# The Checklist Template

A blank, reusable checklist for any task you repeat. Copy it, fill it in, and
sharpen it on the job. From the lesson "The Checklist" at timkinzie.com/resources.

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TASK:            ____________________________________________
                 (the exact repeatable moment, not a vague area)

TYPE:            [ ] Do-Confirm   (do the work from memory, then pause and confirm)
                 [ ] Read-Do      (read each step and do it in order, like a recipe)

RUN IT WHEN:     ____________________________________________
                 (a defined pause point, not "sometime later")

THE ITEMS        (5 to 9 killer items only, the ones skipped often that hurt badly)

  [ ]  ______________________________________________________
  [ ]  ______________________________________________________
  [ ]  ______________________________________________________
  [ ]  ______________________________________________________
  [ ]  ______________________________________________________
  [ ]  ______________________________________________________
  [ ]  ______________________________________________________

LAST UPDATED:    __________
                 (add a line every time it catches something; a list that never
                  changes is already rotting)

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## Why each part matters

- TASK. Name the specific, repeatable moment ("send a client proposal"), not a
  broad area ("sales"). A checklist protects one recurring point, not a topic.
- TYPE. Do-Confirm for work you know cold and just cannot afford to slip on.
  Read-Do for tasks that are rare, or where the order itself is the whole risk.
- RUN IT WHEN. Pick the exact pause point. "Before I hit send." "Before the
  crew leaves the site." A trigger you cannot miss beats good intentions.
- THE ITEMS. Only killer items: the steps that get skipped and cause real damage.
  Leave off the obvious-and-harmless. If it becomes a manual, no one runs it.
  Five to nine lines. If you need more, you probably need two checklists.
- LAST UPDATED. The checklist is a living system. Every near-miss it catches
  becomes a new line. Every revision makes it a little harder to fail next time.

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## Worked example: Sending a client proposal (Do-Confirm)

RUN IT WHEN: before I hit send.

  [ ]  Scope matches exactly what we agreed on the call
  [ ]  Price and payment terms are correct and current
  [ ]  Their name, company, and dates are right (no leftover text from the last one)
  [ ]  Every link opens and every attachment is attached
  [ ]  One specific, personal line that proves I listened
  [ ]  The next step is stated plainly (what happens after they say yes)
  [ ]  Read it out loud once for tone and typos

LAST UPDATED: today. (Added "read it out loud" after a typo slipped through.)

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Build one for a task you do every week. Run it five times before you judge it.
The first run feels slow. The fifth run is the reason your work stops slipping.