Realistic Goal Setting with T1D

In this episode, host Scott Johnson talks with Carrie Matuzsan, a case manager at Blue Circle Health who has lived with type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 22 years. Carrie shares her journey from her diagnosis at age 12 to her current professional role helping others navigate life with diabetes, including financial hurdles, insurance, and social determinants of health like housing and transportation.

The heart of the conversation focuses on why sticking to goals is so challenging, especially with a 24/7 condition like T1D, and on how to use the SMART goals framework to shift from focusing on outcomes to breaking down the process and using a proven system to help achieve goals.

Carrie teaches us how to "smartify" our intentions, find our "North Star" through the “Toddler Approach”, and reevaluate our progress without self-judgment, especially when we get off track.

What You'll Learn

• Common Pitfalls: Many of us focus on the outcome (e.g., "get an A1C below 7") rather than the process, making the leap from where we are to where we want to be feel impossible.
• The Toddler Approach: How asking "Why?" repeatedly helps peel away surface-level answers to find the core values driving your goal. 
• The SMART Goals System:
  • Specific: Making goals concrete rather than ambiguous
  • Measurable: Setting clear criteria for success
  • Attainable/Achievable: Ensuring the goal is something you can actually do.
  • Relevant: Making sure the goal is “along the path” to your bigger picture.
  • Time-bound: Setting a specific timeframe for check-ins and reevaluation. 
• Contingency Planning: The importance of having a backup plan for when barriers (like bad weather or life events) interfere with your progress.
• Removing Judgment: Why you should treat your own progress with the same kindness you would show a friend, rather than being your own "bully".

Key Quotes

• "The process of it is the part that is not as much fun to think about or even to plan out." – Carrie Matuzsan
• "One of the biggest downfalls is being mean to yourself. Being your own bully is often the downfall for a lot of these goals." – Carrie Matuzsan
• "We are working to replace an entire hormone that our body is not producing, on top of living a full life. We continue to go and adapt. Just that resiliency... always amazes me." – Carrie Matuzsan

Resources & Links

• SMART Goals worksheet
• Previous Blue Circle Health Webinars on SMART Goals
  • Realistic Goal Setting with T1D (part 1)
  • Realistic Goal Setting with T1D (part 2)
  • Realistic Goal Setting with T1D (part 3)
• Community Partner Spotlight: The Time in Range Coalition (a program from diaTribe). They provide guides and toolkits for using Time in Range as a metric in diabetes management.
  • 🌐 Visit: timeinrange.org to learn more.

What is Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D?
People with type 1 diabetes fight two wars: one against a relentless 24/7 condition, and another against a healthcare system that makes it difficult and expensive to stay alive. Around the Circle: Living Well with T1D brings together voices from across the type 1 diabetes community to share real stories, expert insight, and practical support for living well with T1D.

Hosted by the team at Blue Circle Health, a U.S.-based program transforming type 1 care, this podcast helps people go from just surviving to truly living well with type 1 diabetes. https://bluecirclehealth.org