Diabetes Goals for 2024
With today being the last day of 2023, it’s only fitting to talk about goals you might be setting when it comes to the new year. If you’re like me, you probably have some goals for travel, maybe saving up for something special, or vowing that this year will finally be the one you actually run that marathon (go you!).
However, as someone living with diabetes, I often have goals for diabetes as part of my yearly goal setting/new year’s resolutions. Previously they’ve been some variation of “get my A1c below 6%” or “start using a new continuous glucose monitor”, very clear-cut goals with black and white definitions of success that I either achieve or don’t. And while those super specific goals can be great, I’m encouraging myself (and you) to think about your goals for diabetes a bit differently this year.
Instead of viewing diabetes as something I need to further master or wrestle into submission, this year my goal is to actually be more flexible, more accepting, and less judgmental when it comes to my diabetes management. That’s not to say I’m ditching all the things that work for me or giving up having an A1c in the 5-6% range, but I want to change up how I get there. Instead of fitting my life around rigid diabetes routines like only eating carbs before lunch (been there) or forcing myself to work out exactly four days a week (done that), I want diabetes to fit around my life this year, hopefully while still maintaining the same level of management I have over the past few years.
“This year my goal is to actually be more flexible, more accepting, and less judgmental when it comes to my diabetes management”
If you’re working on setting goals for this upcoming year (or anytime!) related to diabetes, consider some of these ones that I’m adding to my list:
Trying new things (e.g., foods, workouts, etc.) and seeing how my body reacts so I can learn how to integrate them into my regular routine versus avoiding them altogether
Challenging myself to view unexplained highs and lows as neutral information that I can use to make decisions or learn from instead of a bad thing
Working on viewing my A1c or time in range as just another piece of data instead of a pass/fail grade
Spending more time analyzing patterns to learn about my individual blood sugar reactions to certain situations (e.g., my period, or when I get sick or stressed)
Being okay with letting my blood sugar sit in a higher range in unfamiliar situations so I don’t need to worry about going low (e.g., going on a hike I’ve never done before, a new activity while traveling)
Speaking up for what I need with my healthcare team
Being honest with my partner about when diabetes is taking up a lot of my energy and what I need for support
Getting better at always having low supplies/extra diabetes gear with me
Building a community of other T1Ds so I can celebrate the wins and don’t feel alone on the hard days
As I’m sure you can tell, my hope is that 2024 will be the year that I have a bit more balance and peace with my diabetes instead of reacting and feeling like I need to always be tweaking things. This disease can be so much sometimes, and I’ve been noticing some very early signs of burnout that I want to get ahead of now, so that’s my goal this year. I also have a few more tactical diabetes goals (like deciding if I want my next pump to be a Tandem or Omnipod!) so don’t feel that you’re limited to picking only certain goals for your diabetes in 2024. It’s also totally okay to have no diabetes-related goals, I’ve definitely had those years as well.
I have so many big, exciting plans for the Ultimate Diabetes Guide in 2024, so be sure to add your email to the mailing list and follow along on TikTok and Instagram so you don’t miss anything. Thank you so much for being with me as I ramped things up in 2023, and here’s to smashing all of our goals in 2024! ✨
