Checklist: A Surefire Tool of High-Level Functionality

"The checklist is one of the most high powered productivity tool ever discovered. If you don't have a checklist, you're much more likely to forget something."_Brian Tracy

Few years ago, in the city where I lived, a five-story building near completion fell and crumbled to the ground in an instant. It was a colossal loss of lives and money.

As investigation revealed, the collapse was totally preventable; it happened because the site engineer had neglected an essential step in the process of construction. 

This incident is what inspired today’s article. And it is intended to safeguard us from a preventable mistake like this in the construction of our own projects. So, I am going to share a practical tool that we can benefit from, if we are willing to use it, in any area of our lives. 

Though it is not something extraordinary by definition but its value can be huge. What I am referring to, is just a simple list of all the steps necessary that we outline—beforehand—for the realization of any outcome that we desire. 

To get the idea of its value, we need to recognize that, the heavy loss suffered in the above narration would have been avoided, if the site engineer had rightly made use of a checklist.

Atul Gawande is a renowned surgeon who published a book entitled: ‘The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right.’ In the book, he writes: 

“Checklists turn out...to be among the basic tools of the quality and productivity revolution in aviation, engineering, construction - in virtually every field combining high risk and complexity.”

And he continues by saying that: “Checklists seem lowly and simplistic, but they help fill in for the gaps in our brains and between our brains.”

As humans we are far from perfect. Not even the smartest and the brightest of men is completely free from making a mistake or omitting a step in a process. No one is infallible, except God, the Almighty. 

So to ensure necessary safeguards when the stakes are high, it is important that we make use of a checklist. 

Steven Levitt, the co-author of the book, ‘Freakonomics’ thinks in this direction. He admits: “No matter how expert you may be, well-designed checklists can improve outcomes.”

Evidently, forgetfulness can cause things to go very wrong. This is true, whether we are looking at the construction industry, the airline industry, medical sector or any business for that matter; this is even true in our personal lives. 

So if we want to function at our best in any capacity, checklists need to become our functional companion.

Let’s Prepare Our Checklist Now

The thing to keep in mind about an effective checklist is that it should be designed based on what is essential. To be clear, an essential step is a step that can cause a trouble if missed or forgotten.

 

Therefore, the main goal of a checklist is to prevent human error, thereby ensuring that we do things the right way at the very first time.  

To create an effective checklist, we should avoid making the list too long as Atul Gawande concludes in his book:

"Good checklists are to the point, and easy to use. They do not try to spell out everything. Instead, they provide reminders of only the most critical and important steps."

Now, if we adhere to checklists, things will go quite right. We won’t have to think about every single step. Since the steps are already written and organized, we can easily direct all our attention to what really needs to get done.

Finally, with the right use of a well-designed checklist, we can ensure high-level consistent performance in any field of practice, even the most convoluted ones.

Let’s Consume Less and Contribute More

“Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life's deepest joy: true fulfillment.”_Tony Robbins

In the nineteenth century, a poverty-stricken youth decided to join the workforce like many of his peers. He began with a meager pay of two cents an hour. 

However, he was a little different from most of his peers. He was different by the nature of his thoughts; the young lad had a strong desire, not just to earn a living but to help as many people as he could.

Though he started at lowest rung of the ladder—first as factory worker, then a bill logger, and a messenger boy—he nurtured the ambition of a hero; the outer condition of his life seemed like that of a slave, but inwardly, he cherished the aspirations of a king.

Evidently, the Scottish steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie, learned an important lesson early in his life: the secret to everlasting fulfillment is hidden in making generous contributions to the lives of others.

Carnegie wanted to be rich, not for mere vanity and extravagance but for the privilege to assist those less fortunate than him. As a result, he worked diligently to improve the lowly condition of his life, so that he could be in position to offer help to those in need.

And with God’s special grace, Andrew became one of the richest men on earth, earning hundreds of millions of dollars at the time, and in harmony with his lofty vision; he selflessly gave it all away. He realized his long cherished dream to leave an indelible mark in the strand of time. 

Carnegie is a classic proof of the fact that greatness is less about by what we can get, and more about the good we can contribute to the lives of others. It is through selfless service that all great personalities have carved their names in the plaque of history.

At this point, the purpose of this article should be clear. It is meant to stir us to think of the unique contributions we can make to the world in which we live. 

In the end, it is not what we generously offer that is lost; it will somehow come back to us in manifold. It is only what we selfishly devour that will eventually amount to nothing. 

Put another way: you will never be revered for what you gather, but you will be remembered for the good you scatter. In the words of an Indian non-violent activist, Mahatma Gandhi: “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Give Some Good Away

“It is the height of selfishness to merely consume what others create and to retreat into a shell of limited goals and immediate pleasures.”_ Robert Greene

The meaning in our lives is proportionate to the degree of the contribution we can make in service to the Creator for the benefit of everything He has created.

So, let’s choose to consume less and produce more. Let’s choose to actively contribute to the world that surrounds us. And an American philanthropist, Milton Hershey aimed to encourage us in this direction when he wrote: “One is only happy in proportion as he makes others feel happy and only useful as he contributes his influences for the finer callings in life.”

Moreover, we don’t need to have hundreds of millions to thread the path of kindness. All we need is the heart of mercy. It is all we need to make the world a better place to live, and it is all we need to bring lasting meaning into our lives.

Now, if you forget everything in this article, I want you to remember this one question: “What small thing can I do to make a positive contribution toward my community today?”

Please ponder over that and take it to heart.

Finally, we don’t feel most alive when we saturate ourselves with everything we could receive from other people but we feel most alive when we saturate the world around us with the best of ourselves. 

We feel most alive when we embody the change that we wish to see in the world.

Comfort Zone: How We Can Step Beyond It

“Life begins at the end of your Comfort Zone. So if you`re feeling uncomfortable right now, know that the change taking place in your life is a beginning, not an ending.”

Neale Donald Walsch

First, what’s the meaning of comfort level or comfort zone?

Encarta Dictionary gives us an answer. 

It defines comfort zone as: “A set of physical or psychological circumstances in which somebody feels most at ease and free from physical discomfort or stress.”

As humans we like any arrangement or setup that can provide us with maximum safety and deepest calm. We derive comfort from a place or situation of ease and familiarity. 

Though it can sometimes be renewing to retreat to the haven of serenity after some significant accomplishments, yet taking a permanent residence at the zone of comfort is not the best way to live. It is an invitation to stagnation. 

The law of life is growth, so much so that even the most precious of gemstones needs to be continually polished to achieve and maintain its brightest luster. 

No one can find lasting joy within the constraining zone of short-term comfort. We find real fulfillment through meaningful adventure, new experiences and perpetual growth. 

So if we desire the next level of excitement, then we need to stretch ourselves beyond our current level of comfort. 

Now let’s review of a few tips we can use to do just that.

Tips of Expansion

Here are three tips we can use to expand our comfort zone and continually develop our mental and physical muscles.

1} Competition:

 

If we want to stretch beyond our limits, one of the best ways to do that is to get involved in a competition. 

You see, when we don’t engage in any challenge to grow—like an exam or a contest— we can easily be tempted to remain in the zone of mediocrity. 

Undoubtedly, competitions make us better. Even when we lose, our muscles still get stretched and we become stronger as a result.

2} Atomic Moves:

It's natural for us to not want to change because frankly, change is hard; so, to make it as easy as possible, we need to break our big goals down into their atomic components.

Then, we focus on one atomic step at a time. This steady approach will give us momentum to stick with pursuing our goals until we achieve the results we can be proud of.

3} Progress:

The point here is to seek comfort in progress. By this, I mean we should make progress the goal—not ease. 

We should see change from the lens of greater rewards it can bring into our lives and see our current zone of comfort for its apparent drawbacks. 

We need to realize that progress is what will take us away from the zone of limitations to the zone of possibilities. The zone of possibilities is what I call ‘the zone of growth.’

We should always strive for growth despite the initial discomfort that we may feel because that is where new life begins; progress is expansive and expansion comes from growth.

In conclusion, some people would rather die within the zones of mediocrity than dare to explore the larger world of unlimited possibilities that lie beyond it. But this is not for us. 

You and I need to resolve to fulfill our potential, which is all about constant and never ending improvements in essential areas of our lives. 

Bear in mind that good life is not about continuous comfort; good life is about continuous growth, continuous contribution and continuous advancement.

The Power of Self-Belief

"Self-trust is the first secret of success; it is the essence of heroism."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In his bestselling book, “Tough Times Never Lasts but Tough People Do,” Robert Schuller narrates an interesting story of frontline employees who—unaware of the difficulty of the situation—managed to find a solution to a problem that had put the top executives of their company into a corner.

It happened by the timely stimulation of the chief executive of the company. The wise leader of the organization appealed to frontline workers’ sense of worth. He spurred them to believe in their own ingenuity. 

He told them they were intelligent, hardworking fellows who could do something great. Fortunately, they believed what he said at that very instance, which caused them to believe in themselves. Consequently, the infantry troops suddenly became the knights in shining armour— with the aid of a little confidence boost.

Schuller continues: “Every person is creative, but a lot of people don’t believe in their own creativity.” In other words, a great number of us don’t have sufficient believe in our own selves.

As the above narration reveals, the main difference between a highly successful person and the typical average sort is not about resources or opportunities. 

The principal difference centers on resourcefulness, which is the product of deep belief in one’s abilities to make things happen, as the Heavyweight champion, Muhammad Ali once stated: “It's the lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges; I believe in myself.”

You see, we are all brilliant in some way; all of us have potential for creativity. In fact, each one of us has more than 100 billion brain cells lying beneath the skull, waiting to be utilized.  Imagine what we can accomplish if we all put them to good use!

Besides, all creative ideas come from the almighty Creator, and any willing person can tap into His Ocean of wisdom at any time. So, what we really need is to start believing in the positive ideas that flow into our minds.

For example, Madame Marie Curie had an idea that Radium Metal did exist, and more importantly, she believed that she could find the source of the unknown radioactive element, despite the fact that no one had ever seen it before, and no one knew where to start looking for it. And by the power of her vigorous self-belief she was able to discover the source of radium. 

How We Can Develop Self-Belief

Self-belief means the confidence, the trust and the faith that we have in ourselves and in our ability to execute our ideas.  

The legendary business philosopher, Jim Rohn reminds us of one simple way to improve and develop belief in own ability to make things happen. He said: “The greatest builder of self confidence is self-esteem, and self-esteem comes from DOING the daily things you know you should do.”

And the author of ‘the Power of Awareness,’ Neville Goddard put it this way: “Man’s faith in God is proportionate to the confidence he has in himself, and the confidence must be earned, everyday.”

Furthermore, the American lawyer and the author of ‘the Big Book of Faith,’ Iyanla Vanzant, summed it up as: “Faith (in yourself) is the knowing by which you (must) do.”

Disbelief in our own abilities simply comes from perennial neglect of necessary daily disciplines. This is why the author of ‘the Road Less Travelled,’ M. Scott Peck says that goofing off in the day is tantamount to placing little or no value on one’s life. 

On the contrary, remarkably productive people strive daily to max out every single minute of their time; lack of neglect is the top secret of the self-assured.

While right thinking is necessary to begin with, action is the ultimate builder of self-confidence. Thus, we should fortify our self-belief by consistently taking action. And the action doesn’t necessarily need to be grand or perfect. It only needs to be right. 

To grow the belief we have in ourselves, our minds and bodies must become an active asset; we need to make proper use of all the resources at our disposal.

So, if you must start small, start small. Just figure out the right things to do, then get started. The progress you make from cumulative regular actions will generate more confidence and belief in your capacity to do even better. 

Remember, we are what we repeatedly do. Our belief is a function of not only what populates our minds, but also what occupies our time, and what engages our limbs. Our belief manifests in our habits, especially in our keystone habits.

When we begin to form good-action habits in our lives, our self-belief will begin to soar. And, in due course, when our confidence gets strong enough, we can accomplish incredible things like Madame Marie Curie. 

In finality, believe in yourself, and the universe will be forced to believe in you.

Controlling Our Intakes

“There is a difference between eating and drinking for strength and from mere gluttony.”—Henry David Thoreau

Henry Ford is one of the greats of all time. 

He was a visionary entrepreneur who pioneered the mass production of automobiles among many other useful developments. He was a definition of worldly success by many standards.

In his mid-seventies, he was asked about the secret of his great success. And he gave very simple answer, which some of us may find quite difficult to practice.

Meanwhile, only one of his three core-value answers is what I need for the purpose of this article but I will mention the three so that we can learn his full personal secrets for our own use but I will stay focused on the first.

Here are his answers: 

Number One: “I never overeat.”

Number Two: “I never worry too much.”

Number Three: “Whatever I do, I do my best, and I know whatever happens to me, it is for my best. I trust in the Lord.”

Now let’s get back to the theme of this write-up: controlling our intakes, which happens to be the number one secret of Ford’s uncommon functionality. 

From the words of Henry Ford above, this seemingly ordinary idea is the number one principle behind the greatness of the phenomenal industrialist.

Please consider the sentence again: “I NEVER overeat.” And he said this after seventy decades on earth. 

Take note that this was not coming from a Prophet or a saint or a nutrition expert. This was coming from a multimillionaire in the age of sensuality and hedonism, as Benjamin Franklin wrote, long before Ford’s time: 

“In general, mankind, since the improvement of cookery, eats twice as much as nature requires.”

Now, how many of us can honestly make the same claim?

I know I can’t. 

But if you can truthfully make that claim, then maybe you don’t to read the remainder of this article. 

However, if you need more discipline with regards to what you take in, the essence of this article is to prod myself and yourself to always eat for purpose rather than for pleasure. 

A remarkable woman, Helen Keller—like Ford— understood that the real joy of life is not about satiety but about purpose and meaning. She said: “True happiness is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”

Greatness is built upon principles and morality. As Henry Ford demonstrated, it is clear that the foundation of great success is often made up of some basic moral principles that many people do overlook as ‘no big deal.’ 

So, if we want success—whether spiritual, intellectual or material kind— our daily choices must be guided by sound principles and good system of practical ideals, like controlling the portion of whatever we put in our mouth.

Our Turn

If you get the import of Henry Ford’s ideal and you want to control how much you take in, one proven way to changing your eating behaviour is by making a slight change in your culinary cues: the size of your plate. 

When it comes to eating moderately, the medium rather than the food itself could be the determining factor. No matter how ordinary this idea may sound to you, don’t dismiss its power to strengthen self-control.

Imagine a buffet arrangement where you can go into a room filled with many delicacies, and serve yourself with no one looking over your shoulder to judge the amount of food you are putting in your plate. 

Each person enters, suit himself and goes out alone to reserved arena to enjoy the meal. Under this setting, my guess is that most people will pick large plates and fill the plates accordingly.  

Even though you might sense that the quantity of the food you are serving is probably more than enough but, the size of the plate will still make you think it is really not too much. And, that is the beginning of eating far more than your body needs.

This has actually been proven by two scientists from Georgia Institute of Technology and Cornell University: Koert van Ittersum and Brian Wansink respectively. They discovered that a shift from twelve–inch plates to ten–inch plates resulted in disproportionate reduction of twenty-two percent in calories intake. 

You see, it doesn't matter what you're eating, your mind can tempt you to eat based on the size of your plate and the quantity of food it contains. Therefore, choosing a smaller plate will help reduce the amount of food you eat and allow you to feel satisfied at the same time. 

Another proof of this is found in the book, ‘The Spirit of Kaizen’ written by Robert Maurer, PhD. He writes: “One of the strongest determinants of fullness is purely psychological.  It’s whether you finish everything that is given to you. To feel full with less food, put your meal on a smaller plate.”

In conclusion, if we want to get accustomed to controlling our intakes, we don’t need to rely on our willpower; we should just allow the small plate help control the portion we take, every time.