Oi… Life Didn’t Go to Plan, Did It?
You had it all worked out, didn’t you?
The plan. The vision. The finish line.
And then…
Boom. Wall. Silence. Rejection. Ghosted. Flopped. Failed.
Again.
And you sit there thinking, “Is it just me? Why does this always bloody happen?” Read on to learn how to handle disappointment.
Let’s get one thing clear from the start, moosh:
You are not alone, broken, or behind.
You’re just human.
And handling disappointment is a core life skill they never taught you at school; right after budgeting, mental health, and how not to be a knob on social media.
So let’s talk about it, not from a “toxic positivity” angle, but from the Oi Mooshy school of truth:
Raw, real, and ready to help you stand back up.
Sometimes the detour leads to the breakthrough. Growth often begins right where disappointment tried to stop you.
Step 1: Let It Hurt (Yes, Really)
You know what most people do when disappointment hits?
- They bottle it
- They numb it
- They pretend they’re fine (spoiler: they’re not)
But here’s the truth: You’ve got to feel it to free it.
Disappointment is grief with a different coat on.
You’re grieving what could’ve been. What you thought was going to happen. The hope you dared to hold.
So don’t rush to “move on.”
Let yourself:
- Be gutted
- Cry
- Sulk
- Write in your journal/notes app like you’re winning a Grammy
But give it a time limit. Don’t pitch a tent in the swamp.
Example:
“I’m going to give myself the rest of today to wallow. Tomorrow, I put the trackies on and take the first step.”
Step 2: Oi Mooshy – Zoom Out
When you’re in the middle of a disappointment, your brain zooms all the way in.
You think:
- “This always happens to me.”
- “Everyone else is smashing it.”
- “What’s the point?”
But those thoughts are lying to you, politely, but persistently.
What you need is perspective.
Ask yourself:
- Will this still matter in 3 months? A year? Five?
- Have I overcome worse before?
- What would I say to a mate going through the same?
Imagine your life like a map. This is just one stop, not the whole route.
Zoom out, take a breath, reframe the story.
Step 3: Get Curious (Not Cruel)
When things go wrong, most people turn into their own worst enemy:
- “You idiot.”
- “You shouldn’t have tried.”
- “Why do you always mess things up?”
Oi. Enough of that.
Instead of getting cruel, get curious:
- What actually went wrong?
- What was in your control, and what wasn’t?
- What would you do differently next time?
You’re not a failure; you’re a researcher.
Treat every disappointment like data. Not drama.
Write it out:
“Here’s what I hoped would happen…”
“Here’s what actually happened…”
“Here’s what I’ve learned…”
And if the answer is “some people are just flaky and that’s not on me”? That’s still gold.
Step 4: Talk to Your People
Disappointment can isolate you. It makes you want to shut down, cancel plans, and go full ghost mode.
Don’t.
Tell someone you trust:
“I’m a bit knocked by this thing, can I vent or just be a sad little bean for a sec?”
You’d be amazed how many people will say:
“I’ve been there too.”
Disappointment loses its power the moment it’s shared.
And if no one’s around, record a voice note. Write it out. Yell it into a pillow shaped like the face of whoever let you down.
Let it out… don’t let it in festering.
Step 5: Remember Who You Are
Here’s the bit most people forget in the storm:
Disappointment doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you gave a damn.
You tried.
You cared.
You risked it.
You were brave enough to believe.
That’s not failure, that’s growth in progress.
So now’s the time to remind yourself:
- What you’ve survived
- What you’ve built from scratch
- How many times you’ve kept going
Write a Mooshy List:
- 3 things you’ve done that felt impossible at the time
- 3 people who believe in you
- 3 things you love about your weird little self
Stick it on your fridge. Tattoo it on your soul.
Step 6: Rebuild the Plan (With Wiggle Room)
The plan didn’t go how you thought… cool. Doesn’t mean the vision’s dead.
Maybe you need to:
- Take a detour
- Delay it a bit
- Try a new tactic
- Get help
- Reframe success entirely
If it still matters to you, it’s still valid.
But give it room to breathe.
Ask:
- Is the goal still the same?
- Can I get there a different way?
- What’s the smallest next step I can take?
Build in the wiggle room for life. Because spoiler: it’s never linear.
Step 7: Do Something Else That Makes You Feel Alive
Sometimes the best thing you can do is not hustle your way through the pain.
Go make or do something that isn’t about achievement at all:
- Walk with no destination
- Paint badly
- Dance like a toddler at a wedding
- Laugh at memes until you cry
- Volunteer. Cook. Garden. Cry on a dog’s head.
Whatever it is, do something that reminds you there’s more to life than this one disappointment.
You’re not your failed pitch, your ghosted date, your cancelled launch, or your bank balance.
You’re still you, and that’s powerful.
Step 8: Know When to Let Go (and When to Go Again)
Sometimes the answer isn’t “keep pushing.”
Sometimes it’s “release it with love.”
Not every dream is for right now.
Not every person is your person.
Not every plan was the right plan, and that’s okay.
But some things?
You do fight for them.
You rest. Then you go again.
You pivot, rework, and come back stronger.
Trust yourself to know the difference.
Final Thoughts from Oi Mooshy
Disappointment hurts because you cared.
Because you hoped.
Because you wanted something more.
That’s not a weakness; that’s your superpower.
So cry, swear, nap, scream, punch a pillow, go quiet… whatever you need to do.
But then?
Then you get up.
Then you build again.
Then you say “Oi, not today.”
Because you, moosh…
You’re not done yet.
Disappointment can feel like the end, but it can also be the beginning. If you’re ready to see how struggle can shape you, check out this take on growing through your hardest moments.
Tell us:
What’s something you’ve bounced back from?
Or something you’re still figuring out?
Drop it in the comments, DM us, or scribble it in your journal… but whatever you do, don’t carry it alone.