This Productivity System Will Save Your Life

Summary

In this insightful video, Matt explores the transformative power of checklists, a simple yet effective tool used across various high-stakes fields like aviation, surgery, and space exploration. He interviews Greg McKeown, author of 'Essentialism,' and Atul Gawande, author of 'The Checklist Manifesto,' who discuss how checklists streamline complex tasks and enhance productivity. Matt then applies this concept to his own life, creating checklists for editing, video selection, interviews, and travel, demonstrating their practicality in everyday scenarios. The video underscores the significance of checklists in preventing oversights and ensuring meticulous execution, even for non-experts.

Takeaways

• 📝 Check out the power of checklists as a simple solution to complex problems across various fields like engineering, medicine, and aviation.
• 🚀 Learn how checklists were instrumental in the Apollo moon landing, simplifying the unprecedented task into manageable steps.
• 👨‍⚕️ Discover the impact of checklists in medical procedures as detailed by Atul Gawande in 'The Checklist Manifesto', reducing surgical complications and deaths.
• 🧠 Understand that checklists alleviate cognitive load by offloading the need to remember details, allowing the mind to focus on more critical tasks.
• 📈 See how checklists can improve personal productivity by helping to identify and prioritize important tasks for incremental progress.
• 🎥 Get inspired by the practical application of checklists in everyday activities like editing, decision-making, and travel preparation.
• 🤔 Reflect on the importance of 'pause points' in checklists, moments to catch potential issues before they become unmanageable.
• 👨‍✈️ Recognize that even highly skilled professionals like fighter pilots and surgeons rely on checklists for superb execution under high stakes.
• 📱 Consider the practicality of having a physical checklist to ensure thoroughness and prevent accidental oversights.
• 💡 Explore the idea that checklists can help streamline creative processes by identifying repetitive tasks and potential obstacles.

Q & A

What is the simple solution that Matt claims can be applied to various complex problems?

The simple solution Matt refers to is a checklist, which is used in various fields such as engineering, surgery, and aviation to handle complexity and ensure safety and efficiency.

Who is Greg McKeown and what is his connection to the concept of checklists?

Greg McKeown is the author of 'Essentialism' and the person who introduced Matt to the power of checklists. He advocates for the use of checklists to improve productivity, creativity, and efficiency.

What significant achievement is attributed to the use of checklists by astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong?

The use of checklists by astronauts like Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong was instrumental in the successful Apollo moon landing mission, which was a complex endeavor that had never been done before.

What is the role of checklists in reducing surgical complications and deaths according to Atul Gawande?

Atul Gawande, in his book 'The Checklist Manifesto', details how a 19-item, two-minute checklist for surgical teams reduced complication rates by 35% and death rates by 47% in hospitals around the world.

How does Greg McKeown suggest using a checklist to improve personal productivity?

Greg McKeown suggests that a checklist relieves the mind of the burden of trying to remember everything, allowing one to focus on what truly matters and make incremental progress on those items.

What is Matt's personal experience with creating checklists for various aspects of his life?

Matt experimented with creating checklists for his editing process, video selection, interviews, commitments, and travel packing. He found that even with extensive experience, checklists helped him avoid mistakes and improve efficiency.

What does Greg McKeown recommend as a method to create an effective checklist?

Greg McKeown recommends observing one's own process, recording it, and refining it until it accurately represents the current process. This can then be taught to others or used as a reference for creating a checklist.

What is a 'pause point' in the context of checklists and why is it important?

A 'pause point' is a moment in a process where one can catch a problem before it becomes unmanageable. It's important because it allows for error prevention and ensures that critical steps are not overlooked, as seen in professions like aviation and surgery.

How does Matt suggest utilizing checklists in the creative process?

Matt suggests that checklists can help identify repetitive tasks, slow points, or obstacles in the creative process. They can also assist in determining which projects to commit to, ensuring that each commitment is worthwhile.

What is the significance of having a physical checklist according to Greg McKeown?

Greg McKeown believes in having a physical checklist that one can go through and check off items to ensure that nothing is skipped, which is crucial for the effectiveness of the checklist.

Outlines

00:00

📋 The Power of Checklists

Matt introduces the concept of checklists as a simple yet powerful tool used across various fields like engineering, medicine, and aviation. He emphasizes their utility in managing complexity and enhancing productivity, creativity, and efficiency. Greg McKeown, author of 'Essentialism,' shares his insights on how checklists have been instrumental in solving complex problems, including the moon landing. The narrative also touches on the work of Atul Gawande, who demonstrated the impact of checklists in reducing surgical complications and deaths through his book 'The Checklist Manifesto.' Matt explores the idea of applying checklists to everyday life, aiming to simplify and improve personal processes.

05:01

🧳 Implementing Checklists in Daily Life

Matt delves into the practical application of checklists in his own life, starting with creating a checklist for his editing process, video selection, interviews, commitments, and travel packing. He highlights the importance of checklists in preventing oversights and mistakes, especially in high-stakes situations. Greg shares his personal checklist for deep and empathetic listening with his wife, emphasizing the role of checklists in maintaining focus on important tasks amidst daily distractions. Matt also discusses the concept of 'pause points' in checklists, which are critical moments to catch potential issues before they escalate. He concludes by acknowledging the benefits of checklists in his creative process and decision-making, suggesting that if checklists are effective for professionals like brain surgeons, they can be equally beneficial for anyone.

Keywords

💡Checklist

A checklist is a list of items or tasks to be checked or completed. In the context of the video, it is presented as a powerful tool used across various fields such as engineering, medicine, and aviation to ensure that no critical steps are missed, thereby enhancing productivity and safety. The video emphasizes how checklists can simplify complex processes and are used by professionals like surgeons and astronauts to manage intricate tasks. For example, the script mentions how checklists were instrumental in the Apollo moon landing mission, highlighting their importance in high-stakes situations.

💡Productivity

Productivity refers to the efficiency of an individual or system in converting inputs into desired outputs. The video suggests that using checklists can improve one's productivity by providing a systematic approach to tasks, thus reducing the cognitive load of remembering multiple steps and ensuring that nothing is overlooked. It is exemplified when the video's host, Matt, creates checklists for various aspects of his life, including editing and travel preparations, to streamline his workflow and reduce stress.

💡Complexity

Complexity in the video denotes the intricate and often overwhelming nature of tasks or systems that involve many variables and steps. It is presented as a challenge that checklists help to manage by breaking down complex tasks into simpler, more manageable parts. The video illustrates this with the example of building skyscrapers, performing surgeries, and space travel, where the complexity is so high that a systematic approach like a checklist is essential for success.

💡Essentialism

Essentialism is a concept introduced by Greg McKeown, the author mentioned in the video, which is about identifying and focusing on what truly matters most. In the context of the video, essentialism is related to the use of checklists to filter out non-essential tasks and to concentrate on the most important ones. This is exemplified when Greg talks about how checklists help in selecting and progressing on the items that matter most to an individual.

💡Cognitive Load

Cognitive load refers to the mental effort involved in processing information. The video explains that checklists can alleviate cognitive load by offloading the need to remember multiple tasks or steps. This is particularly important in high-stakes or high-complexity situations where the mind should be free to focus on the task at hand rather than on remembering the process. The script illustrates this by discussing how checklists are used in surgeries and space missions where the stakes are high.

💡Incremental Progress

Incremental progress refers to the idea of making small, steady improvements over time. The video suggests that by using checklists, individuals can focus on the most important tasks and make consistent, small improvements towards their goals. This is shown when Greg explains how checklists help in refining processes and making better selections over time, leading to incremental progress.

💡Surgical Teams

Surgical teams are groups of medical professionals who collaborate to perform surgeries. The video highlights the use of checklists in surgical teams to reduce complications and improve patient outcomes. It references Atul Gawande's work, where a 19-item checklist was implemented in hospitals worldwide, leading to a significant reduction in complication and death rates, underscoring the effectiveness of checklists in medical settings.

💡Pause Point

A pause point, as discussed in the video, is a critical moment in a process where one can pause to review and ensure that everything is in order before proceeding. It is a concept used to prevent mistakes by providing an opportunity to catch potential issues. The video explains that pause points are integral to the effectiveness of checklists, as they allow for a final check before a critical action is taken, such as a surgeon making the first incision or a pilot pushing the throttle.

💡Execution

Execution in the video refers to the act of carrying out or implementing a plan or task. It is emphasized that checklists can improve execution by providing a clear, step-by-step guide that ensures tasks are completed accurately and efficiently. The video uses the example of fighter pilots and brain surgeons to illustrate how checklists contribute to superb and fast execution in high-stakes environments.

💡Hell Yes

The term 'hell yes' is used in the video to describe a strong affirmative response, indicating that something is highly desirable or worth pursuing. It is mentioned in relation to the concept of saying 'yes' to commitments only when they are truly worth it. The video's host uses this concept to create a checklist for deciding when to commit to tasks or opportunities, aiming to ensure that every 'yes' is a resounding and confident one.

Highlights

Checklists are used by engineers, surgeons, and pilots to handle complex tasks.

Checklists can improve productivity, creativity, and efficiency in everyday life.

Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism, introduced the power of checklists.

Checklists have been instrumental in solving complex problems like landing on the moon.

Buzz Aldrin emphasized the importance of checklists during the moon landing.

Checklists can simplify complex processes by breaking them down into manageable items.

Atul Gawande's book, The Checklist Manifesto, highlights the significance of checklists in reducing surgical deaths.

A 19-item checklist reduced complication rates by 35% and death rates by 47% in surgeries.

Checklists are not just for high-stakes situations but can be applied to everyday tasks.

Checklists relieve cognitive pressure by offloading the need to remember details.

Matt, the narrator, experimented with creating checklists for various aspects of his life.

Greg suggests observing one's own process to create an effective checklist.

Checklists can be used for tasks like editing, choosing video topics, and packing for travel.

Greg uses a checklist to ensure he listens deeply and empathetically to his wife.

Checklists can help catch problems at pause points before they become irreversible.

Physical checklists can improve execution by ensuring items are not skipped.

Checklists are used by high-performance individuals like fighter pilots.

Checklists help Matt identify areas of repetition and slowdown in his creative process.

Matt shares his checklists on Instagram and discusses their impact on his life.

Checklists help Matt ensure that he only says 'yes' to high-impact opportunities.

Transcripts

- [Matt] There's a solution so simple

to some of the world's most complex problems

that you probably won't believe me when I tell you.

It's what engineers use to build skyscrapers,

surgeons employ to save lives,

and it's what allows pilots to safely fly

an 80 ton piece of metal through the air.

You might also be surprised to discover that

that same solution can be applied

to improve your own productivity,

creativity, and efficiency.

Now, I need you to stay with me here.

It's a checklist.

(calm elevator music) - When you have a situation

where you're dealing with breathtaking

and sometimes suffocating levels of complexity,

you need a system to handle it.

And as it turns out,

checklists are surprisingly simple.

Almost absurdly simple solution.

- [Matt] That's Greg McKeown,

author of Essentialism

and the person who first introduced me

to the power of checklists.

They're so powerful in fact,

that they've managed to solve seemingly impossible problems.

Like putting a man on the moon.

- [Greg] You know, when Buzz Aldrin

is asked all about his experiences up there.

"And what were your thoughts on the moon

and what were your..."

He said, "Well, that wasn't what we were doing.

We had a long list of checklist items

because we were doing something

that'd never been done before.

Something that was more complex

than anything that anyone had done before.

They had so many variables.

We would simplify the whole process

to do the next item on the list.

The next item on the list.

- [Neil Armstrong] And it's on this timeline

that we have all our procedures.

So we obviously have to hold these in place in zero-G.

So we make use of the velcro

and on the table.

- [Greg] And by building that checklist

so carefully and thoughtfully,

they made something,

to that point, impossible, possible.

- [Neil Armstrong] That's one small step for man,

one giant leap for mankind.

- If there's one person that deserves credit

for bringing to light the significance of checklists,

it's author and surgeon, Atul Gawande.

As Gawande details in his book,

The Checklist Manifesto,

he first started thinking about them

when the world health organization came to his team

and asked them for help with a project

aiming to reduce deaths in surgery.

The solution,

as you might have guessed,

a checklist

- We created a 19 item, two minute,

checklist for surgical teams.

We implemented this checklist

in eight hospitals around the world.

Deliberately in places from rural Tanzania

to the University of Washington in Seattle.

We found that after they adopted it,

the complication rates fell 35%.

It fell in every hospital it went into.

The death rates fell 47%.

This was bigger than a drug.

(audience applauds)

- Now, it's not that I don't think very highly

of the work that I do

but this is not exactly brain surgery.

So it makes sense for people trying to fly airplanes,

perform open heart surgery,

or even land on the moon.

But could it actually apply to people like me and you?

To find out,

I gave my friend Greg McKeown a call.

He's the checklist advocate

that first introduced me to the idea,

to see if he could explain

how it might be able to help me in my own life.

- [Greg] The checklist relieves the mind

of having to try to remember.

The mind is good for so many things,

but it's a bad office.

It's a bad place to try and store

things that you need to remember constantly.

So you remove that cognitive pressure

and you also just carefully select better over time,

those things that really matter most to you

and you start making small incremental progress

on those items.

- [Matt] I'll be honest.

I don't find myself too cognitively overloaded these days.

(laughs)

Joey.

But I was ready to give it a shot.

And as it turns out,

when it comes to creating a checklist,

well, Greg's got a checklist for that.

- [Greg] One, observe your own process.

Literally put a video up.

Like a time lapse of the entire process.

It's a two day process a week.

That process, just video the whole thing.

Record it somehow.

Write out everything as you remember it.

Once you've got a recording of it,

a version of it,

and written out in rough format,

try to do it again using that process yourself.

Where you find that isn't correct,

refine the process until you finally say,

"Yeah, that is how I do it right now."

And then it can be taught to other people.

- So with the help of The Checklist Manifesto

as well as my checklist friend, Greg,

I got started.

And I made a checklist for pretty much everything.

I made one for my editing process.

And one for how I choose which videos to make.

A checklist for when I interview people.

One for when to say yes to commitments.

And another for how I pack for travel.

As I found out,

there could really be a checklist for anything.

- [Greg] I'll give you one example.

It's just listening.

Listening deeply and empathically with my wife.

This is so important.

But if I don't put it on something I just forget to do it.

There's so much else going on.

But if I have it on there

then every day when I go through write my journal,

I have a chance to reflect,

"Oh, have I done that?

If we spent time in that mode?"

So you don't go very long after that without doing it.

The adjustment's quicker.

- So then Becky told Stacy

that she needed to go talk to Courtney

because Laura,

Laura L not Laura R,

is about to go talk to Michael.

And if she talks to Michael,

but this whole thing blows up

and I don't even wanna get involved.

Are you even listening to me?

- Oh my god, no way.

Greg told me to do it.

He's British.

He sounds smart when he talks.

Okay, as you can see,

I went a little bit overboard.

What can I say?

I got excited.

But even experimenting with this for a short period of time,

I've started to see the benefits

of something as simple as a checklist.

As Dr. Gawande says,

"It's really about the things that get forgotten,

overlooked or missed."

And that's definitely something I'm realizing

will help me with travel.

I often wait till the very last minute to pack for travel

and I inevitably forget something.

Whether it's charging my Bluetooth headphones,

adding shows and movies to my iPad,

or even packing my toothbrush.

So in order to create the most effective travel checklist,

I literally packed up all my stuff

as if I were going on a trip.

And while it might seem excessive

to create a checklist for travel,

I think it'll make each trip

just a little bit less stressful.

And I won't constantly

be thinking about all the things that I probably forgot.

And as I started to put together my checklist

for filmmaking,

I started to remember all the times

that I've actually made mistakes.

I've been making videos for over 10 years

and I'm sure I've put well over 10,000 hours

into the process of filmmaking.

And yet, even with all that experience

I still sometimes film in slow motion

when I didn't intend to.

Shit.

Overexpose my footage

and so many more mistakes.

And so a pre-shoot checklist could help me with that.

In my research,

I learned an important part of checklists

are what's called a pause point.

The moments in a process

where you can catch a problem

before there's anything you can do about it.

For pilots,

this is the moment that they push on the throttle.

For surgeons, it's before the first incision.

For filmmakers, it's right before you hit record.

As you go off and create your own checklist,

try to think of ways to include these into your own process.

When it comes to checklists,

Greg likes to have a print out of it.

That way he can actually go through

and physically check each item off the list

and not skip it over accidentally,

defeating the purpose of the checklist altogether.

- [Greg] You know, checklists sound very, again,

little vanilla.

Oh, who wants a checklist?

But they're using it to increase execution,

superb execution, fast execution.

I mean a fighter pilot.

You think a checklist?

We don't need to-

Yes. In those scenarios,

when the stakes are high,

when you want to operate at a high performance level,

you want to make the process as smooth

and effortless as possible

so that you don't make massive mistakes

just because you were thinking of something else.

- So checklists are probably not gonna solve

all your problems in life.

But I have noticed that they've already started

to help my own creative process,

identifying areas where things are repetitive,

slowing me down,

or just getting in the way.

Checklists have also helped me to identify the things

that I should be saying yes to

before I even do them.

And you know what?

If checklists are good enough for brain surgeons,

they're good enough for me.

If you guys wanna take a look at a couple of the checklists

that I made for this video.

Like when to say yes.

And when an idea is worth creating,

go follow me on Instagram.

I'll be sharing those

along with a bunch of new original content

exclusively for IGTV

that expands on the topics that I share here on YouTube.

As Derek Siver says,

"It's either a hell yes or a no.

For me, I wanna make sure

that each thing that I'm saying yes to,

is a hell yes.

I'll leave a link down in the description

so it's easier to get to.