As the mother of six kids, one of whom had special needs, my mom was organized, to say the least. She carefully calibrated her schedule to accommodate her many responsibilities, and she relied on lists, always lots of lists, to keep everyone and everything on track. My sisters and I once found a checklist of to-dos, complete with addenda for packing the suitcases and food, that she had written before a family vacation. It was as detailed as if she had been a military general taking us all into battle.
My mom knew then what research has subsequently proved and what whole books have been devoted to: Using checklists can help us avoid mistakes, be more efficient, and reduce stress. Checklists can also take seemingly enormous, daunting jobs—like taking a family of eight on the road for two weeks—and make them seem doable by breaking them into smaller, more manageable steps.
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