That, Too, Is Part of Starting Again

Sometimes you have a plan in your head and expect everything to go smoothly. You get started, take a few steps and feel good about having made progress. Until you discover that something along the way has turned out differently from what you intended.

That happened to me one Sunday morning.

Trying to Take a Step Forward

With Wim’s Digital Playground, I am always looking for new things to discover and ways to develop my projects further. My website is about my recovery, but also about my passion for technology, Linux and my homelab.

I enjoy trying new things and taking steps forward myself. So one Sunday morning, I decided to send a few emails. I had written down my story and wanted to see what might come of it.

I also explained that my life had changed because of a stroke, but that my curiosity and passion for technology had remained.

I simply wanted to see whether there might be opportunities. You never know unless you try.

And Then Things Went a Little Differently

Something went wrong while I was sending my emails. I accidentally sent an earlier version of my message to one of the companies first. Afterwards, I also sent the new version I had written specifically for that company.

Naturally, afterwards I thought: I wish I had done that differently.

It was not a disaster, and nothing irreversible had happened. Still, I was annoyed with myself for a while. You want to handle things properly, especially when contacting a company for the first time. It is frustrating to discover that you have made a small mistake.

But it had happened, and there was little I could do to change it at that point.

My Recovery Is Also About Learning Again

Since my stroke, my life has changed. I am learning to trust my whole body again and find my way through everyday life, step by step.

Some things go well, while others take more effort than I expected. Sometimes I need more time to think, sometimes I have to look at something again, and sometimes things turn out differently from what I had planned.

That can be frustrating. You want something to work and you want to do it properly. When things turn out differently, it can be disappointing.

Still, I try to look at the other side of things, too. A small mistake does not mean everything has gone wrong. Sometimes it simply means that something turned out differently than I wanted, and I need to work out how to move forward.

In this case, I had sent the correct email afterwards. That allowed me to put the matter behind me. I did not need to turn it into a bigger problem than it was.

That does not mean I never get annoyed with myself over mistakes. Of course, that still happens. I like to do things properly. But I am also trying to give myself room to learn and carry on.

Not Everything Has to Be Perfect

I am realising that starting again is not only about learning things again or taking new steps. For me, it also means learning to deal with moments when something does not go quite as I expected.

You can try to plan everything carefully, but you cannot always control everything. Sometimes you make a mistake. Sometimes you have to do something again. And sometimes it helps to take a step back and realise that the situation is not as bad as it first felt.

This applies not only to the big things in life. Small everyday moments can show you how you deal with change, too.

For me, this is also part of recovery. I want to keep discovering, learning and doing things, without constantly putting pressure on myself to get everything right straight away.

Moving Forward One Step at a Time

With Wim’s Digital Playground, I want to keep writing, discovering and building. Sometimes that means technology, Linux or my homelab. At other times, I write about my recovery and the experiences I have along the way.

Those subjects might seem different, but they have something in common for me: you do not have to be able to do everything at once. You try something, see what happens and adjust your approach when necessary.

And sometimes, a small mistake is simply part of that process.

I am glad that I keep taking new steps and trying things. I do not want to let the idea that everything must be perfect hold me back. Even when something does not go according to plan, I can learn from it and move forward.

Starting again does not mean that everything has to go flawlessly. It means giving myself room to learn, make mistakes and carry on afterwards. One step at a time.

How Do You Experience This?

Everyone makes a small mistake from time to time, especially when trying something new or when life changes. Perhaps you recognise that feeling of wanting to do something properly and afterwards thinking: I wish I had handled that differently.

How do you deal with it? I would be glad to hear your thoughts.

If you recognise something in this story and think it might help someone else, please feel free to share it.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time on Wim’s Digital Playground.