It's the new year, and everybody is excited since it's like a new page on a new chapter. Everybody has their new year's resolutions in place to start the year. You probably also feel energized to start the year productive and on the right track after the series of holidays celebration. It's time for you to move on, whether personally or professionally. Here are our best tips on how you can jumpstart your new year as a nail tech. 1. Set goals and plan your year “Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.”- Les Brown. Planning your year will help set your year up for success. You need to have short-term and long-term plans to help you align your goals realistically and help you achieve things or tasks on a specific date. Setting your goal both individually and professionally will help you have a road map that will help you navigate your career in the long run. If you plan to take your nail tech career to another level, you need to set goals to help your brand grow. If you plan to take a step back to make way for your mental health, you can also do that. Goal setting is exciting and will help you envision your whole year. Businesses and entrepreneurs always prioritize setting goals, brainstorming, and leveraging their brand every year, and you should do too. 2. Introspect or have alone time “Alone time is when I distance myself from the voices of the world so I can hear my own.”-Oprah. Spending time alone and enjoying your company will make you realize things you hadn’t thought of before, most probably due to the busy schedule as a nail tech or the holidays that just passed. Once you carve some time to introspect and be alone, you’ll know what your goals are, and it's also a form of mental health care. 3. Practice your craft “Practice makes perfect. After a long time of practicing, our work will become natural, skillful, swift, and steady.”- Bruce Lee. You probably hear this adage a lot. Still, it is true, by constantly practicing nail art designs, often aside from your daily hustle, you will continuously master your craft and be an expert on it in the long run, which will boost your self-confidence and increase your profit as a nail tech. Make it a priority to practice even if you’re not in your nail tech classes; nothing beats the actual application of what you’re learning. You’ll realize that success comes to those who work for it. 4. Work on yourself “Progress is not achieved by luck or accident but by working on yourself daily.”- Epictetus. If you want to improve in other areas of your life, you need to look at yourself and work with your weaknesses, fears, and overall well-being. Becoming a nail tech means you have to constantly strive to be better in your craft and as a person. Do you plan to further your knowledge of nails? Then you can join a nail tech certification online or attend a nail school. Perhaps you want to try other nail trends, such as minimalist nail art or nail string art? You can work on trying new techniques and see what’s right up your alley. Working on yourself means continuing the work you’ve done, acknowledging your achievements, and not being too hard on yourself. Remember, it's a new year, and you have another year to start all over again and grow. 5. Set boundaries “It is necessary, and even vital, to set standards for your life and the people you allow in it.”- Mandy Hale. It can be hard at first to set boundaries since it means saying no to people and things that can hinder your productivity, wreak havoc on your wellbeing and sabotage your nail business. Setting boundaries means you’re acknowledging your limit as a person and working on a space that will allow you to foster your energy and time into something better. If you have been guilty of overworking, then this is the time for you to re-evaluate and prioritize yourself. 6. Take care of yourself “Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what’s left of you.”- Katie Reed What is one of the top priorities of people during the new year? It's none other than self-care or practicing self-love. The same thing goes for yourself. Prioritizing your needs and wellbeing is not selfish but a way of utilizing your capacities so that your body and mind can overflow with passion for nail art and catering to your clients. If you love yourself, then you’re secure enough on your worth, and you can help your clients or prospects love themselves even more. The energy and vibe you manifest around them can help you achieve a lot for the new year ahead. 7. Have other hobbies “The cultivation of a hobby and new forms of interest is a policy of first importance to a public man.”- Winston Churchill. Don't fall into the trap of revolving your life around nail art and being a nail tech. Remember to enforce work-life balance even on a busy schedule. You are more than your occupation, and you shouldn’t let your passions define your worth or identity. Once you're done for the day, start packing up and work on your interests outside of the nail world, whether it's cooking or painting, as long as it sets your heart on fire and relieves you from the stress and mundane your job can give you. You can discover yourself even more and get more nail inspiration by doing other hobbies. 8. Start being mindful “Our life is shaped by our mind, for we become what we think”- Buddha. Once you start being self-aware of yourself and your surroundings, you can focus your energy and time on what matters to you and for your brand. Mindfulness is also about self-mastery that can help you be a master of your craft. It’ll help you have clarity and peace of mind when dealing with the hustle and bustle that comes from the job daily. 9. Do something different “If you want to be different, do something different”- Wynton Marsalis The new year is exciting, and it's an excellent opportunity for you to try something new and feel life to the fullest. If you know the movie adaptation of Yes Man, you know what it is all about. It's time for you to take a leap of faith, learn something new, conquer your fear and start converting the no’s into a bunch of yeses that will help you feel productive and fulfilled as a nail tech. If you haven’t tried a new nail design, maybe you should do it now. How about you market yourself as a nail tech? If you haven’t done it before since you’re reserved, start doing things differently and see the difference. 10. Stay consistent “The key to success is consistency”- Zak Fraser You can always start something new, but the challenge always lies in continuing what you started despite the highs and lows. It's not easy staying motivated, but if you have goals and deadlines to meet this year for your nail business, you must pull yourself together and keep showing up. 11. Meet new people “Life is beautiful not because of the things we see or do. Life is beautiful because of the people we meet.”- Simon Sinek”. Meeting new people is another good way to jumpstart your year since socializing can help you improve your communication and interpersonal skills, which can benefit your job in the long run. Networking is also one way to learn new ideas, techniques and gain friends. The new year brings us hope, newfound energy, and joy to start again. We shouldn’t waste the opportunity and seize it as soon as we can. We have a Facebook community that iGel Beauties can join to network and encourage one another. Having accountability partners with like-minded business people like you will help you step up on your A-game all year round.
