A new year! This is
usually the time of the year when I have the typical New Year’s
Resolutions that include "Go to the gym more" and "Smile
more" in the back of my mind. Last year, I actually wrote a list of things
to keep in mind for the year (I'm pasting it directly from the post-it note on
my computer desktop):
- Less Critical (and Defensive?)
- More Accepting of Criticism/Others' Opinions
(open-mindedness)
- Run 2x a week (short, 5K & longer) >>10K in
April/May/Summer!
I'll be honest and admit
that none of these have been fully accomplished. That's not to say that I
haven't become more open-minded or less critical... I like to think that I have become more open-minded and less critical/defensive, but can I say these goals were successfully achieved if I can't quantify these traits? I have yet to run that 10K, and although that goal is definitely quantifiable, it wasn't specific at all. So this year, I will make SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Realistic and Timely) goals! Aha! Applying a concept learned in OT class to
real life! XD
One of the classes that
I had in my first term of OT was one called “The Learned Experience of
Disability” where we learned about different types of disabilities and their respective
experiences in a way that lectures and textbooks couldn't teach us. We were
each paired with another OT classmate and assigned a volunteer from the local
community who had a disability. This volunteer was known as our mentor, and we
spent a few hours each week with them, learning about their life and
experiences with a disability. From this class, I learned about more than the
one disability that my mentor had, but also about the disabilities that the
mentors my fellow peers had. I think many of my classmates would agree that our
learning about disabilities shouldn't stop there. So I've decided to make a
SMART goal to motivate myself to keep learning:
>>By
the start of next year’s classes in September, I will have read at
least four books on the lived experiences of four different
types of disability/illnesses.
And here's one non-OT SMART goal:
This post is way overdue. Studying for exams has gotten in the way of my blogging. And since I finished all my reflections for my PE lab portfolio, I needed to take a break from blogging for a while.