I’ve mentioned before that I’m a procrastinator par exellence. It’s what I’ve been doing best for a good chunk of my life including the crucial years I spent in university. If there was an essay worth 50% of the final mark (grr!) due the next day? You bet your MAC limited edition palette I’m still watching slapstick humour clips on YouTube the day before. Too often I would find myself near hysteria trying to cram an entire semester’s worth of information the night before a midterm in vain.

Doing things at the very last minute possible is not good. You stress yourself out big time and you often forget very important details that you otherwise would night had you just prepared in advance. Packing for a trip, regardless of the duration, tends to drive people stark raving mad enough (myself included) without the added pressure of a time constraint.

So, in preparation for an upcoming trip to the Bahamas (yeaa-uhh!), I decided that now is the time to abandon my all time favourite bad habit and for once be ahead of schedule. Here are just some of the things I did that I hope may help you.

1. Make list of the things you need
   Sit yourself down and write an extensive list of things you might need for the trip. For this trip, I listed the essentials (e.g. Passport, extra money, wallet, identification, etc.) — basically things that are not easily replaceable at the top.
   I then listed the rest of what I thought I needed after.
   …And check it twice.
   You would be surprised at how many things you forget to list out initially. This extra step, though seemingly tedious, helps to ensure that you don’t forget anything else you may need.
2. Put aside your documents before anything
   Once I’ve made a list, I put all of my travel documents, a small bag containing any medication I may need (cough/cold, motion sickness, etc.) — basically whatever is on my top list — in a bag close to the door or any place in my room which is constantly in line with my view. This helps remind me that it is there so I won’t forget it before I leave.
3. Don’t wait until the night before or the day of your trip.
   When I would pack my stuff at the very last minute, I found myself very high strung and stressed out. I also tended to forget a lot of important things (Hello, how do you forget your underwear!!). It got to be so exhausting that I just lost the excitement for the trip. Keeping a good pace and a clear mind whilst packing definitely helps save you from unnecessary stress.
4. Don’t take everything out of your closet
   I tend to think that I need every single thing in my closet, washroom, and bedroom so I usually end up over packing. Gather the things you think you might wear and then make an audit. You’d be surprised at how many items of clothing you can eliminate. Also, I try to stick to basics; basic tee, shorts/pants, a muted cardigan, and a light jacket in case it gets a little chilly where I’m about to go — they’re all quite interchangeable and can make several different outfits.
5. Listen to music you enjoy
   Listening to my all-time favourite songs helps make packing for a trip a more enjoyable experience. I feel like I’m in a better mood and it also makes me feel more excited for the trip. Suddenly, carefully arranging, rearranging, and rearranging some more seems less annoying.

And that’s pretty much what I did before a trip this time around. Needless to say, I was not stressed out at all and actually had enough time to share this post with you .

Do you have any tips yourself? Please share; it may help me better pack for a trip in the future .

simpletess