Stepping back from frustration

1 minute read

My lesson for this week is that I need to do a better job at stepping back from the day to day.

I genuinely feel exhausted. I desperately want to make things better, but the constant need to justify why it matters takes a toll. I need to constantly remind myself that I can't control everything. I especially cannot control what others do and their attitudes.

I have no control over:

  • their willingness to listen or act
  • their pace of change
  • their assumptions about accessibility
  • their priorities

I can however control my own efforts and how I respond to setbacks. I have full control over my time, although most of the time it feels like I don't. I need to learn to set boundaries, mental boundaries, that help me let some things through and block most of everything else. That's maybe the only way I can avoid burnout.

It's hard and an ongoing struggle.

But stepping back doesn't mean giving up. It means protecting my energy so I can keep making a difference without losing myself in frustration.

Progress is slow, but it is progress. And that's enough. Not everyone will be on board either. And that's okay.

Did you enjoy this bite-sized message?

I send out short emails like this every day to help you gain a fresh perspective on accessibility and understand it without the jargon, so you can build more robust products that everyone can use, including people with disabilities.

You can unsubscribe in one click and I will never share your email address.