Cyclical Cheapness
I was in my car the other day when I looked in the rearview mirror and completely startled myself.
As in, I genuinely did a double-take and shouted to the empty seat next to me, “Holy cats!”
Why was a tie-dyed Easter egg looking back at me in the mirror?
Oh, right. It was my HAIR. Specifically, it was that $8 box of hair color I had used the night before. I had to laugh.
In an effort to save a few dollars, I skipped scheduling a salon visit and went DIY. I’ll be the first to admit that at-home hair-coloring is not my area of expertise, but in the moment saving $150 at the salon seemed like a decent trade off…until I looked like a blonde and brunette tie-dyed Easter egg.
My hair dyeing foible that day was just one of my symptoms of what I call “cyclical cheapness,” a condition that warps your sense of what things are really worth. I realized then that sometimes we studio owners can have a pretty weird sense of what value is as well.
For example, there have been times where I have spared no expense to get just the right costume. And this spring, I didn’t hesitate to upgrade to the best possible sprung dance floors for our new facility. (And I’m talking the best of the best, because I know we will get many years out of these floors!) But then I’ll walk into a department store and think the 3-pack of socks for $10 is positively outrageous. Or I’ll use an $8 box of hair color and be OK with looking like a tie-dyed Easter egg.
What gives?
The reality is, we ALL experience cyclical cheapness when we decide where to skimp on costs for certain things that hold less importance. For me, skimping on hair color every now and then is part of my cyclical cheapness.
As business owners, we’re always in this cycle of decision-making of when to go cheap and when to invest more. As we make choices, we go through a Q&A loop with ourselves. Should I spend money here …. or there? Do I spend on this …. or on that? When should I feel OK about spending more? Where will I see a big return on my investment? (Hint: not necessarily on a box of $8 hair color!)
Ultimately, we want to choose to spend more in the places where we expect the return to be great. I’m proud to spend more on quality teachers, training, and a top-notch facility. I’m proud to spend more on investing in myself. Because the return on these investments multiplies!
Case in point: my own continuing education. I carefully choose to invest in the business training, coaching, classes, and seminars that I know will benefit me, my studio and my family over time. Not only are the positive effects immediate, they also continue to pay off multiple times over. The businesswoman, coach, and teacher I strive to be—well, she needs this fuel to be fired up and to do her best work for others.
So what do YOU need as your fuel to be fired up? What will help YOU do your best work for others?
Maybe it’s time to invest in yourself.
I encourage you to look into opportunities where your return on investment has the potential to multiply. Perhaps it’s a productivity course, a live training, or a business seminar where you can explore ideas and learn new strategies. Maybe it’s a membership like More Than Just Great Dancing® where you can share ideas with like-minded people and transform your way of doing business.
Whatever direction you take, don’t let “cyclical cheapness” get in the way of your big decisions and your personal growth. Let the cyclical cheapness play out with your hair color instead!
Love, Misty
P.S. If you think More Than Just Great Dancing® could be a good fit for your personal and professional goals, I invite you to apply now! Membership is ONLY open at select times of the year (summer is one of those times), and we’ve got just 75 spots left before we reach capacity. 🙂