Chapter 13 3.f Use lists to reduce mistakes

Lists have always been one of the most effective organizational tools.It is said that the list used for organization or management can be divided into many kinds, for example, task list (Task list), to-do list (To-do List), or check list (Check list)... Although I personally feel that it is so carefully distinguished The concepts don't make much sense, but I do think lists themselves are really useful.And making lists and using lists is indeed an important ability that needs practice. Let me start with an example of how lists benefit me.A long time ago, I found that I often went to the supermarket to buy things and came home very upset: "Why did I forget to buy two more things?!" So I developed a habit of making a list before going to the supermarket.

If I decide to go grocery shopping today, then, when I wake up in the morning, I pull out a piece of paper with a list of what I want to buy and stick it on a little whiteboard on my wall—instead of going straight to the supermarket.Generally speaking, at 9 o'clock in the morning, maybe I will suddenly remember that there is one more thing that should be filled in that list; at 10 o'clock, I may add something, and at 11 o'clock, I may add another... At two o'clock in the afternoon, I can go to the supermarket.Every time I buy something, I put a check mark on the corresponding position on the list. If I am sure that I can’t buy it in the supermarket, I draw a cross on the corresponding position... In this way, when I get home, it is impossible for me to miss it. Annoyed because I forgot to buy something.

The benefits of making this list (is this what they call a checklist?), I've already made it clear.What you may not have noticed, though, is this: If I hadn't made this list, when I got home pissed off by my carelessness, I'd actually have two possibilities: 1) what I'd buy There are indeed in the supermarket, but I forgot to buy it myself; 2) The things I want to buy are actually not available in the supermarket, so it is useless to go back!So, you can imagine that when I was annoyed and had to go back to the supermarket at the same time, I was faced with the second situation, and I would definitely be pissed off, and there was nothing I could do--but one thing is certain The: Time has been wasted.

Therefore, making a list often keeps you organized and ensures that you don't waste time unnecessarily.However, in the process of using lists for a long time, I found that there are indeed some experiences worth sharing. (1) There is really no need to make a list in most cases. Some experts recommend using lists everywhere, on the grounds that once you get used to it, it's no longer stressful.However, I know that once some habits are developed, they will inevitably have side effects.For example, it must be a pretty good habit to record money income and expenditure every day; however, people who develop this habit will involuntarily become very stingy. What.I think a person should not set too many rules for himself, because that is obviously impossible, and the longer the deadline, the more so.The problem of degree can only be grasped by oneself according to the actual situation.Anyway, the basic principle is: one should not be too demanding of oneself - although at the same time one should not be too overindulgent.Before going to a meeting, it makes sense that you should prepare a list of ideas you should come up with.However, when going on a date, it is obviously redundant to have to make a list in advance to record what to do in the first step, what to do in the next step, and what to do in the last step.

(2) The best list-keeping tools are paper and pen. It is better to simply have a notebook with a pen in it, and then carry it with you.My suggestion is to try not to use the list management software installed on the desktop or laptop computer-although those programs are very well designed, they are far less convenient and effective than paper and pen.The data on the desktop is unlikely to be carried with you, although you already have several USB flash drives - some of which have been lost; the data stored on the Internet is not always available - for example, when you are in a taxi.Laptops can be carried with you, but they are far more bulky than paper and pens; it often takes more than 30 seconds to restore from standby to work; the worst part is that files may be damaged if the battery dies midway.Now there are more sophisticated electronic products: Pocket Computer (PDA), Smart Phone (SmartPhone).But I still don't recommend using: 1) The price is still relatively expensive; 2) The operating system and other software are still unreliable; 3) The battery is still a problem; 4) Input is still not convenient; 5) Easy to lose (the more expensive things The easier it is to lose?)... However, I have to admit that handheld computers have made great progress in the past two years, and I believe that one day it will completely replace paper notebooks.

(3) The list does not have to be neat. The readers of the list are often only ourselves, so as long as the list can be understood by ourselves, it will be fine.It is most reasonable to record in the simplest way: a large number of abbreviations, arrows, lines, check marks, cross marks, and various symbols and circles... Unless you have to, organize your own list and re-transcribe your own list , or categorizing your own list is almost a complete waste of time.Everyone has the habit of tidiness, it's just in different ways.For example, I can tolerate a little mess in the room, and I often procrastinate for a while before getting a haircut, but I can't bear even a little irregularity on the bookshelf, or anything other than the trash can on my windows desktop. icon.So, you may be like me, and suddenly find yourself obsessed with making various lists neatly-then you have to be careful, because this is one of the typical symptoms of "obsessive-compulsive disorder" patients.So, I suggest that you, like me, consciously refrain from doing things that don't have practical meaning-that's a waste of time.

(4) The list must be readily available. When you make a list, you can use pencils, ballpoint pens, fountain pens, roller pens, or any other pens that can write and write-of course, brushes are not recommended; you can use a certain page of any book, you can use a special yellow note paper, or write on a white board on the wall... Convenience comes first.However, that list must be readily available.If you are at home all day, it may be better to write the list on the whiteboard on the wall that you can see when you look up; if you are in the office all day, it is good to stick yellow post-it paper on the fence of the desk Choose; if you are sure that almost all the work you are going to do today is done on the computer, then the small note gadget on the sidebar of windows vista is very convenient; if you are going to work outside today, you may go to several places, then, PDA or carry A small notebook should be a good choice.In fact, I don't like those so-called high-end notebooks that are fancy, priced at tens of yuan, or even covered with leather.The funniest thing is that I saw from a friend that he has many high-end notebooks of that kind, but they are all new.I was very surprised and asked why he didn't use it?He said, such a beautiful thing, a bit reluctant to write something up!I'm dizzy.It doesn't matter whether it is beautiful or not, the key is that it can be seen, written and marked at any time.

(5) There is always only one most important task. I have seen many experts explain the relationship between task importance and urgency, and how to assign task priority.The reason is very clear: do the important and urgent first; ignore the unimportant and non-urgent, of course; ignore the urgent but unimportant ones; and ignore the important but not urgent ones in turn. Dealing with...however, my observation is that the real problem most people face is not that this is unclear, but that it is not being able to distinguish between "really important" and "appearing important", and "really urgent" and "appearing important". urgent".There is only one criterion for judging whether something is really important: whether it is beneficial to the realization of your goals (whether long-term or short-term).However, the criteria for judging whether a task is really urgent is not so easy, because you always feel that every one is urgent.Experience tells us, however, that real urgency is rare, and urgency is almost exclusively a story.If you don't believe me, try to postpone all the things you think are urgent for a period of time, and stick to this for about a month.Eventually you will realize that none of those things are actually that urgent.Therefore, you only need one criterion for judging: whether this matter is really important.The reason behind it is clear at a glance: there is always only one real and most important task-the one that is really helpful to the realization of your goals.

(6) Make a special task list for the next stage. In the process of completing your task list one by one, you will find that your focused creativity suddenly surges.Every time you complete a small item on your to-do list, you can't help but look forward to the future while having a good mood, and then you have a fresh idea!I feel so talented!So you think the rest of your list needs to be revised...but wait!Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not change items in the list before the entire task is completed.Once you do this, then you will find that you "necessarily" keep changing one or more items in this task list, and eventually even cause the entire task to never be completed.If you have any fresh ideas, of course it would be a pity to give up.The correct way is to start another new list titled "Next Stage Task List", record your fresh ideas there, and then immediately return to the current task list, focusing on the tasks that should be completed at present.If any new ideas suddenly appear, they will still be processed in the same way.The advantage of this is that after the current task is completed, there are already a considerable number of very specific pending items on your "next stage task list".

(7) Make a checklist for each of your tasks. Every time I come out of the house, I have to check one by one at the door: glasses, mobile phone, keys, wallet, cigarettes, lighter... After checking one by one, I step out of the threshold and lock the door.This is really using the benefits of the checklist (Checklist) to avoid wasting time due to omissions.The same goes for the aforementioned example of going to the supermarket to buy groceries.When implementing the plan and completing each item in the task list, a checklist should be assigned to each item in advance to ensure that the current task is indeed completed as expected.In many cases, if a certain aspect is missed, it is very likely that when the next project is executed in the future, it will be interrupted and have to return to the previous project link that was thought to be completed but must be supplemented now-this kind of mistake is often Will cause a lot of time wasted.Sometimes, the checklist does not have to be written down, because 1) If there are no more than 7 items, then it can be done in our brains; 2) Many items are already familiar to you, so the checklist for that item You already know it by heart.However, some tasks and items are relatively complicated, so you'd better make a checklist that can be sketched in advance, and check them one by one to ensure nothing goes wrong.

(8) Once the list is executed, it must be executed to the end. The most fundamental reason for accomplishing nothing is because of giving up.There are many ways to give up, the most common is "change to a better direction".It would be fine if it is indeed a better direction, but it seems that the "better direction" does not actually exist, because if you go on like this, you will keep finding "better directions".Don't make the mistake of thinking that you are the only one who can keep finding "better directions."Everyone is constantly "finding" a "better direction", why can't everyone succeed?I have never believed in the nonsense that everyone can be successful. I believe at most that "in fact, everyone could have succeeded in the first place".I always feel that a person's ultimate success is not because he has precisely planned his own success, but the key lies in his persistence.The process of going to success is generally as if your starting point is the South Pole, and the end of the success path is at the North Pole.So, no matter which direction you go, as long as you don't change your direction halfway, you will eventually reach the North Pole.However, if you change direction midway, or even frequently, you will barely reach the North Pole, and may even return to your starting point.Therefore, first judge whether the task represented by your list is realistic. If you really think you can and should complete this task, then start to do it; and must do it to the end.