New year, new goals. Right? Most people find the start of a year the best time to work on a clean slate and set goals to reach by the end of the year. So, while it’s common to see progress shots and length checks at the end of the year, new hair goals and targets seem to be everywhere early in the year. And it’s great to have those goals.
They help you stay determined to reach them and go farther in your hair journey. But it can be so frustrating to set these goals and never reach them. We know, so in this article, we’re giving steps on how to reach your hair goals in 2024. These steps have been tested over time and they actually work. Let’s get into them.
10 Steps to Reach those Hair Goals by the End of 2024
- Set the goal
- Outline your routine
- Prioritize moisture and TLC
- Don’t forget to budget
- Grab a buddy along
- Find extra motivation
- Put in the work
- Don’t get sidetracked
- Pay attention
- Don’t obsess
1. Set the goal
The good thing about setting a definite goal is that it helps you have directed hair care throughout the year (because you’re working towards achieving that goal). And this makes it easy to have an effective routine that is consistent.
It’s easy to say “I want to get to bra strap length by year-end” but it’s important to make sure that does not mean growing 15 inches from scratch in 12 months. In other words, set realistic hair goals. We recommend setting goals other than length. And that’s because there are several other ways to track progress in your journey. Some non-length growth hair goals you can set are:
- Increased volume
- Fuller edges
- Thicker strands (dependent on a number of factors)
- Better moisture-retention
- Increased curl definition
2. Outline your routine
You’ve already set your hair goals. So, now that you know where you want your hair to be in the next 12 months, what’s next? Well, it’ll help if you start figuring out what exactly you’d be doing every day, week, month, and so on, for you to achieve your hair goals.
It is important that your routine is simple, flexible, and based on what already works for you. Experimenting is great but it could result in you spending time and money that wouldn’t help you reach your goals. So, whatever routine you’re building, do it with your goal in mind. Want thicker hair? Include things like Ayurveda and abstaining from heavy extensions. Is increased curl definition the goal? Then incorporate curl-defining styles and products into your routine.
3. Prioritize moisture and TLC
Whatever routine you come up with, ensure you’re not missing out on moisture and the good old TLC treatment. No hair goal was ever achieved by leaving one’s hair dry and roughly handled – except the goal was hair damage.
4.. Don’t forget to budget
Money will go into products and, perhaps, some salon visits. So, including the hair care costs in your yearly or monthly budget would go a long way to ensure you’re not left stranded without products halfway through the year.
5. Grab a buddy along
We’ve talked about why you need a natural hair buddy before, and they are even more important when you’re aiming at reaching some hair goals. When it seems you’re not making progress or you need a push to get that washday done, you’re going to be thankful you chose a hair buddy to help you reach your hair goals.
6. Find extra motivation
Sometimes, you need more than self-motivation or a friendly shove. You need to put the prize right in front of you. While this doesn’t mean you should obsess over your goal (more on this later), having your intended results set before you would give you extra motivation to keep going. This can be inspiration boards on Pinterest or saved collections on Instagram of people with the kind of hair you’re working towards. Remember though, the aim is to be motivated, not to compare.
7. Put in the work
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could tell our hair what to do and watch it do as it’s told? But that’s not how hair care works. If you want fuller or longer hair, or both by year’s end, only you can make it happen. So, start by creating an effective routine as already discussed, then execute that routine as best as you can. That way, you’d be amazed at how time would seemingly fly by and you’d get just the results you wanted – maybe even better.
8. Don’t get sidetracked
A lot of people set a great, realistic goal and then start off well to achieve it but soon become sidetracked – become too busy with other things or lose motivation and interest completely – then, at the end of the duration, regret not being a little more focused. Being flexible, having a simple routine, a hair buddy, and an extra inspiration source will help you keep your eyes on the finish line and not get sidetracked.
9. Pay attention
There are several factors and occurrences you might not see coming when planning your routine and goals at the beginning of the year. And while you might put down a plan that looks good on paper, your lifestyle, health, the environment, and other factors can affect how your hair responds to your routine. Pay attention. Look out for what’s working and what isn’t and don’t hesitate to change what’s harming your hair rather than improve its health.
10. Don’t obsess
The moment you start to obsess over the hair goals you’ve set, a lot of things could go wrong. It becomes easy to become frustrated when things aren’t going as planned or to feel negative emotions such as envy over other people’s hair. You might even begin to lose sleep or valuable time, thinking about your hair.
Balance is vital. Remember, even though it makes up a good part of your identity and needs a little more care, it’s just another part of your body. Once you put hair care in its right place among your priorities (among the important stuff but not a life-or-death kind of thing), then you’d find it easier to reach those hair goals.
Conclusion
It’d be nice if goals could reach themselves. But they don’t. Once you set your length and volume goals, the next thing is to keep working towards reaching those hair goals. We’ve highlighted 10 very important steps to follow if you want to reach – and maybe even surpass your natural hair goals by year’s end. But there are a few things you might do along the way that could stop you from reaching your hair goals. We already talked about them here, take a look.