I’m a big believer in checklists. Whether it’s packing for a trip, capturing all of my to-dos for a productive weekend, or prepping for a major life change. They help me organize my thoughts and keep from forgetting things.

Step 1: Decide to start a new life built around a dream of becoming a travel writer living, or at least spending extended amounts of time, outside the United States. Check.

Step 2: Actually follow through on concrete steps to pursue the dream like leaving a job that doesn’t allow fully remote work. Check.

Step 3: Book an extended stay outside the US. Check.

Step 4: Select a blog name and reserve a matching web domain (maybe not in that order) in case this thing takes off and outgrows the free WordPress site. Check.

Step 5: Set up the WordPress site, and publish the first post. Check.

Step 6: Find a job that allows remote work to fund this endeavor. Uh…right. I’ll get right on that.

*Hat tip to Atul Gawande