Making The Change - Unlock Your Potential

The topic of discussion today is about the checklist and its importance. I recently read a book called The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. The book provides many great examples of how a checklist has been made and implemented in different fields in order to prevent terrible things from happening. Alongside this, the book also goes into detail about how the checklist was developed and how it was established to have a few rules. The being, the checklist must have simple and fit wording that can fit on one page. Next, it should be READ-DO or DO-CONFIRM style. Lastly, it should try to be somewhere between 5-10 items. For those that have not read the book, READ-DO is talking about, people will carry out the tasks as they check them off. for a DO-CONFIRM style, it tends to be seen where team members perform on their own from memory and experience. The DO-CONFIRM is something you might see with doctors. Another thing that has been learned is checklists are vital to success. One benefit I derive from these checklists I make is that it aids in keeping me a schedule and what needs to be done. Another benefit of them is that it allows me to be able to break down a complex or complicated topic or task at hand into simple steps.                     With everything mentioned thus far, we can see some of the major benefits of using a checklist. Now, this is not some secret formula to success, more than likely you have been around checklists all of your life but you just never consciously realized it or processed their importance. If you are someone that is somewhat unorganized or tends to occupy their day doing random things I think a checklist could be pretty beneficial to practice doing and implementing. For me, I made list's before reading the book but since reading I have began to rely on my list to tell me what things I need to make sure I get done in a day before I can try to relax. For me, the benefit of that is the reduced mental strain and the reduced amount of thinking and remember I have to be doing. For example, I might forget that I need to go in a rotate my tires on a certain mileage or dates but having the checklist set will serve as a reminder. For me, I have a checklist for each day with everything I need to get done and in the order, it needs to get done in. Not every time will the tasks be done or done in the precise order, but it does structure my day and keep my mind occupied with what is being done and what to do next.             With Checklists being covered, I want you, the listener, to go and make yourself a checklist for what to do for the rest of today or tomorrow. If you have a certain problem or task then break it down into one simple and succinct checklist and see how much it helps. Especially in these times with most of the nation still on lockdown and people are still in fear, try to spend the amount of free time you have on improving yourself through building skills, reconnecting with old friends, or just general learning.       Today's quote is by Friedrich Nietzsche in his work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. He says "Man is a rope stretched between the animal and the Superman—a rope over an abyss. A dangerous crossing, a dangerous wayfaring, a dangerous looking-back, a dangerous trembling and halting."       For me, this has quite a bit of meaning to be found as to mean it is saying that man is constantly suspended between the fight to be an animal and act uncivilized and without control or as the superman, powerful, commandeering, and in control. Notice how he says a dangerous looking-back and a dangerous trembling and halting. He is not saying the path is easy. He is saying you cannot stop in the path for it is dangerous and can lead to the abyss. Also, he is saying to look-back towards the animal or beast within us all is dangerous and something that should be avoided. This is what I personally derive from this quote, while the true meaning is only truly known by Nietzsche I do believe that this is close or what the meaning is.     Thank you, everyone, that has listened to the episode! If you enjoyed episode 3  of Making The Change then please subscribe. We are listed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube.