I had to cancel a business flight to Lagos last summer because I forgot my passport and ticket on the coffee table.  You must be wondering "who does that?", based on a recent survey of tourists and business travelers most of us do.
Moment after booking a hotel, taking a taxi, riding the airport shuttle or even in the plane over 87% of travelers have reported  remembering that "thing".
Believe me I realize how frustrating this could be, that's why I started making use of travel checklists.
Whether you are a frequent traveler or novice, it's always helpful to have a brief of items you may intend to make use of.
While bookmarking this page is encouraged, I would advise you to also take out your pen to create a personalized list of all the essential things you need to pack for your trips.
Collect travel essentials and documents
If possible start organizing your travel documents, boarding pass, credit cards and forex change as soon as you decide to travel.
This might include ensuring your travel documents are up to date; make a habit of confirming your insurance and passport validity period. It is also a good idea to call you bank's customer care to notify them when traveling abroad, this prevents them from assuming fraudulent activity which will lead to a frozen account.
Preferably buy an oddly colored document organizer, this will ensure you have all your things in one place. Some essentials to collect include.
•   National ID,  a work  or student ID card 
•   International passport and visa
•   Train/bus/plane tickets for transportation
•   Travel insurance papers
•   Health insurance cards/ Vaccination documents
•   Hotel information and or tour contact
•   Hotel reservation  and itineraries
•   Credit card and cash
•   Emergency contacts
Ensure you make scanned copies of all your documents; save them online to enable you access them in a worst case scenario.
Prepare your handbag
Prepare your personal handbag; this will contain essentials like toiletries and documents you want easy access to. It is always safe to have an extra outfit, duplicate documents and toiletries in an easy access bag in case you lose your luggage.
Nowadays travelers make use of backpacks for their personal items, some items packed in personal hand bags include.
•   Smart phones and charger
•   Ipad or Kindle reader
•   Headphones (travelers always choose noise blocking headphones)
•   Novels, travel guides, maps and magazines
•   Travel pillow, earplugs and eye mask
•   Hand sanitizer
Packing your suitcase
Frequent business travelers are some of the best Packers, they have realized the need to prioritize items, optimize space usage and travel light.
Most tourists and vacationers are easy to spot carry over a bloated, heavy luggage around tourist destinations. 
During a long trip make sure you have enough clothes, you should however avoid over packing. Pack smart; pick clothes and colors that allow you the flexibility of cross matching.
Organizing your suitcase makes traveling convenient; it ensures you don't have to rearrange the entire bag every time you need a pen.
Here are some items you will like to pack:
Underwear
Dress (es)
Sandal or any comfortable walking shoe
Shorts and/or pants
Sweaters
Pajamas/sleepwear
Shirts
Traveling can be both fun and frustrating, I hope this string of tips would help you reduce stress and enjoy your trips.  Here's wishing you a safe trip and happy travels!