I started making lists in my pre-teens: how to power-up my ham radio rig, what to take to school each day, whom to contact over the holidays, chores (there were many) to do at home, grocery shopping lists so I don’t get immediately overwhelmed by packaging screaming at me when I walk into the supermarket, what to pack for my music gigs… Without lists, I think I would have been fretful all the time. Like alarms, adding things to a checklist lets me delegate the worry to the list. I only have to worry about remembering to check the list.
The first program of significance that I wrote was a calendaring and checklist program in PDP-8 assembly language, designed to be used from an ASR-33 teletype over a 110 bps modem. I’ve been making lists on computers ever since.
Checklists helped me operate my telecommunications consulting practice in the 1980’s. It helped me get through my college and medical school education in the 1990’s. My checklists literally saved lives while I was a practicing physician. My ever-evolving travel packing list has been indispensable when I travel, taking packing from being a stressful, brain-wracking activity to a mostly mechanical one. Even now that I’m retired, keeping track of the many tasks involved in making the island home more comfortable and making sure that my server farm stays updated and secure are all managed by checklists.
I now have a checklist for whenever I leave the mountain: don’t forget to take the trash and any empty propane cylinders and gas cans. If Luna the Big Dog™ is going, remember her portable water bowl, Gentle Leader, leash, and poo bags. Remember to take any tools or documents I’ll need to accomplish whatever I’m leaving the mountain for. If I’m doing laundry, there’s a separate list reminding me to bring laundry soap, quarters, the dirty towels and linens that might not be in the hamper. Grocery lists are still vital. Far from being overwhelming, these lists just help me be organized and efficient.
In this golden age of checklists, lists can be synchronized between desktop, laptop, and mobile devices. It is sweet, indeed. My tool of choice right now is StandardNotes, but there are many options available.
—2p