Checklists are the organizational tools that just keep giving. Many times, they’re used to keep people on the up-and-up and can be used over and over again. I don’t know how many countless times a checklist has come to my aid and kept me from making a mistake because I simply couldn’t keep everything straight about a process or remember all of the fine details of that process.
So, the truth about checklists is that they are absolute life savers when you use them accordingly. And because I know how truly valuable they are, I’m thinking about putting some checklists together for some of the processes that I’m currently performing at Degrees of Maternity, such as going through the process of new product development.
New product development is obviously a process that I’m currently embarking upon and will be continuing to carry out indefinitely. So, I might as well write up a process for it and outline the process through a checklist format. Of course, I’m not going to be able to accomplish such a project within the next month or two. I’m still in the weeds of new product development, and there will inevitably be some post-launch tasks that need to be captured on the checklist after rolling out the product(s). Nevertheless, creating a process checklist is definitely on the list of to-dos after getting the June digital products out on Etsy.
I figure that one way to stay productive is to thoroughly document a process to make sure all steps are covered every time the process is carried out. So, instead of racking my brain, trying to remember all the intricate little details that go into the new product development process for my second set of products to come out, I’m hoping to go straight to my go-to — my handy dandy checklist for guidance.
I’ve started compiling lists of tasks that I had to perform this go-around for the e-book and guide with templates that I’ll be putting out next week (hopefully), but all the many lists of to-dos (spread out in various notebooks and on pieces of paper and sticky notes) are currently in a hot mess of a disorderly heap right now. And, I’m looking forward to starting the process of sorting them all out next week. I’m sure the initial gathering of my multi-list compilation will look like an organized chaos to work through. But, you’ve got to start somewhere.
My goal is to have my new product development process checklist completed sometime in between rolling out product group #1 and product group #2. And once I have my checklist together, I’ll make sure and share it with you in case you could use it for your own creative processes that need a little guidance, as well.
Tip of the Week: When you have to go through certain processes on a repetitive basis, make things easy on yourself and don’t recreate the wheel if you don’t have to. Remember: you’re aiming for efficiency, here. Checklists help you keep processes documented, streamlined, organized, and worked through to completion. And, checklists are succinct “big picture” overviews that manage to account for all of the particulars, so your memory bank doesn’t have to. I absolutely love them!
degreesofmaternity.com 
Haha, too true! I dream all the time.
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Yup, the paper everywhere thing is a challenge in my home as well. I’m hoping that I can get myself together and get rid of the to-do lists, starting next week. ( I’ve already dedicated this one to being a scattered mess). And if I can get all my lists condensed down to one (for each separate process), then I’ll get them typed up and saved in my computer. That way I can avoid the paper until I need to print out a checklist, perhaps. We’ll see how it all goes. A girl can dream.
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I have such a love-hate relationship with checklists. It does absolutely help to write things down, and even better when they’re in order. But we have so much paper floating around everywhere that I always end up losing them, or finding them folded up in paper airplanes. It’s fun to remember things I had planned out a few months before, but really not helpful months later!
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