Check, Check, Check--Checklists! 

Plan Now for Less Stress Later

Winter is months away, yet now is the time to get it together for the upcoming snowbird season. No matter if you've completed ten years, like me, or are just starting out, planning is absolutely essential. Organizing now will help you not lose your mind when it's time to depart and you are also dealing with holidays. That combo is a literal recipe for a meltdown.

So, where to start? Your own personal situation is the most obvious place. If you have not yet secured your housing, then housing priorities will be at the top of the list. If you have housing and dates locked down, then your list might begin with any number of things such as transportation or perhaps your own personal, pet/s or family needs.

Rather than taking a micro view, a broad checklist is key at this time. As it gets closer to your departure date, flesh in the details. As with moast any checklist, it's not typically a one-step-then-done situation. Usually there's layers and layers of sub checklists. Getting started and thinking through every aspect of your life will help get a head start to anticipate, adapt and adjust for a good season. 

Broad Categories to Consider

Business/Career/Job/s

Classes/Continuing Ed/Personal Growth

Entertainment/Dining Out

Family/Loved Ones

Financial

Fitness/Wellness

Friends

Goals/Objectives

Guests

Health/Prescriptions/Appointments

Insurance

Hobbies

Holidays

Housing: Primary Home

Housing: Warm Weather Home

Organization

Maintenance/Repairs/Upgrades

Religious

Social Events

Special Occasions/Events/Concerts/Festivals

Pet/s

Travel

Transportation

Volunteer Commitments

Wardrobe

Year-End Deadlines

Broad check list categories such as these are intended to serve as a springboard through the intertwining areas of your own and your spouse/partner and loved one's needs and objectives. I don't try to guess what anyone is thinking, I ask. Not only will you and they be able to synchronize plans, it might help avoid or deflect future conflicts by realigning priorities. Examples of helpful conversations include discussing who is doing what and when, what the November and December holidays will look like, which appointments need to be scheduled between now and departure and how much time will it take to plan and execute projects that remain to be done both at home and when away.

Examples for many snowbirds include anticipating the needs of changing and expanding families such as adult children, their significant persons/spouses and children. Grandchildren have a way of making a big impact, especially if they are brand new to the family or have special upcoming events and milestones. As snowbirds age, their health needs become increasingly critical, so making sure appointments are scheduled and year-end deadlines are met will reduce future stress. Tweaking security and other systems in the primary home tend to be ongoing from year to year. Perhaps you, like me, are installing new carpet, painting the exterior and ordering new furniture to be delivered before hosting Autumn and holiday gatherings. This is also a good time to reach out to guests who may want to spend time with you in your snowbird home. Getting an idea of whether they are interested, during what time frame they might visit and how long they will stay can make the rest much easier.

Travel to favorite Northern warm-weather destinations is important to me before I head south. This might include Lake Michigan or one or two Indiana lakes. Another goal is to visit snowbird friends while we are all in our primary homes before we meet up again in Florida. I've already enjoyed a great day in Indy with an Ohio snowbird friend and there are more snowbird friends on the list. If you have business travel before or during your time away, work out the general logistics of how it's going to happen.

Reach out to your closest friends to make sure you can spend time with them at least once or twice before you depart. All of it adds up to figuring out where your attention needs to be so you can let go of projects that will need to wait.  

Keep your check lists wide ranging, think it through and get it going. Those are the goals to get to the next phase: honing and fine tuning the to-do lists. 

[Snowbird Packing and Prep Four Week Timeline]

[How to Pack for a Weeklong Getaway in a Beach Bag] 

[How to Pack Your Vehicle]

[Pet Prep Countdown]