Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Time Pressure
Deviation - Altitude Overshoot; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem
Human Factors
On a flight from ZZZ-ZZZ1; we were cleared on the standard route.  Having not flown as much as usual during the COVID-19 pandemic; I tried my best to stay ahead of the airplane where possible.  We began performing the brief for the ZZZZZX arrival before performing the climb checklist; and also briefed our eventual landing on [Runway] XXL at ZZZ1.  During this time; we reached our cruising altitude of FL220; but did not realize that we had missed the completion of the climb checklist.ATC notified our aircraft that our altitude readout was between 250-300 feet higher than it should have been.  This was because we did not reset the altimeter through FL180.The decision to brief the arrival and approach earlier than expected caused a routine checklist to not be performed at the normal time. Altimeters were reset; the checklist was performed; and altitude was corrected. Although staying ahead of the airplane is generally a good idea; don't allow the neglect of standard procedures to be what breaks the barrier to safety.
Air Carrier Captain reported not completing the climb checklist resulted in an altitude deviation during departure. The Captain cited the decision to brief the arrival and approach earlier than expected caused a routine checklist to not be performed at the normal time.