For fun (or in all seriousness) - the last twelve months have seen me saving $25 every month. Even if $25 is somewhat still below my current HC+IF/KETO+IF regiment weekly budget; that still can buy someone else almost a weekly worth of food; especially if they're on Intermittent Fasting.

Am I good? No. Did I do this all myself? Absolutely.

It's surprising that people (aka. the Pedestrian Normalcy) wouldn't bat an eye at you. Or give a damn. Unless until you tell them straight over what really constitutes a personal effort. Then sheepishly; they start looking. How sad is it that only artists get famously recognised; long until after they've long passed.

So, for anyone to think that I'm doing myself a "crap" job, things "misaligned", "crooked" or just simply "out of style" - Fantastic! "Envy" is nothing but jealousy and weakness for the insecure. 

So here are the three things I learned; in addition for having saved that $150 per year.

Jeremy Perkins @ Pexels

#1 I've "learnt" everything "myself".

Yet (almost) nothing from observational methodology.

I hereby dispell the pedestrian notion of what learning truly means. It is a process from an inside initiation. Then out.

I don't care in what realms beyond self-DIY hair cuts, DIY cooking shows, "self-help" videos on trying to bench, deadlift or squat ass-to-grass the very first time. Learning is almost always - an organically involved-event of the "self". NEVER a recreationally observational event upon anything of the external. It all depends on you and your circumstances to recoordinate everything there is of you to make learning happen.

We all best learn from feeling from within all of our own inner senses.

Why? Because it feels IMMENSELY different doing it under your biological perspective.

Much akin to prepping your own tie; the "perfect" Windsor Knot -  up for that event or another interview.  I have never ever effectively learned simply out of observation. By simply "looking" at someone else doing it. I'm still to this day just staring at them blankly.My other senses; touch, stand, intuition, distancing-proximity / acuity / judgments weren't practised at all. My nerve impulses; mind-muscle coordination in how to tieing up that supposedly perfect windsor knot; were convoluted. Until I myself realise and react as accordingly under my own perspective - my own nose and neck - to know precisely when, where and how to fold, slip, and weave. Inside, over,  then out.  

DIY Haircuts are no different. You have to be aware only by your own interpretive senses. Surprise! "Touch" being the biggest next to secondarily as sight. (we'll get back to this later).

Pixabay

#2 There is nothing "good" or "bad". Style? What "style"?

"Good" or "Bad" are societal norms of categorisation. Like a pendulum; I'd rather perceive them as actions and repercussions. Cause and effect. Each influences the other. Each cannot exist without the other.

Anything predicating "efficacy", "righteousness" or political "correctness"  depends entirely on how or what you consider is fair or rational.

If nothing seems fairly lined up, or rationally straight then you'd rely on intuition and drive to try correcting them. Obviously, you can be safe and reasonable by first cutting them little by little - either by scissors or if it is your first time - trim/razor using larger cut sizes before moving to smaller and finer range.

But how do you know what is reasonable or correct? This is where Style comes in. But that - is as good only as that. An influence. Proximally shared judgments of what reasonable means. "Style" is a form of loose categorisation towards a hopeful order; away from chaos and disorders.

Understandably, I am no hairdresser. Mine is simply written in instructional paragraph; rather than a label.

Number 1 across all sides and back. Leaving the top, front and sides growth-what-have-you -  just as I feel comfortably "enough" as it is.

Skitterphoto

#3 Do not Monitor and Cut at the same time. Pause. Assess. Use your own tactile sense as a guide.

Rarely do I actually subscribe to anyone else's philosophies; except Nietzche and Heiddeger's. But Helen Keller was right. The most significant of all senses may not be seen, heard - it shall only be reflected by feeling. Mirrors should be there as means to halt, reflect and to memorise. BEFORE proceeding/moving forward onwards.

Again following similarly to number 1, use as much of your hands as possible rather than holding an additional mirror as you go razoring your head all over. Trim for a minute. Stop and assess. Never ever - multi-task both things in a vacuum.

Honestly, I have no idea how many Youtuber's® self-help DIY managed to do all that simultaneously. Imagine your sense of directions inverted. Whilst trimming your way on the go. Left suddenly becomes right. Up suddenly becomes bottom. It likely takes far more than "first" tries as you develop mind-muscle-coordination judgment. Worse - the inverted perspective of a hand-held mirror compounds this problem.

My proposal? Familiarise your senses through touch as much as possible around your head. Familiarise where the scalp, forehead, sides, centrelines, only as accordingly to your's perspective.

before & after

The above three pictures are taken from a one-off constant video shoot showcasing the entire 30 minutes of me from start to finish. 

At the end of the day; what matters is your own initiative.

Pedestrian Normalcy: "But, it's too hard".

Me: Then give it a try. To this day, I feel no need to even know beyond turning the razor on and off.

Pedestrian Normalcy: "But I don't know what happens if things go wrong."

Me: Then give it a try anyway. You will learn to reason yourself along each mistake along the way.

Here's a basic "recipe" for an under cut. Begin with all your (longer) hair brushed up or to the sides. Reflect on where you want to trim. Start with higher number, then begin razoring sides and back. Revise numbering from the higher number to gradually slower one. Razor again thoroughly, Repeat.

Sure, repercussions can truly suck if you do a "bad" job. But that's just politics. A pedestrian interpretation.

If all you knew is how to get yourself a mohawk (by accident) or just going bald / number 1,2, or 3 all over - then so be it. Eat your FATS. Vitamin E supplementation, zinc and eggs. Lift. Exercise. And let nature grow itself back.

Making others happy just because if you could only get yourself a bald-all-over - is meaningless. Unless of course - if you are HAPPY - as such that this outcome is meaningfully "sufficient" to YOU. Happiness is self-contentment. Not interpretively owned or dictated by someone else.

At the end of the day - what matters is your own initiative at curiously reinterpreting your own means of "time". Epidemiology only interests to the masses of averaged-of-all-averages.

Institutions only teaches what you think. Not why or how to think.

See how constricted they are? Forcing you to learn through their lens; yet not your's sole own - perspective?

Revise. Reflect. Repeat.

Saving $150 per year seems all the more worth it.