I also knew how helpful checklists were, but I still didn't use them.

Checklists are a brilliant tool used by many specialists around the world. Did you know that even the crew of the Apollo mission used them. Why did I fail?

Everything changed when I decided to put them in the right place.

Creating a checklist is easy, anyone can do it.

The checklist is nothing more than a step-by-step guide

If you're doing a repetitive activity, just write down the following actions in the form of a list. For example, if you're creating a technical documentation, write down the drawn elements in order. Walls, windows, doors, electrical installations, and so on.

The step-by-step instructions written in this way are your checklist.

The checklist is a multitasking tool

The checklist isn't just a list of next steps.

Treat it like an action plan and make sure it includes all the items. Write down the time it'll take you to complete each activity. This will help you estimate how long it'll take you to complete the entire task, for instance such as drawing the electrical wiring plan.

Think regularly about what you can improve in your checklist and thus improve your work.

Have you remembered where you saved all your checklists?

This is the most common problem. The painstakingly created checklists end up in a folder on your hard drive and stay there forever.

Instead, put your list where you'll use it. In LayOut, I put the checklists in my templates next to the sheet where I draw the project. That way I always have them at my fingertips and don't get distracted by switching between applications.

The most thoughtful checklist is worthless if you don't use it.