The Checklist – review (AD)

I was kindly given an electronic copy of The Checklist in exchange for an honest review*.

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The Checklist book blurb

Simplicity at its best: The checklist is one of the world’s oldest―and most effective―productivity systems. If anything, author and entrepreneur Alexandra Franzen shares, it is just as valuable now as it was during the days of the Roman Empire.

Writing out a simple checklist allows us to tangibly plan our day and set in stone what we want to accomplish.

Cut out unnecessary noise: There are countless apps and organisational systems out there to help us straighten out our lives, but often they only add to the madness.

Trying to keep up leaves us feeling drained and overwhelmed. Learn how to choose your highest priorities, set realistic goals, celebrate tiny wins, and feel calmer every day with the magic of checklists.

Be realistic about the time in a day: By physically writing down our tasks on a single piece of paper, we force ourselves to limit how much we can do in a day.

Too often, we cram our day with tasks and chores and leave almost no space for self-care or time with loved ones. We end up disappointed in our inability to complete our never-ending to-do list.

Checklists help you plan your day in a more gentle, realistic way. You accomplish what needs to be done―and enjoy things you want to be doing, too.

• In the life-changing Checklist Book, learn:
  The history of the checklist and why it remains to be relevant and effective today
  The science behind the success of checklists, such as the instant satisfaction we feel when we put
  a check next to a finished task
  How to create a basic daily checklist―and checklists for specific situations, like moving to a
  new city or navigating a divorce

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My overall thoughts on The Checklist

This is the kind of book you need to have handy on your coffee table so you can refer back to it.

I really liked this book and Franzen’s writing style and approach to getting stuff done.

Particularly at the moment the whole world seems upside-down, Alexandra Franzen has given us a way to stay sane and on top of the things we need to do but also allowing us time to do the things we enjoy too.

With many of us working from home, kids out of school and our usual routines gone out of the window, it is so hard to stay focused on everything we need to do – let alone get anything done. Which is why Franzen’s approach to checklists is so genius.

This book gives tried and true ways to get all our thoughts organised, all our to do’s in one place, and most important, a way to pace ourselves so we are not walking around in a constant state of overwhelm. She also emphasises that it’s important we make time for the things we enjoy like self-care, fun, catching up with family and friends.

I’ve always been a fan of checklists but I think I’ll adopt mine more in line with Franzen’s way of doing them. I really like her approach, the daily checklist, seasonal and lose ends. It isn’t about having one huge endless list it’s about breaking it down into priorities and manageable chunks. There are checklists, different mindset then a to do list. The other great idea is put different intentions on your checklist which I think is a game-changer.

Get it today so you can start breathing easier. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to enhance their productivity and find a healthier work-life balance.

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About the Author, Alexandra Franzen

Alexandra Franzen is the author of several books, including So This Is the End: A Love Story (2018), You’e Going to Survive (2017), and 50 Ways to Say You’re Awesome (2013).

She has written articles for dozens of sites, including Time, Forbes, Newsweek, HuffPost, The Muse, and Lifehacker. She’s been mentioned/quoted in The New York Times Small Business Blog, The Atlantic, USA Today, BuzzFeed, Brit+Co, and Inc.

Alexandra is best-known for writing about creativity, productivity, the power of setting tiny goals, how to develop more confidence in your writing skills, and how to stay motivated, keep working towards your personal and professional dreams, and never give up.

She also works as a copywriter, ghostwriter, writing teacher, and consultant. She helps her clients to develop podcasts, videos, websites, speeches, books, and other creative projects.

Find Alexandra’s latest projects, classes, and hundreds of free articles and resources
at: AlexandraFranzen.com

The Checklist Book is available to purchase online at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Target.

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*Disclaimer

This review has been written with 100% honesty.

I was not financially compensated for this post. I was given an advance copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own based on my own experience.

If you would like your company/service featured on rachaelstray.com either in the form of review, sponsored post or an advertising slot, please feel free to contact me at rachaelstray@gmail.com

Please visit my contact/work with me page for more information.

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