Sandra Martini’s latest ‘The Martini Advantage’ newsletter article is reprinted here. The article is titled “The Power of a List”.

‘The Power of a List’ by Sandra Martini

It’s amazing how when things get super busy and we try to speed up, Murphy’s Law or nature in general takes over with things to slow us down – whether we get sick, overwhelmed, or just mess things up in general.

From my days of simultaneously launching the AmeriCorps program and handling Presidential event logistics, I learned a valuable lesson:

When everything starts to speed up and spin out of control, stop.  Stop, assess and create a list.

Sounds oddly simple and yet exceedingly frustrating all at the same time.  Most people react with, “Are you crazy? I can’t slow down let alone stop to create a list” – often with several expletives woven in.

I promise however that if you do stop and create a list, you’ll finish much quicker and with more of your mind intact.

The first list I create is a massive “brain dump”.  I just write everything that pops into my head for 10-15 minutes – and please use a timer as it takes that long for your brain to truly empty itself.  Think of this as “clearing your mental desk”.

Then, I pull things out, prioritize and, if several of the items relate to each other (upcoming travel, holiday, event, teleseminar, etc.), I create a checklist of them and fill it in further as I go along.

The power of a list/checklist:

  • Create it once and it’s done (sounds a lot like a system)
  • You can delegate things on the list to others (with the list, DH knew exactly how to best help me prepare without either of us losing our mind)
  • There’s no worry about what you’re forgetting – simply check things off as they’re done (my sister and I use this approach for holiday dinner shopping)
  • Teleseminar/Webinar/Webcast/Live Event – having a checklist for each will make things much easier for you, and your team.  We have a 72-point launch checklist for each product and the overall E3 Summit checklist is much longer – that said, I know we’ve got things covered and feel totally comfortable delegating. 😉
  • Create one for commonly-bought groceries with checkboxes and stick on fridge, so anyone going to store can grab the list and go, knowing you’re getting everything that’s needed (we have for groceries and Staples Office Supplies)

The goal of course is to minimize what you have to remember while making it easy for you to delegate to your team, your partner, your kids, anyone.

I have a specific list for business travel which includes everything from business cards (yep, I forgot them once), to power cords to blank follow-up cards and stamps to a specific number of small dollar bills for tipping shuttles, cabs, etc.

About Sandra Martini

Known behind closed doors as “The Coach’s Coach”, Sandra Martini is the founder of SandraMartini.com, a boutique consulting services company helping small business owners around the world accomplish their missions without sacrificing their lives.

As an inspiring and in-demand mentor, trainer and speaker, Sandy has helped hundreds of small business owners across the globe create sustainable businesses which make a positive impact.  Sandy is also the founder of Escalator Marketing™, creating client engagement and raving fans by design.  Sandy’s Done 4 You services, programs, products and presentations on Escalator Marketing™ and creating lifetime clients through Extreme Client Care™ have made her an in-demand and innovative expert.  Meet her at www.sandramartini.com.

* IMNewsWatch would like to thank Sandra Martini for granting permission to reprint this article.

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