Understanding the Importance of a Performance Checklist
Let’s say you’re going to the gym for the first time in a while. I Expect and your personal trainer gives you a bunch of exercises to do. But as you get started, you realise the reason they gave you so many exercises is because you’ve got 12 different muscle groups you need to work on. That’s kind of what it feels like for someone who’s learning about performance checklists for the first time.
Performance checklists are one of those things that can sound fairly intimidating. The words ‘performance’ and ‘checklist’ can take some getting used to. But once you do, things start making sense - performance checklists are how any organisation measures performance and productivity in a straightforward way. If everyone’s using them, everyone’s always on the same page - a performance checklist is probably one of the most effective ways to measure growth in a transparent, unbiased manner.
While there are several different types of checklists (to-do lists, motivational ones, and more), performance checklists differ because they help you visualise where your priorities lie. And help you tick off what your goals are, one-by-one. Whether these goals are daily or weekly doesn’t matter - what matters is often that they’re measurable and easy to track. And if I may add, there’s always room for improvement.
It never hurts to audit your checklists now and then and see if there’s something else that could be added or refined based on business goals.
The Four Essential Components
We’ve all been there. Jogging down the street in a T-shirt that has already lost its shape and shorts that look as if they have been borrowed from a five year old - yet continue to hang on to your legs like a limp, lifeless, oversized starfish. The way I see it, more often than not, the fashion moment in our minds does not pan out on the streets or at the gym, but if you take a step back and think about it logically, it is only because of one reason - we make hurried decisions around our fitness style and it does not end well.
When you’re running late for the gym or your daily walk with your neighbour, 9 out of 10 times the most casual piece in your wardrobe becomes your workout buddy. What we need instead is to have a definitive checklist for workout clothes - simple enough that it doesn’t slip our mind even when there’s a billion things happening in our minds and easy enough to remember even after a long day at work. These are the four essentials - fit, function, fabric and fashion.
Four words that you can even scribble on a post-it note and stick on your dresser for quick reference. More or less. Being able to tick off these four boxes means you’ll never be left stranded with uncomfortable clothing during your next workout. When it comes to fit, be open to trying different cuts and types of activewear.
It’s very possible that something isn’t working for you because it isn’t supposed to work for you. The design may just not be meant for you so try out multiple different types before ruling something out. Fabrics are more personal than you’d think too. If sweat-wicking polyester clothing feels like sandpaper against your skin - go for bamboo or cotton-based clothes instead.
There are numerous new-age options that will have you re-evaluating what you think works best for you. The function of the workout clothes matters as much as how fashionable they are so make sure that your picks are versatile enough to go from yoga class to an errand run without appearing overdone or underdressed for either occasion. The way I see it, do this enough and soon you'll have a complete athleisure wardrobe where every outfit is often as good as every other outfit.
How to Implement Your Checklist Effectively
If you find yourself working through your performance checklist as an artist or on-stage talent, chances are that you’ve found yourself in a situation where you missed ticking off a box or two on the list, and it’s led to a nervous breakdown that impacted your next steps and the overall quality of your performance. And as a professional, it’s important to be able to trust your prep process before heading into a performance. And this means trusting your checklist, and knowing how to effectively use it so that you don’t miss out on any essential step that could impact your performance.
The most important thing about using a checklist is almost never ensuring that it’s functional enough to let you work through steps with ease, all the while clearly conveying the importance of each step for a flawless performance. And creating an effective checklist is all about making it short, easy-to-read, clear, and sequential. For example, if you have 10 steps to do before you go on stage, follow it up by actions after the show and post-show requirements. Breaking them up into clear sections ensures that they’re easy to follow, gives you the mental space to focus on each section as needed, and ensures that you know what comes next for each section.
The final step is understanding how to check off boxes as you move through the checklist. There might be a few tasks that don’t need to be ticked off every time and can be done mentally, while others are best checked off on paper or digital notes so you can visually see progress being made as you get closer to a successful show. Try different techniques depending on what works for you best - digitally or handwritten.
More or less. Ultimately, the best way to implement your checklist is simply by making it work for you. Once you’ve created a checklist that is easy for you to follow regardless of if you're pressed for time or having a bad day - the more reliable it will be as an element in your workflow.
This will help become second nature to make sure all steps are followed every time before going on stage.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Ever tried running in an ill-fitted pair of tights. You might’ve wanted to look cool, or just wear something quick for a short jog, but the world can never prepare you for the discomfort and distractions that are just waiting for you outside. I’ve found myself regretting my outfit choices once too many times, especially when it comes to performance wear. It’s quite easy to forget that function comes before fashion.
On a similar note, before you get on with your workout routine, it helps to remember one crucial detail — what works for someone else may not work for you. For example, cotton is often very much breathable and comfortable to wear but when used for performance gear, it absorbs sweat and loses its breathability. It would be in your best interest to learn about the different materials in sportswear and figure out which of them will offer you good support and comfort during your activities.
The next thing to look out for is style over practicality. While looking fashionable is great, it shouldn’t come at the cost of sacrificing mobility.
If anything, wearing loose clothing or restrictive attire can greatly impact performance. Inadequate support from bras and shoes can also put your muscles at risk of injury or strain. I’ve come across more than a handful of people wearing their yoga pants under shorts at gyms.
Even if someone’s confident enough to keep up this fashion statement, it’s certainly not going to make their gym sessions better. More or less. If there was ever a time when comfort should be prioritised over everything else, it would be now.
The way I see it, wearing the right clothes is not only necessary for your well-being but also crucial for maintaining personal hygiene and putting your best foot forward on your self-development journey (no pun intended). After all, peak physical health always begins with putting yourself first.
Measuring Success: Tracking Performance Improvements
You know that feeling you get when you’re halfway through a workout and you’ve sort of forgotten why you started. It’s a strange sense of confusion that can sometimes slow down your progress and make you feel like you don’t want to go on. That’s what it can be like if you don’t have clear goals and a way to track your progress.
The right tools, methods, and mindset make all the difference when it comes to being able to measure success. Sort of. There are many ways to do this, but the most important thing is consistency. Whether you’re measuring using digital tools or pen and paper, keep up with the habit so it becomes second nature.
Apps are a great way to keep things digital and accessible from wherever, but notebooks and calendars are just as effective if that’s your thing. Fitness watches and wearables seem to be the trend at the moment, so those work too. The way I see it, i think a good habit is to check in with yourself weekly and monthly.
Weekly can be more about what you do in that specific week, while monthly should be a check-in about whether or not you’re getting closer to achieving your larger goals. Regularly checking in helps keep you accountable, but also lets you see how far you’ve come. The way I see it, if weight loss is part of your fitness journey, apps like myfitnesspal are an excellent resource for progress tracking.
Tracking progress can also be a wonderful way to practice gratitude. You can often forget how far you’ve come until you look back at old photos or measurements. Keeping this up can help motivate you on hard days when it seems like nothing has changed.
It seems like also remembering that consistency is the most important thing when it comes to results keeps things in perspective if one day or week feels off compared to the rest.
Real-World Examples of Effective Checklists
Imagine this. You’re getting ready for a big event, and you’re mentally ticking off all the things you need to do to look good for it. You’ve scheduled a facial, a waxing session, gotten your hair and nails done, and picked out the perfect outfit and accessories to go with it. You know exactly what you need to do for makeup as well because you’ve practised it a few times.
And you are ready. As women, sometimes we manage to get everything done perfectly before an important meeting or event – our makeup looks flawless, our hair is the right kind of messy, our nails are painted in gorgeous hues, and we’re wearing an outfit that looks like it was made just for us. And then there are times when we just cannot seem to get anything right.
It could be that one pimple that decided to appear at the wrong time or that pesky stain on our freshly steamed shirt that seems impossible to remove. But as women who have been at this long enough, we know that we can plan certain things ahead of time so there’s less chance of something going wrong in the last hour. Sort of.
In fact, some of us are already doing these things without even realising it – whether we refer to them as checklists or not. Checklists make the world go round – especially when your beauty world comprises dressing up for events or meetings regularly and you don’t want to be caught off guard looking like a hot mess because you forgot something important.