Lists, checklists, and re-checking lists…

Turning my notes into checklists has put some order into my scouting. But it hasn’t necessarily made it any better.

For a while now I’ve wanted to find ways to make my scouting process smoother and quicker. I spend so much of the week putting reports together that it can be tough finding time for anything else. Something has to change.

The problem comes in two ways. The first is the nature of the work. It takes concentration and time. It’s a long process whichever way you manage it.

The second problem — and the more harmful one — is my attention span.

My capacity to focus is fine for the most part, except when I run into something tricky. Which can happen a lot when you’re analysing clips. I’m likely to step away from my desk, make tea, or browse the internet, at those moments when a hard part comes along.

So how to tackle this?

My hunch has always been to systemize the machine as much as possible. That means a process, unique to me, that covers everything in order, and without missing anything.

But I’ve gathered so many notes over the years, from courses, videos, seminars, they have become a giant pile of disconnected instructions. They represent my mistaken belief that if I could only write down everything that could go right or wrong in a game, I’d know everything.

Well, that didn’t work. But lately I’ve managed to trim down these lists into something more manageable.

This helps when it comes to time management. Knowing exactly what you’re doing next stops that feeling of overwhelm. The nagging “what needs doing next” feeling that sends me to the kettle, or the internet.

Keeping these lists handy is working so far.

But only up to a point.

To read the rest of this article, head over to my substack here. It’s completely free and is updated more frequently than this blog.