New Years’ resolutions may or may not be for the birds. As we get older, we get set into a routine and just generally are the way we are. For many, it takes quite a bit to make huge changes in our lives, so why even try? Ugh. What if, though, we could make New Year’s resolutions that actually work and don’t fill us with an automatic sense of dread and shame?

Making changes in our lives doesn’t have to suck and changes don’t have to be monumental in order for them to count as a worthy change. After all, it’s about PROGRESS, not perfection.

I work with people every day who are making changes in their lives and their routines; I have seen people succeed and I have seen people fail. While I can think of a few cases in which a person has made giant shifts to their self-care routine and it’s stuck, I have witnessed far more ongoing success with those who commit to small, manageable changes little by little.

Like anything, change management is a highly-studied thing and, lucky for you, can easily be applied to skincare regimens. The Transtheoretical Model (Stages of Change) … The TTM posits that individuals move through six stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. People tend to move though this model pretty cyclically, but can drop out at any stage and go back to a former stage.

Let me put it in laymen’s terms:

  • Precontemplation: “Look at me, just living my life, not doing much to my face and not realizing that I ought to.”
  • Contemplation: “Huh, I’m starting to [look older/break out/look blotchy/notice discoloring/etc.], maybe I should start doing something different. Like washing my face. Or putting lotion on it. But ugh. That sounds hard and expensive.”
  • Preparation: “I’m gonna talk to someone about my face. I’m gonna do it. I’m really gonna do it this time.”
  • Action: *Makes an appointment for a virtual or in-person consultation*
  • Maintenance: “Look at me! I wash my face now! And I put lotion on it! And this serum stuff! I do it every day and it’s not even that hard! And, dare I say I LIKE doing it, who am I?”
  • Termination: “Eff this, I’d rather spend my money on boxed wine and the three minutes it takes to wash my face on Tetris Blitz.”

So, everyone starts with precontemplation and moves forward. Lots of people get stuck in the contemplation and preparation stages. You can drop out at any stage and move backward, and the cycle can go on and on. That’s where it gets really frustrating because you’re literally giving yourself the run around.

I get excited because I get to interact with you once you get to the action stage and beyond that, too. I want to get you into the maintenance stage and help you create a routine that will keep you there.

Once you make the appointment, my job is to be your change management guide. Like I said, I’m an experienced professional so I know smaller changes are more manageable and easier to maintain over the long term.

I think lots of people think I only want to get you in here for a treatment. Not true! Of course, I would love to see every person for regular professional treatments, but whether it’s time or financial constraints, this isn’t possible for everyone. I spend way too much of my free time studying ingredients and taking continuing education classes, so I can be the best when it comes to products and teaching you how to best take care of your skin and I am committed to guide you on an effective home care routine.

Here are some things I recommend to new people, especially those who show me or tell me they aren’t good with change:

  • Understand what pieces of the skin care regimen are most important for YOU. For some, moisturizer is the most important, for others, vitamin application is the most important.
  • Start with washing your face only a once a day. It’s not as good as twice, but better than none.
  • Be honest about your budget. If I have a realistic understanding of what you can spend long term, I can make better product recommendations.
  • Know what your daily routines are. Do you work in an office all day or are you working on a farm all day?
  • Be able to describe what you have tried in the past: what has worked, what hasn’t, what did you like, what did you hate?
  • What do you like products to feel like, smell like, and how do you want your skin to feel six hours after you applied them?

Overall, my job is about knowing how to meet someone where they are and hold their hand to the promised land. Of course, I have an ideal routine I want someone to do, but if you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready. I get it, I’m not ready for lots of things. If you’re not ready, I work with it! I think about what can I do to support you so one day you will be!

It’s easy, if you can commit to calling me and getting your booty in the door, I can commit to coaching you from there. Action!