On May 1, 2007, I posted my morning routine for all to scrutenize. In totalling my minimum estimated times spent on various activities, I realized I was saying that I could get ready (hair, makeup, clothing, shower, etc.) in 18 minutes. I announced that on May 3, I would challenge myself to actually fully get ready in that minimum time.
Daltongirl, because of her competetive nature, saw this as a challenge to her as well. So she got ready to go out in 17 minutes.
Now, I don't know that thousands have actually taken the Cicada Challenge, but I think that they should. I think that everyone should time themselves in the morning to discover how much time they spend on each morning activity. It's enlightening! Take this morning for example:
7:07 -- I woke up.
7:07-7:08 -- I made my bed, grabbed my housecoat, and headed to the bathroom.
7:08-7:13 -- I showered. This included washing my hair with a 2-in-1, washing my body with soap, shaving my legs and armpits, and washing my face.
7:13-7:15 -- I towelled myself dry and applied self tanner to my white, white legs.
7:15 still -- I moisturized my face.
7:16 -- I took off yesterday's makeup because I'm lazy like that.
7:17 -- I brushed my teeth.
7:18-7:19 -- I applied new makeup (three shades of eye shadow and mascara)
7:19 -- I cleaned my ears with Q-tips. I don't care if you're not supposed to. I have to do it every morning or I go insane.
7:20 -- I put gel in my hair.
7:20-7:24 -- I got dressed (underwear, bra, slip, skirt, undershirt [removed undershirt and put on a different one], button-up shirt).
7:24-7:25:30 -- Blew hair dry.
7:25:30-7:28 -- Flat ironed hair, applied two more hair products, washed my hands.
7:29 -- Accessorized.
It doesn't beat Daltongirl's 17 minutes, but 22 minutes is still pretty good for a full routine.
There were two things in particular that really surprised me. First was the teeth brushing. I estimated that I usually take about one minute. So I limited myself to one minute this time and realized that I usually take at least two minutes. One minute wasn't really long enough.
Second was the dressing. I laid out my skirt, blouse, and shoes the night before. Really I figured that dressing was just a matter of putting clothes on---60 seconds tops. Surprisingly, dressing took me almost as long as showering. I still don't know how all that time passed while I was just putting clothes on. I am going to need to study this black hole more carefully.
Anyway, I think I can do it all in less time. I'm taking the Cicada Challenge again tomorrow (but I'm also not planning on shaving OR self-tanning). I'll see how I fare.
In the meantime, I think that everyone should take the Cicada Challenge to see how long it takes them to get ready. You may find it enlightening, too.
10 comments:
Do mornings on which I don't shower or do my hair count?
Nope. Sorry. I've been out of my house in three minutes on mornings that I don't shower. That's just enough time to brush my teeth and throw on clothes.
I'm not a morning person. When I was working the 9-5 I would shower the night before, and mentally piece together my outfit before I went to sleep so that I could stay asleep for as long as humany possible. I too am one of "those" people who snoozes their alarm clocks for a long time. So, anyway I would get up at 8-810, stumble around and open my blinds so that the sunshine could come in, make my bed, get dressed, brush my teeth, and make a bagel that I took with me. In all, my fastest was about 15 mins.
Days that I don't work? Well...if I even get to the get dressed part I think that's pretty good.
I cannot comprehend your shower schedule. I have to plan my showers: one to wash my hair OR one to shave my legs, and these showers last at least thirty minutes each. I cannot imagine how it is possible that you do the whole thing so fast. Do you exfoliate? Do you comb your hair? Do you let the conditioner set?
Not meaning to be creepy, just curious.
It's fortunate I'm not competitive because it usually takes me about an hour, and I get about a fourth of all that done.
Well, at least you make me feel better about my morning routine, TB. I was up and out the door in a lightning-fast 40 minutes this morning. For once I'm the first one to work.
wow, I have all of you beat. Of course, I've had every person I've ever lived with beat, but that'd just cause I'm amazing.
Spart, I'm not really a morning person either, but it doesn't seem like I'm as bad as you. When I was in high school, my mom and I would share the bathroom as we got ready every morning, and neither of us would ever say a WORD to the other. You'd think that we were mad at each other. Really, we were just not talkative because it's the morning.
Anyway, to answer your questions. First, your hair and my hair are very, very different. Mine is short and thinnesh. Your hair is anything but thinnesh. Lately, I've just been using a 2-in-1 because I'm lazy. So I put it in my hair at the beginning and rinse it out at the end. When I do shampoo and conditioner separately, I do the shampoo immediately, wash it out, put in the conditioner, and then continue with the rest of my shower with the conditioner in my hair. So it sets that way.
Do I exfoliate? Nah, not really. Sometimes I give my feet a good scrub...
Do I comb my hair? In the shower? Haha. Like I said, your hair and my hair are very different. My hair never gets tangled, so there's no reason to comb it. And to tell you the truth, a brush hasn't even touched my hair for a good three weeks, inside or outside of the shower.
Anyway. I don't know how you're taking 30 minutes to shave your legs... Weirdo.
Yeah, somehow getting dressed can take me as long as twenty minutes. (It doesn't usually. Only when I'm in a hurry.)
Also, it takes me eons to shave my legs. I usually shower in about ten minutes (washing hair, face, etc.), but I doubt I can shave my legs in less than fifteen minutes without inflicting serious harm to myself.
As much as I enjoy competition, I'm happy with my thirty-minute (plus or minus fifteen) schedule. I get up and get ready quickly and then sit and read while I eat breakfast. Going in to work feeling relaxed instead of stressed and rushed makes a big difference in my day.
Yesterday with "long hair" it took me 37 mins. Today, it was only 22 mins. with my hair about 6-8 inches shorter. I saved 15 minutes. I do love short hair. However, I'm sure I can cut my time even more since today I was babysitting a 2 year old and had to be modest while having him in the same room as me so he kind of slowed me down.
I live in Kansas. I let the wind comb my hair.
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