Sometimes, there’s so much going on that life feels heavy and out of control. We get too busy and overwhelmed and it’s difficult to regain control. We start to feel inadequate, incapable of achieving more. What do we do? Well, one way to help avoid this is to manage expectations. Let’s talk about how.
Managing Expectations With Ourselves
We are our own worst critics, often the ones who stand in our own way from moving forward and being our best selves. Because there’s just so much pressure, isn’t there?
Take social media, for example. We scroll through it and see people killing it; posting great content and beautiful photos. Their lives seem amazing. And here we are trying to figure out what we want to post, getting stuck.
If you're working on a goal in your life, whether you're looking to lose weight, launch a course, become an educator, or get really good at doing social media: it takes time. But when we look at what other people are doing, we want that instant gratification of, “Yes, I'm doing it and I'm perfect at it.”
That's just not going to happen. You have to be okay with slowing it down and putting one foot in front of the other. Otherwise, you’ll get stuck thinking and never start doing.
So the second that you're scrolling on Instagram and you see that other people are doing amazing reels and you think to yourself, “I want to do that, but I’m scared,” stop and say to yourself, “I can do this.”
Ultimately, regardless of how things go, you’ll grow as a result, because we learn from our mistakes. It's not going to go well or perfect the very first time. Whether you’re trying to launch a course, go on a diet, or become an educator, mistakes will be made.
Stay focused on your intentions. Why do you want to create these reels? Why do you want to become an educator? It's got to be more than just, “I want people to know who I am.” What about the impact that you can make on people's lives?
Because you never know when a fun, silly video of yourself talking about proper ways to do makeup, brush your lashes, or shampoo your hair will change someone’s life. It may sound silly, but you have to focus on those who you are able to help. When you're putting yourself out there, really focus on your intentions of why you're doing it.
So no matter what it is, the important thing is that you just get started. You have to start somewhere. You can't just have these outlandish dreams and do nothing with them. You’ve got to get to work.
So what if people look at your beginning stages and think, “What is this person doing?” People will judge. There will be haters. But if your intentions are in the right place, then everything will fall into place for you. So give yourself grace and take small steps each day towards your goal, towards your dream, towards your vision.
Managing Expectations with Clients
As fun as this industry is, it can also be draining. There are always red-flag clients who cross boundaries and suck the life out of us. That’s why it’s crucial to learn to manage expectations with clients.
Start by putting boundaries in place. For example, maybe you’ll only text clients for communication during certain hours. Maybe you prefer that all appointments need to be rebooked at the time of their appointment. Maybe you want to only work on certain clients.
And when you say no to the wrong clients, you’re going to make room for the right clients for your business. The more crystal clear that we can get on the customers that we want to serve and the services we want to give, the more the law of attraction will bring those customers into your chair.
With the clients you do have, it's important that you are communicating exactly how you want to work. Maybe you want to inform your customers of how to prepare their hair or skin when they arrive. Or about your policies about showing up late or canceling.
It’s also important to educate and set expectations around the services and products you’ll be offering. Everyone knows how want to look or feel with their desired result, but they don't really know what service would be the right one for them. So it's really important that we come from a perspective of education. Anytime a client comes in and they say, “I want highlights or I want balayage or this type of extension,” don't take it literally because they probably don't speak the same language as you do.
So show them photos. Talk about the reality of what timing, costs, and maintenance your client can expect. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Lead with education, lead with transparency, and get on the same page as your customer so they can love what you do.
Managing Your Team’s Expectations
Another area to manage expectations is with your team. If you are a solo entrepreneur, you probably have an accountant, an attorney, a sales rep for your products, a mentor, or a coach. If you’re in a salon environment or a booth rental situation, you will have co-workers, managers, or staff. This is your team, and managing expectations with them is incredibly important.
Think about what type of environment you’re creating. How is your teamwork? Can you work together for the common good and rise together? Even if you're not a leader, you can still lead by example as a teammate. And if you are a leader, how much time are you able to give your team to support them, whether that's education or one-on-one coaching, or group outings? These are all important expectations to manage.
Managing Expectations with Friends and Family
Everybody has friends and family that are asking at the last minute, “Can you fit me in for my color? Can you fit me in with my haircut? Can you fit me in for lashes or makeup?” Our industry is very fun, and a lot of our family and friends may think that we do this as a hobby, but what they don't realize is that it's still time, and if you're not charging them, and if they're not paying you, then they might not respect you at a surface level.
So we need to manage the expectation and we need to put a stop to that because it can really lead to burnout, making you feel overwhelmed or drained because you're always giving your time, your talent, and energy to everybody else.
If you haven't carved out time for yourself, physically, emotionally, and mentally, then how can you give your time for others? That’s why it's so important that we set strong boundaries and manage expectations - with ourselves, our clients, our teams, and our loved ones.