As we continue our week-long series on vacations, today we turn to lists you need for successful vacations. (Of course you need lists for vacation. You need lists for everything!)

Basically, three lists are essential for a successful vacation:

1. Pre-Vacation Tasks: This list includes all the tasks you need to complete before you leave. It can include getting necessary visas, exchanging currency, stopping the mail, arranging for a pet sitter, emptying the fridge of perishables, taking out the trash, getting gas in the car, and printing out your boarding passes. Some tasks may change from trip to trip, but the basics will stay the same. Keeping a standard list can help you make sure that you don’t forget an essential task.
2. Packing List: We all have a tendency to carry too much when we travel, but a packing list can make a huge difference. While each trip may have specific needs based on weather and planned activities, the essentials will remain the same. You’ll need shoes, underwear, a toothbrush, etc. If you keep a basic list handy (maybe taped to the inside of your closet), you won’t have to worry about leaving home without something essential.
3. Post-Vacation Tasks: Reduce the stress and ease the transition back to your regular life by keeping a list of things you need to do in the first day or so that you are home. Maybe you need to pick up the dog from the sitter, buy milk and something for lunch (it’s easier if you have a standard just-back-from-vacation meal), turn the water back on, sort the mail and pay the bills, unpack, and do laundry. Having a list also makes it easier to assign tasks — many hands make light work!

The great thing about these lists is that you can make them once and then just tweak them as needed. Having a firm base to work from makes things so much easier.