We have 96 intervals of 15 minutes every day, meaning you have many opportunities to make a difference. Each day this month, I’m giving you a 15-minute project idea. Pick your favorites to improve your day, yourself or your world. I promise you have time for this.

It takes me one hour to get ready each morning and it consists of four 15-minute increments. This saves me time and energy each morning because I know what needs to be done and I’ve got a system to make it as easy as possible to accomplish everything with low or no stress.

We’ll be reviewing each of the four 15-minute increments in the next few days:

• Gratifying Get-Ready Routine For You (7:00 am -7:10 am, 7:25 am-7:30 am)
• Fabulous Hair Every Day (7:10 am – 7:25 am)
• Everyone & Everything Else Ready Too (7:30 am – 7:40 am, 7:55 am – 8:00 am)
• Delicious Dinner Preparation (7:40 am – 7:55 am)

Know and Respect Your Hair.

I have big, thick curly–and often frizzy–hair and I have learned to work with what I’ve got. I’ll never have bangs, it just doesn’t work, so I worked with my stylist to find the best haircut for me (long piece-y layers that work with big, curly, “messy/beachy” hairstyles). It also takes a while for my hair to dry with the hair dryer, so I try to save time wherever I can in the morning. Most days, I wash my hair in the evenings before bed, so it can dry overnight. Then I only need to dry the stubborn pieces and the roots to get some volume. Try taking evening showers to save yourself time in the morning.

Use the right tools.

I like it when my hair is straight, but my fancy straightener is hard on my hair and if there is any humidity–forget it! So I wear my curly hair most days because it’s easy and I can get it done in 15 minutes. I own tons of bobby pins and use them daily for hair prep and styles. I also purchased a big-barrel curing iron because I’m comfortable with this too. Because I use these tools so often, I have to replace them about every 2 years.

Learn that the fancy techniques aren’t so fancy.

To get the ‘beachy’ curls that everyone is crazy for, you really just need to curl your hair, pull out the curling iron in a twist format (instead of unrolling, just pull it down), keep your hair twisted and let it cool. Easy, breezy. This is the same for most fancy techniques. Once you figure out how to do it, you realize it’s just a few unique steps brought together–you can do it!

Small sections make a big difference.

As you’re doing your hair (with a curling iron or straightener , dividing it into small sections makes it much more manageable and makes the tools work much better. Don’t try to do everything at once, small sections are the way to get the best result.

Use your bonus minutes wisely.

My hair takes about 5-10 minutes to cool down and set the curls. While I’m waiting, I use my bonus minutes to do my makeup (and I don’t wear much because I workout so often, it doesn’t stay. Just mascara, lip gloss and cream blush or bronzer)

Get the Pre-Styling Done Right.

After you’ve segmented the pieces and removed the pins, you’ll need to get your hair ready for styling. You can pull apart the curls to keep them piece-y or you can flip your head upside down and shake out the curls (what I usually do). Then when you flip your head back up you’ve got loads of volume.

Use the Right Products.

If needed, you can use a pomade or root lifter at the roots to keep the volume lasting throughout the day. For the top and the ends, I use a light, flexible hairspray to keep the movable styling for the day. Try to find the most frugal products that do the job right. My pomade was $14 and my hairspray is $2. Why? Both work well and I didn’t need to spend more to get the results I wanted.

Know when you’re really finished.

The above picture looks fine, but I can’t have hair in my face, it’s too distracting. So I always find a way to keep it back. Most of the time I twist pieces and use bobby pins, but I also part my hair in the middle, so my big “bangs” don’t get in my eyes. Figure out what works best for you, so you can fix it and forget it with your hair–it should be an easy part of your morning routine.

Yes, it just takes 15 minutes for me to do my hair each morning. I started with the right haircut for my hair type and I rotate between hairstyles like this and lots of bun options from ideas I’ve found on my Pinterest Fabulous Hair Every Day page. I’m only interested if it’s easy and professional, so I save lots of options here. By sticking to what I know works, I can vary my hairstyle and remain confident that it looks good throughout the day.