As a bartender, I used to DREAD the month of January because I knew it meant the end of lucrative holiday parties, less business overall (aka less tips) and cold weather. And chances are, you’re either in the same boat OR you’re celebrating the end of all of the craziness.
Whatever the case may be, 2018 is officially here, and it’s time to ring in a new year!
But the question is, are you ready?
January is an INCREDIBLE month to be a bartender IF you allow it to be. You know why? Because now that the holiday celebrations are officially behind you (and your pockets are full!), it’s time to work on YOU!
Here are 5 things you should do to get your 2018 started on the right foot:
Get a Pedicure
I know, I know — you might roll your eyes at this one, but I’m serious! Man or woman, after working holiday parties and extra long shifts your feet are going to need some TLC. So head over to your local nail salon ASAP and treat yourself to a pedicure!
Also, while you’re pampering your feet, make sure you request a callous removal. This will take away all of the excess skin and rough edges that formed due to standing for long periods of time.
When you finish you’re going to feel brand new and ready for any shift.
Take A Few Days to Rest
You’ve been so busy serving others during this season, you probably haven’t had much time for yourself! So now it’s YOUR time to recoup and relax.
Schedule a few days off sometime within the next two weeks. Make sure the days are consecutive so you can fully submerge in good sleep, eating well and getting back into your normal routine.
Sit back and spoil yourself! Sleep when you want to sleep. Watch a movie. Read a book. Prepare yourself healthy, home-cooked meals. Spend some time really serving yourself — you’ve earned it!
Detox for at Least a Week
The holiday season is known for many things, including its delicious cocktails and amazing parties. So if you’ve been living it up for the past few months, now is the time to take a step back from the booze, and allow your liver a chance to self-cleanse.
Detoxing for a week will re-energize you internally and externally so you’ll be able to hit the ground running during this new year. Also, remember to drink lots of water — this will help your body hydrate and make you feel refreshed and energized.
Organize and Deep Clean Your Bar
It’s a new year, so it’s time to give your bar a good ‘ole deep cleaning. The holiday season and all of its craziness has probably left behind a lot of hidden dirt and grime (and who knows what else), so assemble a team of your co-workers together and clean all of the hidden areas and hard-to-reach places behind your bar. While it sounds like a chore and a lot of work (and it probably is), cleaning out last year’s grime can be very cathartic!
Once your done deep cleaning, re-organize your bar so everything is setup in the most efficient and accessible manner. With a clean and organized bar you’ll feel that much more excited about the start of your 2018 shifts!
Plan Your Year Professionally and Personally
If you don’t do anything else on this list, do THIS! By planning your year (both professionally and personally) you will set yourself up for success in 2018.
Now is the time to ask yourself,
- “Am I happy where I am personally?”
- “Am I happy where I am professionally?” and
- “What areas in my life would I like to improve?”
Once you have the answers to these questions start writing down HOW and WHAT you can do to begin making the changes you’d like to see in your life. Set daily, weekly, monthly AND years goals that are actionable, attainable, specific and time bound.
For example let’s say for the month of January you want to start increasing your income, so your broad monthly goal might look something like this:
Earn (insert dollar amount) per shift/week/month etc.
Do this by (insert solution such as pick up extra shifts, find a new gig, work private parties).
Then you can drill down into more specific actions you can take to achieve this goal by the day, and week as well.
Use these 5 things as a starting point to get your 2018 off on a successful trajectory, and above all remember — this new year represents a time of new beginnings and there has never been a better day than TODAY to start taking action and making sure this is the best year of your life to date!
