My 10-minute packing routine

Packing to go away, even for a weekend, used to take me a couple of hours. Ridiculous, I know! But when I broke down the time, it wasn’t the packing that took hours, it was:

• Trying to decide what to wear
• Packing something and then unpacking it again
• Over-packing, in the fear of forgetting something vital
• Dithering because I had too many choices, even thought I felt it was because I had too few
• Searching for items that I needed but weren’t to hand

The actual packing only took a few minutes, but each time, it felt as though I needed to put an afternoon aside to tackle it.

Then I realised that the key thing is not packing, it’s a bit of thought and preparation in advance. Really obvious things like:

• Checking the weather – a great steer for knowing what to pack
• Bringing clothes that I can mix and match
• Realising how unlikely it was that I would have to attend a fancy event/funeral/wedding at the last minute – come on, how often does that happen?! Never for me, and yet I packed in case it did!
• Being as clear as I can about what I will be doing – indoors or outdoors, fancy or casual, active or chilling
• Knowing that hand luggage is perfect for most trips now
• Not fully unpacking when I return because so many items are only used for travel and can therefore stay in the bag, ready for the next trip (adaptors, travel sized toiletries …)
• Discovering the holy grail that is – the packing cube!
• Realising if I do forget something I can either do without it or buy it (apparently, other places have shops too!)

 

Who knew packing could be condensed into just a few minutes?

Oh – you did!

Have a great week 😊