Feedback – Failure or Flourish?

I am very reliant on qualitative feedback from others to motivate me. What’s hard about this later rehab is that my supporters are rightly enthralled in their own lives and this isn’t feasible. When I suddenly am excited that I’ve finally done a task, excitingly texting them a video or photo or comments, waiting for their delayed response is tricky.  For example, so excited to be finally on a treadmill again, I sent this video to my immediate support network. Although I expected an immediate “Awesome Em!” or “Wow!”, i received nothing for over six hours – it was so hard for me to not get overwhelmed & so disheartened.

To sustain this rehab stint,  I’m going to have to really seek feedback & put in place time to vent & reflect. This morning my mum queried whether it was worth pursuing ‘rehab’ if it was going to be so taxing. This is why I want to internalise things, lessen the burden & hearing the ‘way out’ of my difficult spot, re-enter my comfort zone where they don’t have to worry & see me in any form of discomfort. Quite torn here as in order to challenge myself, Im going to elicit a lot of unpleasant feelings (both mine in exiting my comfort zone but also other’s helplessness). The fact is I need their support & crave their understanding that they can’t give me unless I pin them down.

Realistically I need to devise other means of generating feedback to sustain my motivation. Are you like me? Do you stop doing something or feel unmotivated engaging in it or are unable to sustain motivation to do it because you’re reliant on another’s form of feedback? Consider other ways that you can obtain this, stay motivated & sustain your involvement. For me – I know I need to take lots of footage (visual feedback), I need to remember to inform them & flag to them that this is big for me. Writing my thoughts & experiences down is also a means of externalising things which I know is helpful. I also need to lower my expectations & try to be kinder to myself.