It’s happened to all of us. You’ve been craving more education and you registered for a class. You know you can increase your business quickly from this course because it’s a popular trend that is developing rapidly. You are excited, you sacrifice money and time away from your family, the spa, and your clients, but you know it is going to be worth it! The educator came with high reviews and the subject matter is something you cannot wait to implement.
The class did not disappoint! The educator kept you on the edge of your seat and every word they said rang so true to your business it was like they were reading your mind. “Aha” moments were competing for attention as they overlapped, and you could hardly take notes fast enough. If life was a cartoon, the lightbulb above your head would look like a strobe light. .png)
You left the class feeling more inspired and motivated than you have in ages. Immediately your mind starts racing with the unique ways you can take this information and use it! Your next day at the spa couldn’t come fast enough; the excitement to implement all you’d just learned was burning in your soul. Quite literally, it was a high.
You finally get to work. There are a hundred things you want to do, change, and accomplish, but the first step is unclear. So many possibilities. So much potential. Too much to do. Paralysis sets in. What now?
Follow these three simple steps to help implement what you’ve learned to help stop the post-education paralysis.
Step One: Prioritize Goals
The morning after a great class, sit down with your notes. What’s been running through your mind all night? Which things can’t you stop thinking about? Highlight those. Identify the things you really want to do and then rank them in terms of importance. If you attended a business class, you might have learned 50 things that could improve the way you do business, but there are seven you think would really make a difference. It would be impossible to implement all 50 things at once, but 3–5 is a much more manageable starting point. Likewise, if you attended a technique class, master the technique first and then prioritize it on your menu and market it out to your favorite clients. Set realistic goals for yourself. Even though you may be excited to jump in and start utilizing all techniques and ideas you’ve learned, it’s not a realistic goal to try and do everything at once.
Step Two: Create Action Steps
Next, figure out the necessary action steps to accomplish your goals and determine which are a priority. Sometimes it’s as simple as one step (begin greeting every single client as they walk in the front door), but often it’s quite a few (order the necessary tools and products, practice the technique after work every day for two weeks on friends and family, post pictures on Instagram to attract clients who want that technique, offer an incentive for the first few clients, carve out time in my schedule for mistakes, etc.). Create a timeline, assigning a time frame to each action step. People retain 90 percent of what they’re taught if it is implemented. Everything will not be accomplished in the first week, month, or even year, but you’ll get there with action steps.
Step Three: Change Your Environment
If you want to change a behavior, your thinking, or the way you do something, change the cues in your environment that stimulate you to act and think that way. For example, if I want to make sure to greet every client who walks in the door, I might arrange this time in my schedule so that appointments have a 10-minute grace period. Or I could move the angle of the reception desk so I am facing the door when waiting for my clients to arrive. That way when someone walks in, I will see them every time and greet them. If my goal is to target a specific audience, such as bringing in more of a male clientele, I will make the time to sit and write down where my target audience will be—sports bars, golf clubs, sporting events, etc., and how I can network with these places to help with cross-advertising or spreading the word about the spa.
Being motivated during a class is the easy part. What really counts is what you do with the education when the class ends. Keeping it locked up in a notebook doesn’t do anybody any good.
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