A checklist is a short list of the steps you can't afford to forget in a task you repeat, written in order. Packing a suitcase, a last check before leaving the house or the month-end payments: instead of thinking each one through from scratch every time, you look at the list and tick the items off one by one. You have less to keep in your head, and you're less likely to skip a step.
A good checklist doesn't have to be long. Five to ten items are usually enough. Below you'll find what a checklist is, how to make one in 5 steps, and finally 20 examples you can adapt to your own life.
What is a checklist?
A checklist is a list of the steps that need to be checked to do a task correctly and completely. Airline pilots have used checklists before takeoff, and surgical teams before an operation, for years. The reason is simple: even an experienced person can skip a step they know well when they're busy or tired.
Checklists and to-do lists are often confused, but they do different jobs:
- A to-do list collects one-off tasks. Items like "pick up the package" or "call mom" are done once, and the list changes every day.
- A checklist describes a process you repeat. The same list is used again on every vacation, every move or at the end of every month.
If your to-do list is giving you trouble, take a look at our article on why your to-do list never ends. This article is about the tasks you repeat.
What is a checklist good for?
- It takes the load off your memory. Instead of remembering the steps, you only focus on doing them. That makes a real difference when you're tired or in a hurry.
- It prevents forgotten steps. If checking your passport, charger or stove is written on the list, it comes to mind even when you're rushing out the door.
- It makes handing a task over easier. When you leave a task to someone else, you can give them the checklist too. They see what you learned from experience in a few items.
- It gets better over time. After each use you add what was missing and remove what wasn't needed.
How to make a checklist in 5 steps
- Write down the goal and the finish line. Something like "travel bag ready" or "ready to leave the house." Knowing when the list is done makes it easier to decide which items are really needed.
- Get every step down once. You can write down everything that comes to mind, in any order. An easy method is to note the steps the next time you actually do the task; the real process is often a little different from the one you remember.
- Keep only what's critical and easy to forget. You can remove things you already do anyway, like "open the door." What should stay are the steps that cause trouble when skipped and are easily forgotten. The shorter the list, the more likely you'll use it.
- Write every item short and checkable. Items that start with a verb and describe a single action work best, like "Put passport in bag." A vague item like "Sort out the paperwork" stays unchecked, because it's never clear when it's done. For packing lists, the name of the item is enough.
- Use it and update it every time. You don't need to make the list perfect on the first try. After each use you can take a minute to add what was missing and delete the item you never checked.
One more tip: for a long process, you can split the list into sections. Dividing a moving list into "one month before," "one week before" and "moving day," for example, means you only look at the items that matter right now.
20 checklist examples
The lists below are a starting point. You can remove items that don't fit your life and add the ones that are specific to you.
Home and daily life
1. Before leaving the house
- Stove and oven off
- Windows closed
- Keys, wallet, phone with me
- Take out the trash
2. Evening shutdown
- Decide tomorrow's first task
- Pack your bag
- Load the dishwasher
- Plug in your phone
3. Weekly home care
- Wash and put away laundry
- Clear out old food from the fridge
- Wipe down the bathroom and kitchen
- Write next week's grocery list
4. Before guests arrive
- Guest towels and slippers ready
- Spare toilet paper and soap in the bathroom
- Snacks and drinks ready
- Air out the living room
5. Before leaving home for a long time
- Finish or give away perishable food
- Arrange for someone to water the plants
- Unplug what you don't need
- Turn off the main water valve and the gas
Travel
6. Travel bag
- ID or passport
- Chargers and adapter
- Medication
- Enough underwear and socks
- Toiletry bag
7. Before a flight
- Check in online
- Save your boarding pass to your phone
- Check the baggage weight limit
- Set the time to leave for the airport
8. Before traveling abroad
- Check your passport's expiry date
- Find out if you need a visa
- Set up an international plan for your phone
- Make sure your card is enabled for use abroad
Work and school
9. Before a meeting
- Share the agenda
- Open the files you need
- Test your connection and audio
- Get a place ready to note decisions
10. After a meeting
- Write down the decisions made
- Set an owner and a date for each task
- Share the notes with attendees
11. First week at a new job
- Get your account login details
- Meet your teammates
- Talk through first-week goals with your manager
- Learn the files and folders you'll use most
12. Last workday of the week
- Review what you finished this week
- Move unfinished items to next week
- Clean up your inbox
- Pick next week's first three tasks
13. The evening before an exam
- ID and exam admission ticket in your bag
- Pen, eraser and a calculator if needed
- Check how you'll get to the exam location
- Go to bed early
14. Before sending a job application
- Tailor your resume to the posting
- Check the company name in your cover letter
- Save the file as a PDF with your first and last name
- Note the application date somewhere
Money and paperwork
15. Month-end money check
- Check incoming and outgoing payments
- Review your credit card statement
- Transfer the amount set aside for savings
- Review subscriptions you don't use
16. Bill payment day
- Electricity, water, gas
- Internet and phone
- Rent or HOA fees
- Save the receipts in a folder
17. Year-end paperwork
- Gather warranties in one folder
- List documents that are about to expire
- Make digital copies of important documents
- Check insurance renewal dates
Special days and projects
18. Birthday prep
- Make the guest list
- Confirm the venue or the date
- Arrange the cake and snacks
- Buy the gift
19. Moving day
- Take photos of the meter readings
- Collect all the keys
- Check that boxes with fragile items are loaded last
- Pack what you'll need the first night in a separate bag
20. Going out with a baby
- Diapers and wet wipes
- Spare clothes
- Formula or snacks
- Water and bottle
If you're looking for ideas for one-off tasks, our to-do list ideas article has list items from many areas of life.
Common mistakes when making a checklist
- Writing everything down. Reading a long list from top to bottom every time gets harder. Removing the steps you never forget anyway makes the remaining items easier to read.
- Vague items. "Get ready" can't be checked off. You can turn the item into one concrete action, like "Download the presentation to the laptop."
- Writing the list once and leaving it. Processes change; if the list stays the same, it gets outdated and after a while you stop trusting it. A small update with each use is enough.
- Keeping the list somewhere out of reach. A checklist is easier to use when it's at hand while you work. Keeping it on your phone or in an app you open every day makes it more likely you'll use it.
How to make a checklist in Pumpynotes
In Pumpynotes, every checklist can be a note:
- Add a checkbox list. All it takes is opening a new note, typing
/on an empty line and choosing To-Do List. A checkbox appears at the start of each item. A checked item is shown struck through but isn't deleted. - Split long lists into sections. You can add a Toggle block, write the section name in its heading, for example "One week before," and add the items inside the block. Because you can open and close each section separately, only the section you're using stays open.
- Keep a clean master list and duplicate it. For a checklist you repeat, you can prepare a master note with all items unchecked. When it's time to use it, just choose Duplicate from the note's menu. The copy opens with every item from the master list and "(copy)" at the end of its name. You check things off in the copy, and the master stays clean for next time.
- Gather all your lists with one tag. If you give your checklist notes the same tag, you can see them all together with the Tag filter on the Notes page.
We explain how to use checkboxes, tags and note status together in our guide to a to-do list inside your notes.
Pumpynotes is free. Bring your notes, calendar and lists together in one workspace and make your first checklist today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a checklist?
A checklist is a short list of the steps that need to be checked to do a repeated task completely. For things like a travel bag, month-end payments or a last check before leaving the house, the same list is used every time and the items are ticked off one by one.
What is the difference between a checklist and a to-do list?
A to-do list collects one-off tasks and changes every day. A checklist describes a process you repeat and is used again and again in the same form. A to-do list answers "what will I do?", a checklist answers "did I forget anything?"
How many items should a checklist have?
There's no fixed number, but five to ten items are enough for most tasks. The longer the list, the harder it is to read. For a long process, splitting the list into sections keeps each section short.
How should checklist items be written?
Checking items off is easier when each one describes a single concrete action and, where possible, starts with a verb. "Put passport in bag" can be checked off; "sort out the paperwork" may stay unchecked because it's never clear when it's done.
Should I keep my checklist on paper or digital?
Both work; what matters is that the list is at hand while you work. A digital note can be more practical for lists you repeat, because you can copy and update the list instead of writing it from scratch every time.
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