Before getting ready for a trip — business or pleasure — do you have a set checklist?

Before I depart for a trip, I go through the same mental checklist before walking out the door. I go through all my work materials, followed by a quick list of personal items. I make sure all my shoes in the suitcase have a matching mate; I double check that I have enough suits to get me through a trip full of business meetings.

Does having this checklist always prevent me from forgetting something? Usually not, but it still gives me peace of mind. The last item, but certainly not the least, is my passport, which I make a point to physically and mentally check. Yes, I admit I did leave my passport at home once. I was headed on an international business trip with a colleague, and years later they have yet to let me forget it.

After forgetting my passport, I was given many solutions on ways to ensure it never happened again. One tip I’ll leave you with, as I found it humorous and extremely useful. It came from a pilot who once left his passport behind in a hotel room. To make sure he would never make the same mistake again, he always put one of his shoes in the hotel safe with his passport. The next morning, he wouldn’t be able to leave without both his shoes, and he would always have his passport.

— Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher