Checklist

What is a checklist? Meaning and definition

A checklist is a short list of steps or items to tick off, so nothing important gets missed. A standard operating procedure, or SOP, is a checklist for work, written so anyone can follow it.

It's the night before a family trip. Everyone is asleep, and you're going over it again: the passports, your mum's medicine, the kids' headphones, the dog's food for the neighbour. You get up and write it all down on the back of an envelope, tick off what's already in the bags, and go back to bed.

A checklist can be a note on your phone, a list on the fridge or a page in a notebook. In Xale, your checklists stay private behind your Google or Apple sign-in, work in the browser on Android, iPhone, Mac and Windows, and any item can become a task, habit, event or project.

When does a checklist work well?

A checklist works best for things you'd rather not have to remember.

• Things you do again and again. Packing for a trip, the weekly shop, opening up the shop in the morning. You write it once and use it every time.
• Days with a lot going on. Moving house, a party, a launch. When there's too much to keep track of, the list keeps track of it for you.
• Things you do too rarely to remember. The yearly boiler check, renewing the car insurance, filing your taxes. Nobody remembers every step of something they do once a year.
• Handing something over. When someone else is doing it, a written list means they don't have to ask you about each step.

A checklist isn't much use for work that's different every time, or for working out what to do in the first place. For that, a mind map or a note is a better start.

How to make a checklist that helps

1. Write down what you tend to forget. Think back to the last time something was missed: the charger, the form, the spare key. Those go on the list.
2. Leave out what you'd never forget. If you always remember your phone, it doesn't need to be there. A short list is easier to check.
3. Write each item as one clear action. "Pack the charger" works better than "electronics".
4. Decide how you'll use it. If you're tired or in a rush, tick each item as you do it. If you know the routine well, do it from memory, then check the list at the end. The Checklist Manifesto calls these two styles read-do and do-confirm.
5. Check it at a set moment. Before you leave the house, before guests arrive, or at the end of the day. Once it's checked, you can stop thinking about it.
6. Update it after you use it. Add anything you forgot. Remove anything you didn't need.

What a checklist does for you

An SOP, or standard operating procedure, is the same idea for work: a checklist written down so that anyone can follow it, and nobody has to remember every step. Books such as Work the System and The E-Myth Revisited suggest writing one the first time you do a job, then improving it each time you do it again.

From a packing scramble to a short checklist

Here's the family trip again, and how the list on the envelope became a checklist worth keeping.

• The first version had thirty items. Socks, T-shirts, toothbrush, phone. It was everything in the bags, and it took longer to read than to pack.
• Most of it came off. Nobody forgets their socks. Anything you'd notice missing within a minute doesn't need to be on the list.
• What stayed was what went wrong last time. Mum's medicine, the kids' headphones, the travel adapter, the dog's food for the neighbour, and the passports.
• Two items were added for other people. Your son's inhaler, and the car seat for the hire car. When you're travelling with others, their needs are the easiest to forget.
• It's checked once, at the door. You pack from memory, then read the list before you lock up. That's the do-confirm style.

Seven items, checked in a minute. Next time, the list is already there, and it's a little better each trip.

Types of checklist, and when to use each

Most checklists fall into a few groups. The ones with a full example are marked "Example below".

For everyday life

• Grocery list, or shopping list. What you need from the shop, grouped the way you walk round it, with the week's dinners. Example below.
• Opening and closing checklist. The first and last things you do each day, at work or at home, so the day starts and ends cleanly. Example below.

For trips and big days

• Packing list, or travel checklist. What to take, especially what you forgot last time, and what the people you're travelling with need. Example below.
• Moving checklist. Change of address, utilities, and each room, in the weeks before you move. Example below.
• Event checklist. The day before, the day itself and the day after, for a party, a wedding or a launch. Example below.

For home and life admin

• Reorder list. What runs out regularly, where you buy it and when you last ordered it. Example below.
• Waiting on list. What other people owe you, and since when, so you know who to chase. Example below.

For looking after yourself

• Recovery checklist. A few small things to do when you're running on empty: one chore, one message, five quiet minutes. Example below.
• Bucket list. The things you'd love to do one day. It's the one checklist that's meant to be slow.

For work

• SOP, or standard operating procedure. The steps for a job you do again and again, such as onboarding a new client, so anyone can follow them. Example below.

How to keep each kind of checklist in Xale

Every example here is a List, in Xale's checklist and list app. Most start from one of Xale's ready-made list shapes (Pro), and the rest start blank, with the items to add. Without Pro, start a blank list and type the same headings yourself. Each example ends with one thing worth keeping from the list, such as a task for the task manager, a habit for the habit tracker app or an event for the day planner app, then how to do the same in other apps, and a prompt to try with an AI assistant.

Packing list: what to take, and what everyone needs

Try this before a trip, especially one with other people, when you're worried about forgetting something.

1. On the Lists page, press Start from a shape and choose Packing (Pro). It starts with essentials, clothes, toiletries, tech and chargers, and documents.
2. Under each heading, add what you forgot last time first. That's what the list is for.
3. Add what the people you're travelling with need: medicine, a car seat, the headphones that stop the arguments.
4. Pack from memory, then go through the list once at the door. Tick each item with Check item as you confirm it.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on your departure time, such as "Leave for the airport, Fri 06:30", and choose Make event (Pro), so it's in your calendar. When you're home, untick the items with Uncheck item, so the list is ready for next time.

In other apps: any notes app with checkboxes works, and so does a laminated card and a pen.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's my packing list for [trip, with who's coming]: [my list]. Don't add general items. Ask me three questions about things people in my situation often forget, one at a time.

Grocery list: one shop a week, sorted

Try this when you go to the shop most days, or stand in the kitchen not knowing what's for dinner.

1. On the Lists page, press Start from a shape and choose Groceries + Weeknight Dinners (Pro). It has produce, chilled, pantry, and this week's dinners.
2. Start with the dinners. Write one line for each night, then add what each one needs under the right heading.
3. Add the things that run out without you noticing, such as milk, bread and coffee.
4. Tick items as they go in the basket, so you can see what's left at a glance.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on a line such as "Sunday: big shop" and choose Make habit, so the shop has a regular place in your week. Then open the list's menu and press Link Areas for Home.

In other apps: any shared notes app works, and so does a list on the fridge.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's my grocery list and this week's dinners: [my list]. Don't suggest recipes. Tell me which dinners share ingredients, and what I've listed twice under different names.

Moving checklist: the weeks before you move

Try this when a move is coming up and you keep waking up thinking of things.

1. On the Lists page, start a blank list called "The move". Add four headings: four weeks before, two weeks before, the week of, and moving day.
2. Under each heading, write what has to happen then: give notice, book the van, change your address, take meter readings.
3. Add who's doing what in brackets, such as "(Sam)", so the work is shared.
4. Look at the busiest heading and move anything you can to an earlier one.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on "The move" and choose Make project (Pro), so the move has its own place with its tasks. Then open the list's menu and press Link People for whoever's helping.

In other apps: any notes app works. On paper, one sheet per week before the move.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's my moving checklist: [my list]. I'm moving [from and to], on [date]. Don't rewrite it. List anything people usually forget when moving, such as redirecting post, and say which week each one belongs in.

Event checklist: the day before, the day and the day after

Try this for a party, a wedding, a big presentation or a launch, when the day itself has a lot of moving parts.

1. On the Lists page, press Start from a shape and choose Important Day Runbook (Pro). It has the day before, the day itself, and the day after.
2. Fill in "the day itself" first, in order, with times: when people arrive, when the food is ready, when the speeches start.
3. Under "the day before", add everything that can be done early, so the day itself is lighter.
4. Under "the day after", add the thank-yous and the returns. They're easy to forget when you're tired.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on the start time, such as "Guests arrive 3pm", and choose Make event (Pro). Then open the list's menu and press Link People for whoever's helping on the day.

In other apps: any notes app works, and so does a printed run of the day taped inside a cupboard door.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's my checklist for [event]: [my list]. Don't plan it for me. Point out anything on the day itself that depends on something I haven't listed for the day before.

Opening and closing checklist: start and end the day cleanly

Try this if you run a shop, a studio or a home office, and the same small things get missed at the start or end of the day.

1. On the Lists page, press Start from a shape and choose Open / Close the Day (Pro). It has a morning book-end and an evening book-end.
2. Under the morning book-end, write what you check when you arrive, in the order you do it.
3. Under the evening book-end, write what you do before you leave, ending with the last thing, such as locking up.
4. Keep each part to five or six items. If it's longer, some of it probably belongs somewhere else.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on the evening book-end and choose Make habit, so closing up has a regular place at the end of your day. Then open the list's menu and press Link Areas for Work.

In other apps: any notes app works, and so does a card by the door.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's my opening and closing checklist: [my list]. Don't add steps. Tell me which items could be done the night before, so mornings are shorter.

Reorder list: never run out at the worst moment

Try this when you keep running out of the same things: coffee, printer ink, the dog's food.

1. On the Lists page, press Start from a shape and choose Reorder & Supplies (Pro). It has the item, where you usually buy it, and when you last ordered.
2. Add each thing that runs out regularly, with the shop it comes from.
3. Write the date you last ordered each one. After a while, you'll see how long things last.
4. Tick anything that's running low, so you can see at a glance what needs ordering.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on the item you need soonest, such as "Coffee beans", and choose Make task, so the order actually gets placed.

In other apps: a note on your phone works, and so does a list on the inside of a cupboard door.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's my reorder list with the dates I last ordered: [my list]. Tell me roughly how often I seem to run out of each item, and which ones I could order together.

Waiting on list: what other people owe you

Try this when you're waiting on several people at once, and it's hard to remember who you need to chase.

1. On the Lists page, press Start from a shape and choose Waiting On (Pro). It has what's owed, who owes it, and since when.
2. Add each thing you're waiting for, with the person's name and the date you asked.
3. Look at the oldest items first. If it's been more than a week, it's probably time for a friendly nudge.
4. Tick anything that's arrived, so the list only shows what's still open.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on the item that's been waiting longest, such as "Quote from the plumber", and choose Make task. Open the task, and in Deliver to choose the person, so it shows up when you look at what's owed to them.

In other apps: a note works. On paper, add a date beside each name.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's what I'm waiting on: [my list]. Write a short, friendly follow-up message for the oldest item, in plain words, and no more than three sentences.

Recovery checklist: small things for a hard day

Try this on a day when you've got nothing left, and even deciding what to do next feels like too much.

1. On the Lists page, press Start from a shape and choose Actions To Reset/Heal Me (Pro). It has home, people, admin, and you, each with one small thing.
2. Keep every item small enough to do in five minutes: one dish, one message, one bill.
3. Do one item from any heading. That's enough for today.
4. Tick it, and stop if you want to. The list is there for the next hard day too.
5. Open the ⋯ menu on the item that helped most, such as "Five quiet minutes outside", and choose Make habit, so it's there before you run out next time. Then open the list's menu and press Link Areas for Health.

In other apps: a note on your phone works, and so does a short list taped somewhere you'll see it.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

I'm having a hard day. Here's my recovery checklist: [my list]. Don't give advice. Pick the one smallest item I could do in the next five minutes, and tell me only that.

SOP: the steps for a job you do again and again

Try this the next time you do a job that comes round regularly, like onboarding a new client, so the steps are written down for next time.

1. On the Lists page, start a blank list called "New client onboarding", and switch it to numbered (Pro), because the order matters.
2. As you do the job, write each step as you finish it. Don't try to remember it all in advance.
3. Add a few words of why to any step that isn't obvious, such as "Send the welcome pack (so they know what happens next)".
4. Next time, follow the list and fix anything that was wrong or missing. It gets better each time you use it.
5. For each new client, open the ⋯ menu on the first step and choose Make project (Pro), so their onboarding has its own place. Then open the list's menu and press Link People for the client.

In other apps: any notes or docs app works. Teams often keep SOPs in a shared folder, one page per job.

Prompt to try with an AI assistant

Select the items in your list and copy them (Ctrl+C, or Cmd+C on a Mac). Then paste them where it says [my list].

Here's the checklist I follow when I [job]: [my list]. Don't rewrite it. Point out any step that someone new might not understand, and suggest one plain sentence of explanation for each.

How to get past the common hurdles of checklists

• "Checklists feel like being told what to do." Your list is yours. It's only there so you don't have to remember everything, and you can skip anything that doesn't apply today.
• "I make one and never look at it." Decide when you'll check it, such as at the front door or at the end of the day, and keep it where that happens.
• "It's too long to bother with." Take off everything you'd never forget. Most good checklists are under ten items.
• "Every time is different." Keep the parts that are the same every time, and add a line for "anything else this time".
• "I tick things without really checking." Read each item out loud, or check it with someone else. Ticking from memory is how things get missed.
• "It makes me more anxious, not less." Check the list once, then put it away. If you keep going back to it, write down what you're worried about instead (see Journal).

If you can't think what to put on it

• Picture the moment it's for. Imagine leaving for the airport, moving day, or locking up at the end of the day. Write down each thing you'd need, in order.
• Think about the last time. What did you forget? What did you have to go back for? Start with those.
• Say it out loud, and write down each item as you say it, such as "charger, passport, the dog's food".
• Start with three items. Add the rest when you think of them.
• Use a template or someone else's list. Cross out what doesn't apply to you.
• It doesn't have to be complete the first time. It gets better each time you use it.
• If you start worrying instead of listing, write the worries out first in a note (see Journal), then come back to the list.

Checklist: common questions

What's the difference between a checklist and a to-do list? A to-do list is what you want to get done, and it changes every day. A checklist is the same steps or items every time you do something, such as packing or closing up. You make it once and use it again.

What is an SOP? An SOP, or standard operating procedure, is a checklist for work: the steps for a job, written down so anyone can follow them. Many small businesses keep one for each job that comes round regularly.

How many items should a checklist have? As few as you need. Five to nine items is a good size for most checklists. If it's much longer, split it into parts, such as before, during and after.

What are read-do and do-confirm checklists? In a read-do checklist, you read each item and do it, one at a time. In a do-confirm checklist, you do the work from memory, then check the list to make sure nothing was missed. The Checklist Manifesto explains both.

What is The Checklist Manifesto about? It's a book by Atul Gawande, a surgeon, about how short, simple checklists help people in complicated jobs, such as surgeons and pilots, avoid missing steps. Its ideas work just as well for packing a bag or running a small business.

Is there a checklist template I can use? Yes. In Xale Pro, the Lists page has ready-made shapes for packing, groceries, opening and closing, reordering, big days, waiting on and recovery, under Start from a shape. You can also start from any list someone shares with you.

What should go on a packing list? Start with what you forgot last time, then the things you can't easily buy when you get there: medicine, documents, chargers and adapters. If you're travelling with others, add what they need too.

When should I start a moving checklist? About four to six weeks before you move. That gives you time to give notice, book help, and change your address before the last busy week.

How do I make a grocery list that works? Plan the week's dinners first, then list what they need, grouped the way you walk round the shop. Keep a line for the things that always run out, such as milk and coffee.

Can AI write a checklist for me? It can give you a first draft, and the prompts on this page are written for that. But the most useful items are the ones you forgot last time, and only you know those. Use the draft as a start, and make it yours.

Is a bucket list a checklist? In a way. It's a list of things you'd love to do one day, and ticking them off is part of the fun. Unlike most checklists, it's meant to be slow.

Should I keep my checklists on paper or in an app? Whichever you'll actually look at. Paper is quick to check at the door. An app is with you everywhere, easy to update, and can turn an item into a reminder in your calendar.

How do I reuse a checklist? Keep it, and untick the items when you've finished. In Xale, use Uncheck item on each one, so the list is ready for next time, with any changes you made.

Does a checklist mean I don't trust myself? No. It means you don't have to rely on remembering everything, so you can pay attention to what's in front of you. Pilots and surgeons use them every day.

Related topics

• Compare with To-do list: what you want to get done, where a checklist is the same steps every time.
• For today's few things: Daily to-do list.
• Make a checklist part of your week with Habit and Routine.
• Work out what goes on it first with Mind mapping or a Brain dump.
• Read why writing things down helps in Open loop and Working memory.
• For a bigger piece of work with many steps: Project plan.