Fresh Start 3.1

Bouncing back

You've probably done it. You've made a New Year's resolution, started on a diet, joined a gym, tried to kick a habit only to fall down. Here's an important point. It's normal to fail and take steps backwards.

You may already have taken some positive steps to take charge of your type 2 diabetes, which is brilliant. Keep going! However, there will be some steps back as well as steps forward.

Failure is an important part of growing. It's your attitude to failure which decides what happens next.

You can read more about how to learn and grow from failure, and develop a failure-proof mindset from our article on failure.

John Maxwell in his book "Failing Forward", says this:

"Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward."

Great advice, but what does that mean? Here are five tips for failing forward:

Accept that failure is part of the process. Failure is normal, and if you face a setback it's not your final destination.
Feel your feelings. Let out your frustration. Take some time, walk it off and clear your head. The emotional rush will gradually go down. You can then focus on trying something slightly different.
Be honest with yourself. The most important bit is to understand what went wrong and why. Try to avoid distracting yourself by turning on the TV or pulling out the smartphone.
Make changes. You'll fail forward by learning from your setbacks and making the changes you need to succeed. You can’t stop barriers appearing, but you can choose how to handle them.
Be compassionate to yourself. Treat yourself like you'd treat your best friend.

"If all you did was put your hand on your heart and wish yourself well, it would be a moment well spent." - Elisha Goldstein

If your goal is to lose weight, why not try a different approach? We've put together some resources that many people have found helpful.