To do list or checklist? Is there really a difference? Both are great tools to help us remember things because we cannot remember everything we learned.
As we have checklist software we are keen to point out the differences.
Both provide guidance on getting things done and offer that feeling of accomplishment of a task.
Difference between To Do List and Checklist
Everything comes back to baking cakes in our eyes. Well, it’s the easiest way to explain and we all do like cake.
When you make a cake you need to gather all the ingredients and equipment before you start the baking process. This is a to do list, whereas the checklist is the recipe steps.
To do list – What you need to do is the list of ingredients you need to buy before the process starts.
Checklist – How to do and detailed steps to follow to make the cake perfect every time.
To do list is a list of ingedients
To do list is more ad hoc in nature but help focus on what you need to get done.
To do list do not help to continuous improvement processes.
Checklist is how you make it perfect every time
Checklists allow you to complete tasks faster and more efficiently.
The checklist makes sure we don’t miss any steps so keeping consistent quality and reduces errors.
Checklists are great motivators because every time you check off an item you get that amazing feeling of achievement. Because the brain releases endorphins which makes you feel great and so you crave more so making you more productive.
Great way to boost your productivity, accountability and guide everyone to business best practices.
Checklist Software
So how can a checklist help your business? Checklists are a hybrid of to do list and checklists to manage workflow, a delegation of tasks while reducing errors and most importantly stop tasks from being missed.
The technical name is process management.
Checklists are designed to deal with recurring processes so allowing you to free up space in your mind.
Checklist software is effectively a to-do list with the detailed steps of a checklist.
Checklists are a key part of continuously improve business processes.
Human Brain has Limitations
Working human memory lets us keep something in our minds for a limited time by repeating it.
The average human brain as it is has an intrinsic limitation. What’s the most we can remember? Generally, we only retain three or four things at once in short term memory. When more complex processes contain potentially more than 10 steps the chances are high that steps are missed.
Often we make comparisons between the brain and a computer. But it’s not a hard space limit we have, the brain isn’t full but more a download issue. The information comes in too fast for our memory to write it all down.
So many new facts and experiences to record we just can’t remember everything!