Avoiding Setbacks | Keeping Consistency

I've been thinking non-stop about my goals for the year.  Obviously, I would like 2014 to be an amazing year with regards to my hair goals.  One of my intentions is to avoid set backs as much as humanly possible.  "A setback is a setup for a comeback!"  Those words are normally spoken to add a bit of inspiration to a dire situation.  Honestly, I would rather avoid a setback all together.  In the world of the hair journey, ever single inch gained counts.

Last year I suffered a pretty bad set back that required a mini chop. I'm determined to avoid a repeat of this if at all possible.  Hence the idea to create an "avoiding setbacks" series where we discuss tips and tricks to keep our progress going in the right direction.

Setbacks can occur for a multitude of reasons. For today's session, we will discuss the most obvious.  I too fell victim to this enemy last year and my hair paid dearly for it.  I'm referring to lack of action, or laziness.  Knowing that you should do something but not doing it.  In my case, I had a firm habit of deep conditioning weekly but, somehow, time seemed scarce and I thought it would be ok to skip a few sessions here and there.  I'd keep my hair in a top knot too long and, next thing you know, I'm batting serious tangles come wash day.  Little did I know how much my acts of neglect were adding up until I visited the salon and came to the realization that  a major trim would be the only method of salvation.

I've learned my lesson, since then I've been committed to consistency.  Even though wash days take even longer now then before (since adding my conditioning iron to the process).  I firmly believe that if I'm committed to executing flawless wash day rituals each week, the likelihood of experiencing a set back is slim.

 So rule #1 to avoiding a setback is:  Avoid skipping wash days and always, always deep condition when you wash.

If we give our hair 52 deep conditioning nourishing treatments a year, we can rest assured that we are promoting progress, while keeping set backs at bay.  If there was a healthy hair pyramid, deep conditioning treatments would be at the bottom supporting the entire structure.  This year, I'm making a promise to stay on course.  Another thing I'm vowing to do is utilize my steamer on the regular instead of saving it for when my hair is in need of a deep repair treatment.

Very simple, I will be following rule #1 week by week in the name of progress. Stay tuned for more tips on avoiding setbacks in future posts.