8 Appointments To Book Before 2022 Arrives

1. A Massage Appointment

I’m weird because while I thoroughly enjoy reflexology, a full-body massage sometimes makes me a bit squeamish. I mean, you’ve really got to trust your massage therapist in order to get all of the benefits of it, right? That doesn’t mean I’m not aware of the many things that come with getting one, though. Massages are able to de-stress you, make you more flexible, detox your system, reduce PMS-related symptoms, improve your quality of sleep, decrease pain-related issues, boost your immunity, and oh so much more.

As far as how often you should get one, believe it or not, a lot of health experts recommend that you do it on a bi-weekly basis. Whether that fits into your budget and schedule or not, if you’ve never gotten a massage before or you can’t recall the last time you’ve gotten on a massage table, book an appointment for the top of the year. It’s one of those things that your mind, body, and spirit will ultimately thank you for. (If you need a little help with figuring out which kind of massage you should get, check out “12 Different Massage Types. How To Know Which Is Right For You.” It can help to point you in the right direction.)

2. A Hairstylist Appointment

One thing that the lockdown of 2020 did was teach us how to “fend for ourselves” when it came to daily beauty maintenance, right? And while, on some levels, learning new hacks was beneficial, what a lot of women have shared with me is that it kind of put them in a bit of a rut in 2021 in the sense that they didn’t really make, what used to be standing appointments, a top priority like they did before the pandemic. Listen, it doesn’t look like COVID is going away any time soon, so if that’s what you’re waiting for before stepping into a salon, you’re probably going to be waiting a really LONG time.

Besides, one of the best things about the coming of a new year is you can feel extra motivated to take a fresh approach to things. So yeah, schedule a professional hair appointment. Whether it’s to get a cut and color, learn how to install a wig or weave, or to get a trendy protective style, it’s always worth it to relax in a chair and let a trained person hook you up from time to time.

3. A Life Coach Appointment

While this might seem like a shameless plug, it’s not. Although I am a marriage life coach, what I’m speaking of, more specifically here, is getting a life coach who can help you to organize your time, goals, and plans better, whether you’re in a relationship or not. There is plenty of data to support the fact that a reputable life coach can help to bring clarity, boost self-confidence, heighten self-awareness, manifest your purpose, get you to better understand your strengths and weaknesses, and significantly increase your communication skills too.

A really cool thing about life coaching is sometimes you can get the answers that you seek after a couple of sessions or, if you realize you need more assistance and accountability, you can go for as long as you need to. That said, if there is one thing that I really think that everyone should try, at least once, it’s talking to a life coach. Even just an hour chat can provide some light bulb moments like a mug.

If you need help with how to even begin searching for one, Life Coach Spotter is a pretty good resource. You can also hit up my friend who was featured in one of my articles earlier this year, “A Male Relationship Coach Shares 7 Questions Women Should Ask Men On The Third Date.” He can help to point you in the right direction too. For general coaching, email him at jay@relationshipstrategiesintl.com.

4. A Nutritionist Appointment

To this day, one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions is to lose weight; it’s also a top one that people break within the first month. And yes, while a licensed nutritionist can certainly assist with weight loss (or weight management) goals, that is not the only thing that they are good for. Nutritionists are beneficial because they can help you to figure out if you have any food sensitivities or allergies; why you may have ongoing fatigue issues; if certain foods are causing underlying health issues to make things worse; what you can do, diet-wise, to increase your chances of fertility and what you can do to eat healthier and have a better relationship with food, in general.

People who have been to a nutritionist (or dietician) oftentimes sing their praises because it has gotten them off of an emotional roller coaster ride when it comes to how they should approach food. If what I just said resonates with you, then you definitely should book an appointment with a nutritionist — sooner than later. NoBidan.org is the site for the National Organization of Black Dietetics and Nutrition. If you need some assistance in looking for a Black nutritionist, they should be able to help you out.

5. A Financial Consultant Appointment

We know that this country is rigged to make things more difficult for us (SMDH). That’s a part of the reason why it’s really important to be vigilant when it comes to getting — and keeping — your finances in order. Shoot, the mere fact that Black women are 22 percent more in debt when it comes to their education than white women are and it’s been cited that we will make around one million dollars less than white men over the course of our lifetime, having a financially savvy person who can help you to budget, plan for retirement, avoid paying more in taxes than you should, learn about investments, prepare for big purchases and save money — there is no “con” when it comes to setting aside some cash to have someone help you out as far as your finances are concerned. The Association of African American Financial Advisors is a good resource. Check it out here.

6. A Travel Agent Appointment

If 2022 is the year that you’re all about earning some miles and getting stamps on your passport, while I know that Google makes us think that we don’t need to hire people for much of anything anymore, that is simply not the truth. If you can get your hands on a really good travel agent, aside from the fact that they can get you some pretty good deals, they’re also able to handle all of the details of your trips and get you access to perks that you probably wouldn’t know about otherwise.

Plus, going with a travel agent is super convenient because they can plan your vacations while you focus on other things. Travel + Leisure published an article last year entitled, “8 Amazing Black-owned Travel Companies to Know and Support”. If they can’t hook you up, they can probably locate someone who can.

7. A Matchmaking Appointment

Are you ready to meet your one this year? Hey, roll your eyes if you want to, but I actually used to write for a professional matchmaking company and their success rate was close to being off the charts. It’s because the good ones are really serious about properly vetting their clients so that no one is wasting their time (which is a huge risk when it comes to randomly meeting people on your own or trying to online date). As far as costs go, it’s pretty affordable to pay to get your profile into their database. Or, you can pay a few thousand for dates to be scheduled throughout the year.

If you’re down to at least have a conversation with a professional matchmaker, there’s a list of some of the most popular Black ones in the country that you can check out here. I mean, if nothing else has seemed to pan out, what can it hurt to give matchmaking a shot? Plus, you can keep it all pretty private which is more than what you can say for that friend of yours who keeps trying to set you on blind dates with guys whose Instagram profiles are less than impressive.

8. A Bestie Appointment

I’m big on taking relationship inventory (check out “10 Questions To Ask Your Close Friends Before The New Year Begins”); it has proven to work well for me. What I mean by “inventory” is, about once a year, my tribe and I (these are one-on-one chats, by the way) will discuss where we’re at personally and what we need from each other, friendship-wise, as a direct result. Then we’ll touch on some of our favorite things about each other and where we could stand to hold each other accountable a little bit more, moving forward.

Booking a “formal” appointment to have lunch or drinks with your closest friend, just to do this and this alone can help both of you to hear each other out so that you know how to be each other’s best support system in the new year. I’m telling you, when it comes to gearing up, mentally and emotionally for the new year, setting up a bestie appointment is always time well spent. Guaranteed.

Now, where’s your Google Calendar at? You’ve got some work to do, sis.