Schedule or Checklist?

When making improvements to your life by way of adjusting your daily or weekly routines, think carefully about how you choose to implement them. Personally I do very well with checklists, so I recently started using a printed-out daily routine checklist that includes all the important things I’m “supposed” to be doing each day (stuff I’m working on integrating into my life such that it becomes second nature — eg flossing). I check it off as I complete the items once I get home from work, and toss it out when done. New day, new list.

Previously I tried to do the same thing by creating a detailed daily schedule for myself, with each item slotted into a certain time. This attempt failed on the very second day I tried to do it! My brain just doesn’t want to do stuff at the same time every day, no matter how much I wanted to want to.

Your brain and/or your environment (or the nature of what you are trying to accomplish) may work much better with either a schedule or a checklist (often some combination). Try out both before giving up!