Years ago, my husband and I went on a Caribbean cruise. It was a glorious trip and, although it was quite some time ago, I specifically remember how organized everything was. From the second we arrived at port in San Juan, Puerto Rico, until the moment we left, everything was well thought out and made life so much easier and pleasant. In fact, their organizing ideas can be incorporated into everyday life.

1. Plan your day on paper. Every morning when we woke up, we received a 4-page newsletter, detailing everything that was going on that day, where it was happening, and at what time. We were never left wondering what to do. The schedule was an excellent tool.

Why not make your own schedule for each day? Make a written one, rather than one that exists only in your head, if you really want to make the most of each day. Don't only include things you have to do, such as chores or appointments. Also include things you want to do...perhaps a tea break in the afternoon, or a relaxing walk after dinner.

Of course, if it turns out that you have something scheduled that you decide you can't get to--or would rather reschedule--this is absolutely fine. Simply reschedule that item for a more appropriate time. The main idea is not to wait until you have time to do something, because 99.9% of the time, that extra time never arrives. When you schedule, you are making time for the things you have (and want) to do.

2. Use chore checklists. Our cabin on the ship was so organized and neat every moment that we were there. Of course, we weren't responsible for keeping it that way. Our room steward was just amazing. Each morning when we left our cabin to go to breakfast, we'd return to a bed that was made, a clean bathroom, and a perfectly organized room. When we asked her how she could possibly get it done so quickly and so well, she immediately pulled out her chore checklist and her watch. These two tools helped her clean and organize 20 rooms...about 15 minutes per room.

While you probably don't have the luxury of a room steward at home, if you create a chore checklist, and spend a little bit of time each day completing your tasks, you will accomplish everything you set out to do in the shortest time possible. Then all that's left is to enjoy a clean, well-organized environment every day.

3. Plan your meals. The food on this trip was just amazing. Not only was there a lot of it, but it was just delicious. There was a planned menu each evening that ranged all the way from appetizers through dessert, a complete 7 course meal! And they had to serve 2100 people, each night! That's a lot of planning, preparation and cleaning!

Dinner at home could be planned out too. There are many benefits to planning out your meals: Here are just a few:

* You won't have to waste time each night wondering what you should have for dinner.

* Once you determine what you're going to have for dinner for the week, you can make a list and pick up all of your needed groceries well ahead of time.

* You can schedule the meals that take a little bit longer to prepare, on those evenings when your schedule isn't too full, and schedule quick meals on those nights when you have a limited amount of time.

4. Set goals and deadlines. Our captain's major goal was to safely sail all of us to six islands within seven days. But we never heard him say, 'I just don't know how I'm going to get all of this done. I have too much to do and too many places to go!' He didn't think of this voyage as one big trip. He had a specific mini-goal for each day. And, since we arrived at a new island each day, safe and sound, he obviously met his mini-goals and his major goal with no problem.

It is very important to set goals. This way, you'll have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, and you can set out each day to do so. Once you come up with your major goals, simplify them by breaking them into mini-goals, with a deadline for each. You're then sure to accomplish each one.

5. Identify. When we went on our island tours, the Tour Guides easily kept their groups together by having everyone wear a label with the Tour Name, Bus Number, etc. Not one person got lost! When we wanted to find something on the ship, we simply pulled out our nifty ship map. We located everyplace we wanted to go in seconds. On our last day of the cruise, all of our luggage was placed in a large room, waiting for us to check it in with the airlines. How did we find our luggage among the more than 10,000 pieces of luggage that were sitting there? Easy. They color coded our tickets, our luggage and the area it was stored in. So we just had to find our color, and our luggage was right there.

Clearly identifying makes life so much easier.

* Rather than having random boxes in your closet, label each one with the contents.

* You may even label holiday items with a red sticker, or pool supplies with a blue sticker, etc.

* Having a party at your house? Perhaps give everyone a name tag and a map so they can easily locate the restrooms, the room where you're keeping everyone's coats and so on.

* Planning a move? Clear identification is vital, especially when you have movers. Color code your boxes with stickers, according the rooms where they're to be delivered. If possible, you can even get to your new home ahead of time, and place corresponding colored stickers on the entrance doors to each room.

* Want to stop your kids from arguing over what belongs to whom? Color code Child 1's stuff blue, Child 2's stuff green, etc.

* The possibilities for identification are endless!

P.S. If you loved these tips, check out my I'm Finally Organized Toolkit for even more great ways to get and stay organized!

Just a very quick shout out to let you know that my latest issue of Anything and Everything is now available. It's the NOVEMBER 2021 issue, 12-pages and all in full color. I know you're going to love it. Check it out:

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If you don't already receive it, it's a great time to get your hands on a full year of Anything and Everything because, when you do, we're giving away 10 Bonuses, AND ALL of the back issues...complimentary!

Here are the topics in the NOVEMBER Issue...

A Month of Gratitude
Challenge yourself to a gratitude TO DO for every day in November to help remove stress and invite peace and joy

10 Things to Never Leave in Your Garage Over Winter
Doing so can result in lost money and/or a big safety risk

Increase Your Productivity
Get more done in your day with effective TO DO lists, being 'all in' with your goals, and setting yourself up for success

When Life Gives You Lemons
Using lemons to cook, to clean, and as outdoor helpers

Be Nice To Your Nose
Common culprits of household odors and how to combat them

Baked Feta Pasta
You're going to love this famous TicTok recipe. Easy and yummy!

Pineapple Pie
This sweet treat takes only 5 minutes to make and has only 5 ingredients

November Bucket List
Do something fun this month. Here are 7 things I'll be doing

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Maria

P.S. BONUS SPECIAL...Only Until 11:59 p.m. on NOVEMBER 5: When you sign up for your Anything and Everything Subscription, you will receive tons of bonuses, plus ALL the BACK ISSUES COMPLIMENTARY!

___ 1. Do today's task on my October Monthly Organizing Checklist. The October 30 TO DO focuses on fallen leaves. Visit GetOrganizedNow.com to access my October Monthly Organizing Checklist.

___ 2. Plan your day...on paper. You'll get more done if you have everything you need to do written down...and you check off each task as you complete it.

___ 3. 13 Organizing Lessons Learned from Horror Films. Last chance to view before it vanishes forever. Visit: GetOrganizedNow.com to access this article

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