Interactive Checklists

Check list? Why use checklists?

Most of us have difficulty remembering a list of information that is longer than 5 to 7 items. In many cases, just writing down our thoughts or creating a list of things to do, allows our minds to focus on other things which, in turn, make our lives less stressful. Using a check list is an excellent way to make our lives simpler and more productive.

Checklists have become more popular in recent years after Atul Gawande published his book "The Checklist Manifesto". That book discussed how checklists are making hospital visits safer with a safe surgery checklist, and how architects and anyone building or working on anything complicated needs to have an inspection checklist or testing checklist. The book gave us some history of when checklists were really adopted widely. Atul Gawande relates how the airline industry uses a check list for pre-flight. A pre-flight check list directs pilots and co-pilots to check, set, and re-check various flight controls to ensure a safe take-off, landing, or other procedure. [Describe further what impact this book had]

There are many typical uses of checklists .There is the travel check list, the inspection checklist, the emergency preparedness checklist the security checklist, the surgical safety checklist, the pre flight checklist, the packing checklist, a procedural checklist, an invitation checklist, wedding checklist, moving checklist, shopping list, grocery list, and many more. Checklists also go by other names: todo lists, done list, checkoff list.

A travel checklist is provided by tour companies, adventure books and websites, and the check list will tell you places you need to visit. A travel checklist example would be a list of museums to visit in Europe. Another travel checklist would list restaurants to visit in a particular city. Another travel list is more specific to an activity, such as the best places to scuba dive in the world. A packing checklist tells you what you need to bring with you so that you never forget an essential item. Occasionally a packing checklist and a travel checklist mean the same thing : a packing list. It depends who you are talking to. We prefer a travel list to be a list of places to go or see while on a trip.

A good way to use a packing checklist is to re-use it. Make a list ahead of time for one trip. You likely will forget something. Add items to the list as you notice that you missed them. If you repeat that trip or have another just like it, you will be more prepared when you re-use the list. Add items in sections so that you can ignore entire sections if your trip doesn't involve a particular activity. For instance, if you were on a bicycle trip and you list helmet, gloves, shorts, jersey, etc. put that into a section or even a separate checklist. When you go on a business trip, use your packing checklist but ignore the bicycle section. Businesses use checklists all the time to ensure that procedures have been followed. An SEO checklist is a good example and, ironically, one of the most popular searched lists on the internet. SEO means search engine optimization and the seo checklist set of must-do's that a webmaster must follow in order to be noticed by a search engine at all. An seo checklist also is a good example of why an online version of a checklist is good -- the rules for seo change constantly so having an easily changed list is extremely helpful.

A todo list, is a list a person generally makes for themselves. Sometimes it is made by a spouse, in which case it is called a honey dew list or a honey do list. These lists are lists of items sometimes related to each other, often not, that a person must accomplish. The time frame can be short (what is on your to do list for this afternoon?) or long (what is on your bucket list). A bucket list is a list of things you want to do, go to, see, be, before you die. The idea of a bucket list probably has been around for a very long time, but only recently acquired the label "bucket list" in 2006 or so. If your bucket list is empty then you haven't been thinking hard enough about what to put in your bucket list. If your bucket list is too full, perhaps your todo list or your honey do list is much too long also, and you might need to tackle at least one item in your bucket list. Some people's bucket list is really a travel list. This is good.

Back to the to do list. This website is intended to be a checklist program that makes to do list writing easy. First we want to present to you information and lists that you can re-use. But then we want to enable you to write your own to do list, or best practice list, or packing list, or whatever list you need, and as easily as possible. We also want to make it so that you can re-use your to do list so that you create a list you use every spring for spring cleanup for instance.

Most people are list-makers. For those who say they are not, I suggest trying this program when needing to learn a series of steps, memorize facts, record events, or any number of things that are better stored in a list format.

Browse through the Public Checklist Template templates to see our checklist templates, or create a list of your own. Then mark-off, save, edit, and re-use it... You can save up to 150 lists at no cost, so start thinking of ways this tool can help you plan, learn, and get organized. Got a good idea? Share it by writing a check list that anyone can use and submit it to be considered as a checklist template shown on our Public Checklist Templates pages .

Create a checklist now!

Note: Although these checklists have been carefully prepared by individuals who are experts in the subject, we do not suggest the information be used as a substitute for legal, medical, or financial advice. Always consult a professional who understands your specific situation.