Just think of your worst experience with a service provider ever! Yeah inspiration enough right!
On a more serious note – Be REAL
This is a road least travelled less than 5% of people on the NDIS choose to self manage so pace yourself, because it will not happen overnight. This journey will continue to evolve, change and challenge even though this is possibly not ideal. Self management comes with its unseen challenges but so does any management style and life. Self Management is worth a go if you want to create for yourself or your loved one a tailored life that will be your best fit.
It can be a steep learning curve, for many reasons, and particularly if you haven’t run a business before. Maybe you have limited book keeping skills or have never had to dismiss a person, whatever your challenge you will find it and overcome it. Know you are strong and brave and treat yourself kindly as you grow and discover how amazing self managing can be.
You need the NDIS or you wouldn’t be on this particular journey, so keep momentum, and commit to your or your loved ones best future. Take time for restoring so you keep a positive approach, we all know bureaucratic, political and government systems can wear you down, so don’t let the system weaken your spirit or conviction to create the life you value, it is possible.
Invest in some time to create a sanity saver plan to ensure you will actualise and celebrate your choices and achievements. Formulate how and what you’re going to do when things get difficult, or a crisis presents during this process or even as part of it. Create a network of willing positive people around you. Considered how you want and need their support, what their role would be; then look to see who might be a good fit. You may find people or mentors from within a current group you belong to, or friends with skills you admire who would be delighted to help but have not previously known how. There may even be a friend of a friend who can help with the type of support or advice you need. By asking and having a conversation with those you would like around you, you’ll discover which of their skills they are willing to share or how you can work together, possibly even into the future once your initial structure is established. These talks help grow your skills; offering an opportunity especially if you’re not use to communicating about things that matter to you, your needs, requirements and boundaries as a person will develop and expand along the way. These networks are vital to your long term success, personal health and wellbeing. If you are setting up a loved ones’ self management needs they could be on going, so a good support network can share the tasks needed for successful management. This may possibly allow you a more natural role with your loved one, by building a reliable team externally for some functions.
Observe and learn your limits; what are your warning signs and how do you react when stressed. Create some healthy options and responses to refer to, in times when it is easy to forget what to do and you feel a little crazy with it all. By doing what works to balance yourself, you will have a positive and productive impact when you return to the next step in shaping your future.
Your self management style and system set up, will continue and evolve so step away from things from time to time and especially when warning signs present, like distress, fatigue, anger, bouts of self injuries or illness, they really are a message you need to take some time to refresh and nurture. Check in from time to time to ensure you’re still moving forwards, or are currently comfortable with where you want to be.
Streamline and refine processes as you go through them, like each time you recruit, review the process and document changes to ensure they stay current and serve your needs. Observe and reflect on your interpersonal skills, and how you or your chosen advocates approach situations when things are not as you require, it maybe you need some further staff training or new skills. By taking time to address issues as they arise you can be efficient in the way you maintain your most effective best practice.
Use your plan and support people. If or when things become stagnant or unsupportive find new motivations and mentors, just keep changing it up and use all your might to frame this evolving support structure in a way that defies negativity. Be determined to find enjoyment in actualising your best life, or what you are creating for your loved one. You may be surprised at the things that present as challenging and equally surprised at what you can get enjoyment from. Develop resilience, your capacity for creative control and celebrate extraordinary outcomes.
The NDIS is a system in its infancy and you are part of shaping its future, take time to ponder the fact, that you help make things a bit easier; just a bit better for others, by having a go and being a part of this new and unfolding system of disability support.
Celebrate your achievements! it is a really important factor in keeping your enthusiasm going.
If you loose enthusiasm don’t be concerned or worried it will return; eventually you will want to take up your torch again and find a way through whatever seems limiting. The way through will become obvious to you, and who knows it may not be self management at all. It may be a different management combination or style, it doesn’t matter you can change. Really it is about you or your loved one, and staying balanced, alive and positive beyond the required process or system; this is what has worth and value beyond measure.
Consider if we had no system, then it would be easy to see how useful this one is, even if it is far from it’s best yet. Currently we are the front runners so have a go, do your best and find ways and places to share in what you achieve, for the others who will choose this journey too.