “brain dump” and then it can be refined. After making the list, create a short, 3 task Most Important Things list. This leads to accomplishment, working toward a goal and feel productive for the day. If it is exceedingly difficult to define tasks, enlist the help of an accountability partner or coach to keep on track and be authentic in aligning your goals and tasks.
