Day 30 of the 30-Day Challenge: Procrastination Station
Task: To learn to cornrow hair like a natural hair guru.
Reason for Task: If you’ve had a chance to read some of my prior assignments for the 30-Day Challenge (like yesterday’s Day 29: Procrastination Station task, for example), you will eventually recognize a method to my madness. I am constantly looking for ways to improve processes in my household through the use of natural means. And hair care falls directly in line with this goal of mine. My daughter was able to convert me to donning my natural hair many years ago. At that point, I opted to forgo the perms and the pressings and to just let my hair display its natural curliness. And there have been so many perks to letting the natural progression of life have its way over man-made interference. My hair is fuller, feels better, and looks healthier than ever before; so for me, going back to my natural roots has been an enlightening journey… a journey that is just beginning. I have much to learn about hair care, such as what natural products are ideal for my hair type and what hair styles are protective and provide lasting hold. With the prior statement in mind, regarding hair styles, I’ve decided that I want to become proficient at cornrowing my own hair because of this hair style’s ability to protect as well as to last.
Duration of Task: Tutorial training starts today, but I’m quite positive that I won’t have this task mastered today. My goal is to get through the tutorial(s) and start practicing on my daughter’s hair, since I personally think it’s much easier to work on someone else’s hair versus your own. (The thought of cornrowing my own natural hair has instantly made my arms tired. Oh well, time to get those neglected muscles workin’).
Outcome: My daughter, Toodlez, was gracious enough to allow me to practice my non-existent cornrowing skills on her hair. I actually watched a YouTube tutorial from one of our favorite natural hair gurus, Naptural85. She made it look so easy. But she even admitted that it took her a few attempts before she was able to master this creative skill. I believe she stated that continuing to practice will build the muscle memory of the fingers until fingers just somehow move effortlessly. The main ideas she stressed were the fact that cornrowing is a learned behavior and not to give up without a fight. Well, that’s my personal take on what she said, anyway.
So, I must say that I’m not completely horrible at this braiding technique (just three-fourths horrible). Therefore, I’m going to need to put in the practice to make my cornrows look presentable enough for public viewing. Plus, I’m going to eventually have to work on my own hair. My goal was just to start preliminary work on my daughter’s hair and I managed to accomplish that task in several braiding attempts. Nevertheless, I opted to provide this picture of a complete stranger’s hair versus showing my actual cornrowing work (if that gives you any indication of my level of skill at this point). I’m not giving up though. Any skill worth having involves putting in some work.
Reflection: Well, I’m finally here! I made it! 30 days of tasks that I was able to get going on or complete as well as to free from their entrapment in Procrastination Station. I have to say that I feel somewhat accomplished. I’ve made some monumental headway with items that had been stuck on my to-do list for a while. And, I’ve been able to release a little bit of that “avoiding it doesn’t make it go away” pressure off of my shoulders; but, there’s still plenty of work to do. A lot of my tasks, during the challenge, require consistent upkeep and that will require lifestyle changes in order to make these routines stick. I have come across some of the ongoing items that have been pretty challenging for me to maintain each day; but I’ve come to realize that it’s okay to give myself a tiny bit of slack here and there as long as I don’t take too long to get back on track. I’ve also learned to value schedules and visual aids to help me organize my day. They provide constant reminders and encouragement to proactively manage the challenges each day brings with a purpose in mind.
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