Here in the Northeast, mid-April it is usually 50 F and maybe even still a little snowy. This week is a blessing of temperatures unseen (a toasty 90 F in the sun) since last August and, as it happens, it was my weekend off from behind the chair. So I did what any reasonable and sane person would do: I grabbed a pair of hiking shoes and I went outside to enjoy the weather.
I was able to get some major steps in and even a little sunburn, despite the excessive amounts of SPF. While I was exploring the trails I got to thinking about how nice it was to be able to be outside, to enjoy this amazing weather. Honestly, I would be tempted to jump out of a window if it had been a normal Saturday chained behind the chair.
Don’t get me wrong, I am 1000% percent grateful to do what I do. I would not change it for anything in the world, but this is a blog about career and finance. It seems that from every corner of the web talking heads pontificate about how “if you want to make more money you’ll need to work 6 jobs” or “you can never sleep, and you can forget about seeing the inside of a restaurant unless you’re there to wash dishes.”
And in a way, I can see the dark romanticism in this siren song. To dedicate yourself fully to a higher purpose kind of mumbo-jumbo. I think this advice is over-saturating self-help spheres and ultimately turns people away from working harder and seeking to achieve more for themselves (unless you’re very self-deprecating, I know some of you are). Why? That kind of self-sacrifice is, honestly, unsustainable and unnecessary for most people to be happy or make an amazing income.
If you couldn’t already tell from my Saturday hike, I don’t necessary subscribe to this ‘live to work’ mentality. I knew immediately when I started a blog it wasn’t going to be about grinding non-stop at the scissor factory. I’m sure you have already had a mentor, or boss, in your life tell you to just put your nose to the ground in order to make something of yourself… I know thats not why you need me.
You might make money with a little midnight oil on those clipper blades, but that’s not the Hair Strategist way.
The cost of lost opportunity
An opportunity cost is the cost of a lost opportunity. Working non-stop isn’t just difficult, it is robbing you of time that could be spent connecting with your friends, your loved ones, or other important things.
Let’s say you decide (for the second dozen time) to avoid going out with friends because your career aspirations took priority, what does that decision cost you? Your opportunity cost isn’t just missing out connecting with other human beings. You’ll miss out on building up some of the most important social networks of your life: After all, your friends will be there for you even if there are low points in your career because they love you and want what’s best for you.
But what about in your absence when your friend group makes plans to vacation out of state? What if on this hypothetical trip they don’t only make memories adventuring, but they find something more valuable… a person. The person who could have been the love of your life, your soul-mate… except you were never there.
Yes, maybe this is a little pie-in-the-sky sounding… stay with me, it’s a hypothetical example I’m using it to illustrate that you can’t always know the full extent of what you’re giving up because you weren’t there.
My second point is…
Not every boundary makes dollars
Boundaries are something of a buzz word with this new generation of hairstylists. I am all for that healthy balance: ‘a part-of your life’, not your whole life. I think that the movement towards better boundaries is epic in proportions, and will have lasting generational significance BUT I see a lot of it coming from a source of fear and scarcity.
Scarcity Mentality VS Wealth Mentality is a topic deserving its own blog post. For this conversation, I will define a scarcity-boundary as a boundary created from the belief that there is not enough (time, money, resources) to go around. In that way, this boundary is like a piece of armor. Use it to defend your precious and limited resources from being stolen by the covetous eyes of those around you. This viewpoint is rooted in fear, and it takes a toll on your ability to earn when your boundaries are only coming from that place of preservation.
Boundaries that pay
To sum it up, a scarcity-preventing boundary will save you from loosing the money, time and resources you already have. To earn six figures or more will need to include boundaries that are wealth-generating.
A wealth-creating boundary is a boundary that when I set it with myself, I earn more money. Here’s the difference, scarcity-preventing boundaries are set with other people as opposed to wealth-creating boundaries, which are set with yourself.
I will sum this kind boundary up into one thought, which is: “When I show up to work I am showing up as a career professional, and I will act accordingly.”
You can make six-figures or more behind the chair working sub 40 hours IF during those hours you are completely engaged and focused on your work. That means treating your career with the seriousness it deserves and not taking it for granted by acting like it’s a job.
Remember the grind I talked about at the beginning of this article? Hitting the pavement and working non-stop. Well, spoiler-alert… you will end up doing that. But only for those 40 hours when you focus on your career. Which, by the way, is only 24% of your week (that’s less then quarter of your time.)
“So, the Hair Strategist is saying that if I show up focused on the quarter of my life I’m at work I will earn enough money to be able to afford the other three quarters?”
Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.
By keeping your career activities and leisure activities separate you have the best chance at maximizing both. Spinning around your chair? Scrolling reddit during business hours? You are violating this basic tenant with yourself and sabotaging your ability to earn. It’s time to get off of your phone and take some meaningful steps towards pursuing your actual goals.
To summarize:
• Hairstylists should draw healthy boundaries to achieve their financial goals and enjoy the life they want to live.
• Opportunity cost is the cost of a lost opportunity; working non-stop sacrifices valuable time that could be spent connecting with loved ones or pursuing hobbies.
• Boundaries set from a place of fear and scarcity will not help you earn more money; instead, boundaries should be placed on yourself when behind the chair to maximize earning potential.
• Striking a balance between work and life is key: dedicating 24% of your week in focused effort behind the chair can lead to success, allowing for enjoyment of the other 76%.
