The Secret to Success?

Humans have never been patient. 

I get comments on my skin weekly: 

“I wish I had your skin.” 

“ How do you have such beautiful skin? Can we do that to me too?”

“I wish I had access to all these discounted perks you have because you own the clinic.” 

Do you really? What are you prepared to do for it? What are you willing to give up? 

We want quick fixes YESTERDAY. 

We are waiting for a magic bullet to issues we’ve ignored for AT LEAST a year or more. 

A CURE. 

That one thing.

That one cream. 

That one treatment in clinic. 

That one package that’s going to change their skin and facial concerns, forever. 

Which is strange, because that silver bullet does not exist. 

Successful people change everything. 

When they want a new outcome, they change their systems. 

They change their environment. 

They change their mindset, access, people and protocols.

It is never just one thing.

Here are some things I’ve changed in my early 40s to maintain my skin and face at its current state. This approach isn’t just for skin by the way, but to any area of life you deem important. 

But coming back to my skin and face. 

Yes, some of it is genetics (thank you Mum and Dad). 

A lot of it is boring basics that are not trendy: 

• lifelong sun avoidance/ protection. 
• No alcohol; 
• basically healthy diet; 
• not smoking. 

Some of it is luck or privilege: 

Even when I was on welfare, having education to guide me to my path out of it (which is why some people never manage to dig themselves out of the hole they are in). 

Assuming that is not you …

In my early 40s, after switching speciality training due to circumstances, while raising 4 young babies 24/7/365 and unexpected weight gain, I also realised a lot needed to change. I didn’t want to look back in regret in a decade. 

The person I saw in the mirror didn’t reflect who I felt like on the inside. So I decided to change some things. 

I began with simple but evidence based skincare in ~ 2016. And worked on maintaining that for at least 12 months. 

I realised a year later that my skin was better but it wasn’t enough. So in 2018 I ventured into some judicious medical aesthetics for me after a failed treatment at a laser clinic attempted to burn my face off. 

Every step adds up

I’ve budgeted my spending for as long as I’ve been an adult because I didn’t want to access mum and dad’s bank accounts once I was a young adult. I have worked since age 16 to fund my own way where possible. 

When I found myself on welfare 2011- 2012 my one goal was to get off it as soon as possible. 

Since then, I’ve budgeted for some guilt free luxuries – for me, they’ve all been investments in myself. 

I budget gult free for : 

• my skin 
• my face including surgery if/when it is time 
• my health (exercise, my biggest ongoing struggle) 
• my mental health (via a therapist) 

I check my money every Sunday – personal spending as well as how my business is tracking so there are no nasty surprises. 

If I buy anything major (barring my home and education) I ensure I have the money in full to pay for it before I buy it. 

So when it comes to investing in my skin, my face and my overall health, here are some of my standard practices: 

I wash my face at night before I go to bed; non negotiable (and I don’t wear makeup but especially if I did) 

I have a super simple skincare routine that works for me that eliminates the desire to shop every time a new product comes on the market; it saves me stress and money. 

I stick to what I know works.
 

I wear sunscreen everyday after brushing my teeth; I add in a hat or cloth covering wherever possible for extra protection. I seek shade whenever possible. 

I don’t add new treatments to my clinic unless there is reliable evidence to add them and then I’ll test them on myself first. My patients are not guinea pigs to experiment on, especially if not for free (and sometimes even if for free). 

I am a slow adopter of new drugs and devices; so many go to the graveyard of drugs and devices after exploding onto the scene because most things in medical aesthetics are not tested rigorously the way medically necessary treatments are. 

I pay for professional advice and services instead of guessing or crowdsourcing. 

I pay to see people who have the expertise to get the results I want.
 

I choose treatments intentionally instead of emotionally – for you and for me, based on best impact not just today, but for years to come if we work together. 

I give myself time between desire and purchase. It is why my Full Face Aesthetics (FFA®) is an application process. I want to select for the best fit people, not just anyone and especially not people who are impulse buyers or unreliable.
 

I think in decades, not days and weeks. Beautiful skin and aging proactively means learning to delay gratification and caring for your results. It means reassessing and adjusting your priorities. That takes time – at least a year. 

As of last year, I have a separate bank account I’ve been slowly adding to for my future surgery if I ever decide to bite the bullet. 

I do not use Buy Now, Pay Forever traps and never have. I have credit cards and pay them off in full every month because I plan my guilt free spending around what will make me happiest; for me, looking at my face and being happy most days is worth more than a week somewhere exotic. Your mileage may vary. 

I do not buy anything between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. because I should be sleeping. I am not at my highest decision-making capacity then. 

I have a regular dentist. 

I have a regular GP. 

I have a therapist.

I have a regular massage therapist. 

I check my money weekly so I know I am within budget to afford my guilt free spending. 

I cut back ruthlessly on the things that are not important to me so I can save that for the things and services that are, including my face. 

Other things? 

I turn away patients who want medically discretionary work “now” or want to haggle over fees, expect discounts or are not mentally ready to do what it takes to get the results they say they want. 

I also say no to anyone who does not see value in our work together. 

Stress is an underrated contributor to aging prematurely. So I say no to drama and people I don’t vibe with at the first red flag. 

You see what I mean?

I am doing 40 or 50 or 60 things right with my life to allow me to prioritise my skincare and my face (which is the icing on the cake *after* caring for the quality of the rest of my life, relationships, etc).

It is not ONE thing. It is never just one thing. 

It is mindset work.

It is having the right people in my life. 

It is reading books.

It is taking classes.

It is learning. 

It is learning to manage my own emotions especially around fear, scarcity and so much more. 

It is having difficult conversations. 

It is sleeping enough. 

It is being challenged. 

It all COMPOUNDS

The successful person you look up to is doing 100 things right.

What makes you think you can just do one? 

Get serious about locking in or recognise that perhaps, just perhaps the reason you are not seeing success is because of some of the choices you are making.