What to do when it doesn’t go to plan

2020 was going to be our year! We’d made some pretty big changes on the home front, such as stepping away from my learning designer role to focus on our plumbing business and dropping to one wage.
We were excited about being able to shape what the year would look like. The husband and I had spent hours planning and prioritising and knew where we needed to focus our attention, grow and improve.

As we rounded out the Christmas holidays, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in and for everything to come together. But, after 10 days it hadn’t. I felt lost and frustrated that our big plans weren’t coming easily. Was this a sign that we’d been too ambitious and that we weren’t cut out for this? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

Feelings of self-doubt are common when you step out of your comfort zone and embrace change and try something new.
This is something we’re all expected to do when navigating a Type 1 diagnosis or fine tuning and improving how we manage our diabetes. Wherever you are in your Type 1 journey it’s normal to start with a hiss and a roar, feeling confident that you know exactly what to focus on, to then find yourself feeling deflated and in limbo when it doesn’t go to plan.

It takes time to learn something new and it’s not always a linear process. So whether you’re navigating a new Health and Safety system to keep your team safe or calculating the carb content of your Mum’s lasagne to avoid a blood sugar spike when you visit for dinner, be realistic with how much time and effort it may take to achieve your goals. And be kind to yourself if it takes a little longer than expected.

With that in mind, I cut myself some slack, adjusted my expectations and got real about what I could manage during the school holidays and kept moving forward. Slowly, but surely.