Simple but not easy.

I’d like you to think of something you do well. I don’t care what, it could be anything. It might be throwing a pass, swinging a bat or cooking a soft boiled egg to perfection. You’re so good at this thing or you do it so often that it’s almost become second nature. Now here’s my question: can you do that same thing 159 times in a row without making a mistake? That’s what I have to do during Dutch Treat.

It’s not enough to ride to every Dutch Bros location in the nation. I need to prove I was there. To do that, I plan on taking a picture and posting it and a SPOT location on Facebook and my blog. But that’s not enough to meet the standard of the Iron Butt Association. For that I need a receipt that shows I was at a certain location at a certain date and time. I need to write the bikes odometer reading on the receipt and then complete a log showing the time, date and odometer reading again. Finally, I need to finish the ride without losing that log or any of the receipts. And I have to do this 159 times in a row without missing a step. As I said, it’s simple but not easy.

To assist, I plan on using a checklist. Checklists are proven tools in helping us humans to remember what to do and what order to do them in. In aviation, where the cost of a mistake is pretty high, the use of checklists is standard operating procedure. I heard recently that the use of checklists in hospitals has reduced patient infection rates dramatically. Here’s my checklist outlining what I need to do at every Dutch Treat stop. Hopefully it will make my simple routine a little easier.

Stop Routine
___ Pull into line
___ Give baristas white board with correct store # on it
___ Take PHOTO with phone. SAVE picture.
___ Make purchase/ RECEIPT in teeth
___ Pull forward out of line.
___ MARK location with SPOT
___ ODO on receipt
___RECORD on Bonus Log
___ SECURE receipt
___ SEND pix to FB and blog
___ “FIND” next location