• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content

Content Mastery Guide

Editor and Ghostwriter

  • Visit LD Editorial

Write from the headlines: Checklists work for surgeons, too!

March 23, 2009 By Linda Dessau

My parents got me into reading The Wellness Letter years ago, long before I became the Self-Care Coach.

From Wellness Letter online: "Rather than simply reporting quick health stories of the day, the WELLNESS LETTER puts the news in perspective and evaluates it. It constantly reviews the latest research to give you the edge in your quest to live the best life you can. In particular, it clarifies the often conflicting and superficial health information presented by the popular media."

In his editorial in the current issue, Dr. John Swartzberg referred to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, exploring "The Checklist Effect" (the same study was covered in Time Magazine back in January). He described how surgical teams manage their complex tasks by using a detailed, written "to do" list.  And those lists are improving patient care and savings lives.

Checklists and systems are certainly not new to coaches. We may not be saving lives, but we are certainly improving them! Which checklists would your clients find helpful?

  • Life coaches: 10 steps to a more balanced life, every day
  • Money coaches: 10-point checklist for your month-end money matters
  • Writing coaches: 5-point readability checklist
  • Parenting/family coaches: 5 things to check before your family leaves the house every morning
  • Career coaches: 10 things that must appear in a winning resume
  • Marketing coaches: 10 weekly marketing actions

Writing prompt: Use these suggestions to design your own checklist for your target market. Make sure to separate each point into its own item on your list. Ask yourself, could someone say "Yes, I did this!" next to every line?

Share
Tweet

Filed Under: Blog Topic Ideas, Write from the Headlines, Writing Prompts

Comments

  1. Mary Rettig says

    April 22, 2009 at 8:55 am

    I like the article generator. I have been using it for my blog. I having trouble keeping up and reading all the material I have found.
    Mary Rettig
    Life coach
    live your dreams

Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Website created by STUDIO dpi