Travel can be stressful. Book your flights, arrange for the hotel, schedule the Uber to the airport, hope that things are on time, try to look nice for TSA staff so that they pass you through the gate faster... the list goes on and on.

I used to hate work-related travel.

My chest would tighten in the days leading up to a trip and the day of- forget it. I was a bear and my family knew to stay away lest I get even more grumpy.

Getting Started with Nozbe

Download the Free Guide w/6 Easy Nozbe Tips

Then, not surprisingly, I tried an experiment. If I created a "template" for packing, maybe that would not only save time but also cut down on the stress leading up to a trip.

It worked.

My current practice is to use a template in Nozbe. On the day before a trip, I'll have my laptop on the bed next to my carry-on luggage. It's now saved me, conservatively I would say, at least 30 minutes before every trip. The use of the template also cuts way down on the stress as I think of the template as a recipe: a little of this and a pinch of that.

Here's what my current template looks like for work-related travel:

I figure that I travel for work about once a month. If using the template saves just 30 minutes each time x 12 trips a year, that's 360 minutes saved or a full six hours. That doesn't even take into account the stress that it fends off with each trip. Factor that in and who knows how much time I'm really saving by using a template!

The pre-loaded list (template) works really well for me. What tricks work for you when it comes to travel?

If you liked this post, why not download my free PDF worksheet called "Getting Started with Nozbe"? It will walk you through the six steps you'll need to begin creating templates like the one I've included in this blog post. Just fill out the form called "Getting Started with Nozbe" and you'll have the PDF in seconds.