Making progress throughout our careers, we can mark major milestones along a timeline: the day we start beauty school, the day we graduate, the day we earn our license, the day we attend our first show, the day we open our own salon business, etc. Not long ago, we’d share these special moments with only our family and friends. Now with cheap technology and social media, we document everything with photos and videos, and then announce to complete strangers online. What’s the purpose of sharing? Why should anyone care?
“Never mistake activity for achievement.” – John Wooden
What’s missing in these celebratory posts and the comments they generate? The recognition of the work, struggles (or advantages) and smaller achievements that make the bigger ones possible. That’s unfortunate because too often when something bad or disappointing happens, we conceal that as failure and forget the pride we feel in our moments of success. Why does the negative overwhelm the positive? What about the growth and learning that happens when we challenge ourselves and don’t succeed? Doesn’t that deserve to be celebrated? Regardless, when sharing anything publicly, be prepared; some comments may be hateful and hurtful.
“A failure is not always a mistake, it may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances. The real mistake is to stop trying.” – B.F. Skinner
Believe it or not, even your achievements may blur together over time and get lost in the length and complexity of your career. If you’re ever looked at photos and recognize yourself, but no longer recognize anyone else, you know the feeling. For example, I know the exact date I passed my exam to obtain my license (hint: it’s printed in my state license record), but I can’t tell you exactly when I started or graduated beauty school. The details about attending school, like my daily interactions with students, instructors and clients, and about taking the exam have been lost because while they may have seemed important and worth remembering at the time, they apparently were not.
“If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.” – Edgar Allan Poe
Don’t let your memories fade and obscure your progress. As soon as possible, start tracking your achievements with dates and other relevant specifics. Make this information useful for promoting yourself and your business by doing most, if not all, of the following:
• Take video and photograph of your work
• Maintain a list of the classes and events you attend.
• Keep a journal.
• Record your industry contacts, emails and phone numbers.
• Write and continually update your resume.
• Create a page on your website that highlights your work.
• Collect press mentions and other publicity.
• Make a digital scrapbook.
• Save important and sent emails.
• Bookmark links and other resources.
Having this information readily available gives you a renewed appreciation for how far you’ve come and how your career has evolved. Furthermore, this documentation helps you establish your expertise in a competitive industry.
An earlier version was published by Beauty Cast Network.