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Show ' A y ;i Flam Tomur Momimgs For A Good Start 1 J . "1 just can't seem to get organized in the morning. I'm always rushing around, and I can never find the things I ' I need." Does this sound familiar? According to Margaret Cadman, Cad-man, a professional organizer and president of her New y York-based firm, Let's Get Organized, mornings are easi-b'he easi-b'he most disorganized time of day. "Some people don't -1 an( to confront the day, particularly work," Ms. Cadman '' 1 Mys. "So this is the most difficult time to have to face a ' routine. On the other hand, this is the time when you really n ""done." Hl At the request of Pert Shampoo, which is continually 'I r"earching the lifestyles of American women to insure s, I ltlat it is responsive to their haircare needs, Margaret Cad-f Cad-f man has developed the Pert Personality Evaluation & Re-J Re-J nealTest. It determines how well you organize your mornings and helps you plan for future mornings. Circle ,J Vow answers, add up your points, and then refer to Ms. 1 man's suggestions to find out how to have a more dutiful morning and a more beautiful day: ' Do you plan your mornings in advance (the night fore or even the week before)? Yes IS NoO 2' Are the items you need that morning easily accessible, ordo you know where the inaccessible items can be located? lo-cated? r Y5 NoO , 3' Are your bedroom and bathroom set up so that pro-! pro-! aucts are in particular areas (for instance, cosmetics all ;1 Souped together and separated from toiletries)? I 10 NoO l 4. Do you ever run out of necessary products, like soap and shampoo? .. r, Yo Noio I wl!' V0U frecluently find problems with your clothes M r i f ,.en you're getting ready to put them on, like the hem is L rind down' there's a run in yur stockin8s' or you can,t f. w your jacket because you forgot to pick it up at the i. , cleaners? ' ?47 Yes0 No 15 35 to 60 Points You've already taken steps towards organizing your morning, but you could use a cleaner sense of direction. This can be provided by an outside source, preferably a friend who can be objective. Sometimes it's difficult to see the solution when you're stuck in the middle of the problem, prob-lem, and a friend could give you permission to do or not do certain activities that you wouldn't consider allowing yourself to get away with. Take time out to organize your surroundings. Clean your bedroom and bathroom closets and throw away any products you don't need anymore. As a rule of thumb, if you haven't used it for 6 months (whether a product or a piece of clothing), it's time to get rid of it. On the other hand, make sure you're fully slocked with those products (soap, shampoo, etc.) that you need handy every morning. Indulge yourself. Whether you're getting ready to use a new shampoo or you have fresh flowers on your kitchen table or you're going out for breakfast, treating yourself in the morning can add a big lift to your day. Listcmng to the news or reading the paper may be your idea of a morning indulgence -- and it's well worth building extra lime into your schedule. 65 to 80 Points Your routine and your surroundings are probably well-organized, well-organized, and they make your mornings comfortable. But keep reviewing all of your activities to make sure they still have value for you. Many times we tend to stick to tradition tradi-tion and perform certain activities because we were told to at an early age, and these activities now have no significance signifi-cance for us. Give yourself 10 minutes the evening before or that morning (depending on when you can think most clearly) to organize your day. Look over your calendar and make sure any necessary books and papers are easily accessible. If you can find what you're looking for within 5 minutes, you're well organized. Being organized is an art that's well worth the time to try and master because it lets you spend the bulk of your day unburdened by unnecessary details. "People think they can't be creative and organized at the same time," Ms. Cadman says. "Actually, the opposite is true." 6. Do you frequently find that it takes more time than you've planned to do such morning activities as showering, shower-ing, drying your hair, eating breakfast? Yes 0 No 15 7. Have you discovered some way to indulge yourself in the, morning? Yes 5 No 0 8. Have you reviewed your morning routine in the last six months? Yes 5 NoO 0 to 30 Points You need a well-defined motivation for getting more organized in the morning. This motivation comes from knowing your purpose in life and will help you carry out any professional and personal goals. A good morning starts long before you wake up. At a time that's most relaxed for you, make a list of everything that needs to be done in the morning (don't forget to include activities that are not done every day). Then walk around with a watch for a few days to see how long each activity takes. Add up the time, and then give yourself an extra 15 minutes to take care of any unexpected morning surprises. As this routine works or doesn't work, add or delete activities to keep your schedule updated to your current needs. If your beauty routine trips you up in the morning, look at ways to make it simpler. The hair care experts at Pert suggest choosing a hairstyle that's easy to care for: a good cut can save a lot of fussing-around time in the morning. Many morning activities, like setting the breakfast table and filling the coffeemaker, can be done in a much more constructive way the night before. Leaving your clothes out beforehand will take the mystery out of finding a suitable suit-able outfit that morning. You can even group your accessories acces-sories together in plastic bags and attach them to the outfits they match. Remember that morning is the time to profit from the organization system which you had the good foresight to prepare. |