First published 15 February 2026

(Or: Why Processes Actually Matter)

Right, confession time (I’m sensing a theme forming!).

Last May, I travelled abroad with a friend and realised at the airport that I’d forgotten my travel plug.  Annoying, but sorted with a quick purchase at WH Smiths.

You’d think that would be enough to ensure I’d never forget again, wouldn’t you?

Fast forward to last week.  I’m flying to Amsterdam for a funeral, and what do I realise as I’m boarding?

No travel plug.

Again.

Thankfully, it was only 24 hours and I had a fully charged power bank to keep my phone (and electronic boarding pass) alive. This week?  Away again. Travel plug remembered – phew! 

USB cable to plug into the travel plug?

Left it sitting at home. Ugh!

The Problem With “I’ll Just Remember”

Here’s the thing – I spent years working in IT where processes and procedures were crucial.

I know they work.

I use a checklist for my UK based training trips and have that routine down perfectly.  So why on earth am I not doing the same for international travel?

That YouTube video I’ve been banging on about lately (the one about “good” and doing something new) made another brilliant point: whenever you do something for a second time, write it down as a procedure (and bookmark the video so you can come back to it and credit it! 🤦‍♀️).

Every time I rely on “I’ll just remember,” I’m essentially making Future Me responsible for Present Me’s laziness.
And Future Me is truly terrible at that job.

When we rely purely on memory, we’re asking our already-overloaded brains to hold onto information that could be safely stored elsewhere.  Which becomes a recipe for unnecessary stress and drains our mental energy.

The Spleen meridian, which governs organisation and planning, thrives on structure. Writing things down isn’t being obsessive – it’s being kind to your energy system.

My Commitment (And Your Challenge)

So here’s what I’m doing this week:

I’m writing a proper packing checklist.

Not just keeping it in my head.

Actually writing it down.  Breaking it into sections – toiletries, tech, documents, clothing, the works., I might even laminate it!

Because apparently three strikes is what it takes for me to learn this lesson.

Your turn: what’s the thing you keep doing repeatedly but haven’t created a process for?

Maybe it’s:

• Your morning routine.
• meal planning.
• monthly finances.
• client onboarding.
• that thing you do every few months and spend 20 minutes just trying to remember how you did it last time.

Pick one thing this week and write it down.

Future you will thank present you for not making them figure it out all over again.

Hit reply and tell me what process you’re going to capture – I’d love to know I’m not the only one who needs this reminder!

With (hopefully) better systems,

Angela

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P.S. If anyone has a fool proof travel packing system, please share. Clearly, I need all the help I can get!!!