Getting it done.

Making decisions to do a task and then following through on those tasks no matter how large or small can be daunting for some people and rather easy for others. Why is that? How is it that the person who can manage follow through can actually do this and is it done with ease or with difficulty?
There are those that make lists and cross their tasks off the list as they accomplish the task but what is that fundamental drive that psychologically separates those people from the ones that make that same list and it sits having its tasks without that coveted crossing?
I have often pondered this question. I doubt very much it has to do with the intelligence of these people and yet the consequences can be devastating not to mention how society shuns them and identifies these people as indeed stupid or lazy.
However, are they really stupid or lazy or irresponsible or any of the other derogatory words that tend to go with the incompletion of tasks? This is where the question starts being broken down by other factors like for example age. To apply this situation to a child of perhaps eight-years-old it could be explained away as acting out for attention. Some might even apply this same answer to an adult of 28.
However it is far more likely that it is not the case in our 28 year-old. So what happened? Are we really facing a situation that some would label it with all those derogatory concepts or is this a type of psychological predisposition? I dare not say some kind of physiological disease because that is not my point. I do concede that there are some situations that would fall into this category and I am putting those aside. My interest lies in those that are generally not suffering from any significant psychological interruptions yet they still struggle with completion of tasks.
I simply wonder if it is a personality predisposition and that it is not linked in any way to intelligence. Is it appropriate for those around this person to bombard this person with negative feedback and suggestions for success such as making the highly touted and ever made holy list that is not completed?
My thinking is that as Einstein reminded us how it is insane to continue to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome that if the list has not worked in 28 years for our poor example guy it is probably insane to think it is going to start working now. Perhaps it is time to start looking for another solution.
As I see it the problem is unlikely in the actual doing of the tasks but rather the impetus to begin. So then the question is not a matter of why has the person not completed the list it is actually why has the person not started. What is that specific thing that separates those who can start with ease and those who either have a great difficulty starting or cannot start at all? By my observation it would appear that this is a phenomenon that is on a continuum with a barrier for successful initiation that is highly volatile. So how do we actively influence that highly volatile barrier for success?
As an OT I think this is an area where Occupational Therapy could provide a great deal of successful treatment. This is where an OT can really work one-on-one with a patient and help them to identify what is really proving to be the largest barrier for success. An OT would help the client by creating activities and strategies that utilize a client’s most meaningful activities or as they are also called occupations to overcome and perhaps lower those barriers so that they can ultimately find results in the form of long-term success.

Proof... we may grow old but we don't really die!

This is the hands down best response to any of the Twilight Men... EVER! YES... EVER!

So I am currently working as an Occupational Therapist at a skilled nursing facility in the LA area. I was finishing up my last session for the day and I had promised to show a patient a picture of me at my graduation from my Masters in Communications Management from USC in the second APOC class. So, I took in my "fancy gadget" (aka iPod touch) to show her my pictures.

So I calmly take out my fancy gadget and I pressed the button...

OK so here is where the Twilight disclaimer comes in... I am a fan. Yes, I am older than these guys and I don't care. (so there - deal with it)

Eh chem, a very hot picture of Kellan Lutz (aka Emmet Cullen - Edward's bigger/younger brother - don't understand then read the books {duh}) which can easily be found at IMDb.com was set up as my screen saver picture for my iPod touch (ok, so you could sue me - but... seriously if you are reading this then so are a whole bunch of other folks and you are getting some serious publicity - geese). When the screen lit up, she saw the picture and said, "OH OH..." Thinking that I had some how offended my 83 year old patient and rather embarrassed that I had such a risque picture, I instinctively pulled back my gadget blushing fiercely.

She reached out for it and, as the screen had - thankfully - once again gone dark, she started tapping on the screen very quickly and with such intensity I was concerned that she might actually damage the screen. She started saying, "make it do it again... do it again... again."

At this point I was (still blushing mind you) smirking and pushing the button again showing her how the iPod worked.

Once again the Very HOT (and mostly naked) Kellan sprang forth on my iPod touch. It's really funny how you see thing differently when you have an 83 year old person sitting next to you. She once again exclaimed "OH, Oh, MYYYYY."

And, then, there it was, the phrase that can only be said sheepishly by an 83 year old lady in a skilled nursing facility, "I think I need my diaper changed."

At which point I completely lost it and burst into laughter. Funny part is... she is completely with it and was laughing right along with me.

So there you have it Proof... we get older... We AGE... But damn it... we all must have a bit of vampire in us cause at some level... we just don't die!

Wow, I have been gone a while huh?

So, I am working on my e-portfolios proposal for the USC Occupational Therapy doctorate program. I am also navigating personalities and issues related to my capstone project in the APOC program also at USC.

So one of my instructors commented that we should be sure to maintain an occupational balance between work, rest and play. It was all I could do to not laugh so hard I fell off my chair. I know that occupational balance leads to better health both physically and mentally. But, I am so bad at following my own advice.

I understand the importance of occupational balance. It comes from a ton of research that identifies how when a person participates in rest and play occupations in addition to their work ones, they are better able to function in all these areas. And doesn't that just make sense anyway? I mean really, isn't it obvious that if we don't take some time out for rest and play we burn out, get cranky, eat poorly, gain weight, have or obtain physical injuries to things like backs and necks and in my case arms and hands. But despite all this evidence and the annoying logic of it all, I am still unable to remember to find a way to balance my occupations.

I wonder why that is...

I guess I am gonna have to do some research and figure that one out. I will let you know what I find.

Well, gotta go, because despite my little rant... this is play (insert head shake here) and we can't have too much of that... it might just lead to some actual balance.

Form and Analysis

Years ago as an undergrad I majored in music. One of the classes I took was called Form and Analysis. This is one of those classes that just... well... stuck with me. Oh, I could ramble on for hours about how a I chord moves to a V chord et al, but for those of you that are not musicians it would be meaningless and more importantly - not the point.

That class taught me how to look at a topic a disassemble it mentally then reassemble it while taking note of where all the moving pieces intersect with one another and how the synergistic beauty of the whole abounds with brilliance. Music is such a wonderful metaphor for life. Even if you start from the smallest point and see that aspect just as it interacts with its nearest relative or you stop and marvel at the complexity of the solar system, the world is a truly fascinating and fantastic place.

Today we get to not only stop and stand in amazement of the natural world, but we also have the amazing virtual world where we can all join into this collaborative imagining of where we want to go, be, or do. It's that little comment on a blog or entry into wikipedia, or maybe just checking e-mail that blossoms into a vast and complex system of interrelated happenings that form worlds and universes all with in our minds.

It is just cool.

Moving Day

Well today is the day. I am moving today. The movers will be here in about 15 minutes and I thought I would take a moment to post. I am not a fan of moving. This stems from several sources. I back in my early 20's I moved five times in one year. Back then I had significantly fewer pieces of crap. You ever noticed how people who are pack rats don't call themselves pack rats but if you asked any of their friends they would (probably giggling) confirm their pack rat status.

I admit it, I am a pack rat. I know that there are folks out there that are worse but I figure that if you have to have movers over two days... you have too much crap. And thought most of it I would fight to keep, I also know that most of it is truly crap. But darn it, it is MY crap.

OK so I have this sword collection. Yes, full size swords. Only two of them are sharp, but even those that aren't could probably cause damage. They are mounted on the walls, so that means not only do they have to be packed so they don't damage anything, they also have to be "dislodged" from the walls.

I have a large DVD collection. So far, I have filled 4 banker boxes and I have not finished. Some of them are really good, some not so much. But most of them I have seen more than once. When I realized that, I was a little surprised.

OK so other crap... I have what can only be described as TONS of books. Some of them are pleasure reading, but most are text books (yes I even use them... just this week I used 3 old text books - so there!). With that many books comes the inevitable book cases.

Which brings me to furniture. For someone moving out of a dorm room, I have a surprising amount of furniture. Granted, I had my own condo before I moved here but that is only a partial excuse.

OOOh movers are hear... guess I will have to say more later

Please take my survey and give me feed back. This is not the final version of this survey, so please give me your thoughts and questions so I can make it better.

Cheers

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Magic, Food and Sleep

Sleep is a weapon.

This is a concept that has been around for generations. First time I heard this statement, it was in Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity (the book not the movie). I have since latched onto this concept. It speaks to me on many levels. This is never been more true than last night at the Magic Castle. As my previous blog entry mentioned, I went to the midnight showing of Wall-E (once again I mention that this is a must see). If you do the math is easy to figure out that I didn't get to sleep much before 3: 30 in the morning. So when my alarm went off at 7:30 in the morning, I woke up (against my better judgment).

So.......... sleep is a weapon.

My family was invited to go to the Magic Castle in Hollywood. It is essentially a dinner club with several Magic shows. Never enter any place called the Magic Castle on four hours of sleep. This is my little piece of advice to anyone out there who's thinking of going to some place called the Magic Castle on four hours of sleep because you too will be mystified as to how they are doing the things that they are doing. Generally, I give the place a rank of 7/10. It was fun. The food was exceptional and the entertainment was fun. And, in one of the shows they chose my brother to go up on stage. Unlike myself, my brother is rather reserved and quiet. Despite this, there he was, on stage, playing it up and playing along with the magicians. For me, that was the best part of the evening. Well, maybe the second best part of the evening, my filet was awesome (cooked to perfection).

Have I mentioned that sleep is a weapon?

This morning, I got home around 1 a.m. and despite my exhaustion, I was unable to get to sleep until after 3 a.m. I was then up again at 7:30 in the morning. This time it was an opportunity to go see Wall-E at the Disney employee screening. Since I enjoyed the movie so much, and I was seeing it for free, I, of course, went and saw it again (yes, it really is that good). For the rest of the day I've been running around taking care of little odds and ends. And now it is 11:30 p.m.. I'm so tired it hurts, but I promised my friend I would blog more often.

So here it is, my sleep deprived blog. If I hadn't been lacking sleep, I might have had the weapon I needed to make a profound statement about blogging under the influence of exhaustion. As it stands, I'm going to bed!