When Halfway is Better Than No Way

Photo by Getty images on Unsplash

"Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything." 
~ George Lois

Having grown up with parents who lived through the Great Depression, I don’t spend extravagantly on self-pampering, but I do pay to have my hair professionally colored and styled.

Since my roots are becoming more noticeable as I age, and my hair is becoming more color resistant, I’ve considered transitioning to gray, like so many of my generation. It’s a difficult decision for this Irish girl since my dark tresses have been a part of my identity for so long.

After an experiment with a different type of dye which my stubborn hair didn’t absorb well, my conscientious stylist offered to fix it by doing a touch up of my visible roots with my standard color.

It occurred to me that I could forestall my transition to gray by doing that on the regular — going every three weeks instead of four, doing partial touch-ups instead of full color, and skipping the styling.

For a while now I’ve been stuck, wanting to maintain my dark hair but believing that I couldn’t justify the cost and time expenditure of going more often. The only solution I could come up with was to grow the gray out. I’m not sure why I didn’t think of the third option—going more often for shorter visits—sooner! 

I guess it took switching up my routine to help me envision another possibility.

Isn’t it amazing how fixed we can get in our thinking? That one situation, a total fluke, allowed me to see a completely viable “halfway” option that I hadn’t considered. Once I settled on it, it seemed such an obvious choice. (And, yes, coloring it myself might seem like a good way to go, but my experience doing that during Covid taught me otherwise.)

Too often we engage in all-or-nothing thinking, forgetting that there are many unique ways to solve problems.

In our everyday lives, we are held back from finding solutions due to a host of obstacles. Time, money, and energy are the big three. But perfectionism, fear, and a negative mindset can also hold us back.

To be sure, some of our concerns are valid. But in many cases, if we “put on our thinking caps” as we were taught to do in my frugal family, we can find creative, workable solutions that bridge the gap between the all-or-nothing options. Consider these examples:

- Can’t afford to paint your whole house? Get it power washed and paint just the trim, which often deteriorates more quickly than the siding.

- Don’t want to deal with a landscaper? Buy one tray of pretty spring flowers and plant them out front so your yard looks well- tended.

- Consider spa treatments too much of a luxury? Buy the supplies to do it at home and invite a friend or grandchild to a “spa night.”

- No time for a full vacation? Go for a long weekend instead, or research interesting day-trip spots to visit in your area.

- Couples counseling seem too daunting? Take an online course or listen to relationship podcasts together.

- Short on time to cook? Start with a boxed mix and doctor it up with some fresh ingredients.

These days, we don’t even have to think of the unique solutions ourselves. Try Googling “Life hack for (fill in the blank).” As a bonus, the videos are fun to watch. Here’s a YouTube one on “8 Best Ways to Go Gray.”

For years I’ve embraced the idea of “going halfsies” as a way to solve sticky problems, but for my hair conundrum, I forgot to use my own method!  

(I’m trying to give myself grace, as I advise others to do when they get stuck or fall short.)

Do you find yourself delaying a decision because you don’t like the options before you?

Can you come up with a unique, halfway solution to it?

Time to put your thinking cap on.

Affectionately,

Elaine