DELIBERATE PRACTICE

I have been reading through Quiet by Susan Caine again (watch her TED talk here), trying to glean teaching points for introverts such as myself in the context of our extroverted world. I found it interesting to realize that my background in the evangelical church was an extreme in this respect. Working in the academic emergency department seems similarly biased for extraverts.

The argument she makes is that most advances come from the introverted practice of reflection and deliberate practice. It was strange to realize that some of my losses in my personality over time have been the very strengths my introverted self used to have while I was a student. Alone time with deliberate practice is exactly what my life lacks. I spend so much time in busyness, I feel like a hamster on a wheel or a rat in a race. What time I have alone, I feel the weight of being alone and tend to spend my off time in diversion or daily duties of laundry, cooking, dishes, yard work and housework. But I have stopped enjoying this alone time, and I really do find a need to be alone with my thoughts, even if that makes me feel antisocial. I notice it most after putting Princess Pirate to bed late. I find myself going to bed too late, because I crave time to myself, often looking to my blog and journal to write my thoughts.

I have also been obsessively watching the Canadian ice dancing pair, Tessa and Scott, since missing the bulk of the Olympics, but seeing their Roxanne program near the end. Since learning their comeback was most recently orchestrated with a move to Montreal, I was inspired by their story of training 13 hours a day, recovering from multiple surgeries (Tessa with compartment syndrome), and the transformation from an idea to a perfected performance. They are uncomfortably adorably conflicted and devoted all at once. Perfectly in sync on ice but never in any public appearance. Still, they are in the best shape of their lives, achieved what most of us could ever dream possible, and seem to have the dearest connection a person can hope for in life. They put in hours no one else would to achieve it, and they were amazing. They also seem quite introverted, but make an effort to share themselves with others (their TED talk).

Even today, with my daughter's bookclub book being chosen this month, and hours in a clinic waiting our turn, I was entertained and entranced by the idea of Phileas Fogg's orderly schedule and house. I don't live like that. Time stresses me. I rarely feel I have enough. But his confidence and efficiency with time, and his complete lack of need to socialize helping this lifestyle is both quirky and motivating.

Lastly, I have been inspired by some greats: the daily goals of Ben Franklin, Eisenhower's matrix, and the Ivy Lee Method are some examples of how to prioritize and keep the busy from preventing the important deliberate practice that is necessary for a valuable life (see self-actualization in Maslow's Heirarchy of Need).

So read, think, walk, talk, consolidate, organize, synthesize, and write. Take time to be alone, but don't waste it. It's precious stuff, and sometimes it is not given in large quantity. Sometimes it needs to carved into the schedule. It helps to live far from family, with fewer liaisons. But it is possible whatever your life circumstances are.

EISENHOWER MATRIX

From: How To Be More Productive

BEN FRANKLIN'S THIRTEEN VIRTUES AND HIS DAILY CHECKLIST

check if successful

a friend's masterpiece, begun in pregnancy with nutritional goals as the start

weekly 

PHILEAS FOGG WAS A CURIOUS MAN

"Phileas Fogg était de ces gens mathématiquement exacts, qui, jamais pressés et toujours prêts, sont économes de leurs pas et de leurs mouvements. Il ne faisait pas une enjambée de trop, allant toujours par le plus court. Il ne perdait pas un regard au plafond. Il ne se permettait aucun geste superflu. On ne l'avait jamais vu ému ni troublé. C'était l'homme le moins hâté du monde, mais il arrivait toujours à temps.

Toutefois, on comprendra qu'il vécût seul et pour ainsi dire en dehors de toute relation sociale. Il savait que dans la vie il faut faire la part des frottements, et comme les frottements retardent, il ne se frottait à personne."

Chapitre 2 où Passepartout est convaincu qu'il a enfin trouve son ideal
Le Tour de Monde en Quatre-Vingt Jours
Jules Verne

"He [Phileas Fogg] was so exact that he was never in a hurry, was always ready, and was economical alike of his steps and his motions. He never took one step too many, and always went to his destination by the shortest cut; he made no superfluous gestures, and was never seen to be moved or agitated. He was the most deliberate person in the world, yet always reached his destination at the exact moment.

He lived alone, and, so to speak, outside of every social relation; and as he knew that in this world account must be taken of friction, and that friction retards, he never rubbed against anybody."

Chapter 2 In which Passepartout is convinced that he has at last found his ideal
Around the World in Eighty Days
Jules Verne
Sterling Publishing

CELEBRITY CRUSHES

Sometimes I think the world is obsessed with the young. Sometimes I wonder if I am no different. So I started to think of those who live in the celebrity world and wondered how far my age range might be. IMDB is pretty extensive, and I know a lot more about fictional people than real ones, sadly.

Here are my top ten and their age range.

1. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (The Rundown, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) 1972
2. Eddie Cibrian (Third Watch, Take Two) 1973
3. James McAvoy (Becoming Jane, Atonement) 1979
4. Mark Ruffalo (Now You See Me, Spotlight) 1967
5. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, Snowdown) 1981
6. Jason Sudeikis (Race) 1975
7. Theo James (Divergent) 1984
8. Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls, This Is Us) 1977
9. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Grey's Anatomy) 1966
10. Eric Dane (Grey's Anatomy) 1972

average birth year 1974

THE THANKS I GET

I left my home this morning at 6:40. I had just over 6 hours of sleep because I got home from work last night at 10 pm, when I had supper and fed my cats and went to bed. I worked all day and just got home at 11:10 pm.

My requests for shift in March were emailed to me with this message:

Thank you to the precious few who sacrificed themselves in order to allow for publications.
Unfortunately it was once again the same people who always offer to help.
You can figure out who they are.  Most of them work 9/10 days in that week.

I have taken two March Breaks in 20 years. This year, I requested it off in advance, making the request on July 17th, 2017.

I was given 3 more shifts than I requested. I was scheduled on an evening  I did not give availability for. I work 6 evenings in a row, when I ask for no more than 2 or three, because I won't get enough sleep, and will be pulling 12 hours well into the night.

I am really tired, working hard, and I feel like I am meant to be shamed, as though my patriarchal scheduler and boss cares nothing for me or my work.

I am thankful for my colleagues today, who commented on my late stay, and refered to it as "my legacy", because we did send some home, get some admitted and even transferred one to another institution, and it looked so much better than when we had come in.

I am thankful for the glorious temperature to and from work of -8 and -9 with a beautiful layer of snow, and an hour and a half of commuting in those lovely conditions.

I am thankful to the colleagues who stopped by to say hi. The one who complimented my hair and tossed it. The resident who casted a wrist and sent the patient home.

I am thankful to my little girl who was doing her homework when I called, and texted me to get an internet link for an upcoming assignment. Who is excited to go to Regina with me in February when other kids are going to Disney!

So, to my boss, who makes me feel like I don't sacrifice, but is killing me slowly while taking me for granted: I think there are better ways to get people motivated. I feel like I am sacrificing to cover the rest of the month, but for thankless reasons. I don't appreciate that you didn't answer my email, asking for a change in the mistake of scheduling me on a day I didn't give availability. And I don't feel like giving any more availability when it's tough on me, because the sacrifice I do make isn't appreciated anyways.

DEUTSCHE HAUSAUFGABEN

The reason sometimes I fail is that I haven't spent enough time extending beyond the bounds of basic emergency medical expertise.

"Do you know why most investigators fail?They refuse to extend their basic knowledge beyond the bounds of basic investigative procedure."
Elementary's Sherlock Holmes

Said to me in the staircase after rounds on my way out
"I didn't recognize you. You look so pretty!

The biggest communication problem we have is we don't listen to understand , we listen to reply.

Beauty is not an option.

You never know.

Poverty is sexist.

SWEET POTATO TOFU CASHEW STIRFRY ON SOYA CHOW MEIN NOODLES

PERFECT PANCAKES

This recipe is my go-to. It started as Martha's banana buttermilk, but my princess pirate doesn't like bananas at the moment, and I rarely have buttermilk or whole wheat flour.

1 cup flour

3 T sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg or 1 T ground flax +3T water

1 cup "buttermilk" (milk +1 tsp lemon juice)

1 1/2 T oil

COMMUTE ON AN ICY DAY

SNOW KITTY AND SNOW RIDER FAN

THIS KID

I know every parent thinks they have the best kid. I do too! Her endless ideas and her ability to make it happen can be nothing short of remarkable!

On this particular day, she came hungry so I was about to prepare a snack. She instructed me to slice the apple into 8, as I usually do, but to find 4 things to dip it in. We took turns blindfolding each other, and guessing what we were eating. It's amazing what we can guess with smell and texture alone. The maple syrup had the least taste, maybe because it doesn't stick. The lemon juice was the most surprising. The Nutella, honey and peanut butter were all delicious, and easily guessed.

I'm sure there will be more taste tests to come. This was what inspired us.

Taste tasting apple dips

LINE DANCING FOR BEGINNERS

It was the first time in ages I wore my cowboy boots, purchased in Mexico, if I am not mistaken, years ago and used mostly for riding, but once for a two step at a talent show.


This was the result!



It was a lesson in humility, but great fun.
Here are a few leads to practice for next time:

Line Dance Steps
Until the Dawn
Eyes for You
Skinny Genes
Cowboy Hustle
Lonely Drum
Everytime it rains

FINALLY, SNOW!

Untraced tracks but a lovely ski nonetheless

COLD SUPER BLUE MOON

Two of my girl friends are in tune with the super moons even more than I am, and I was encouraged to use it to reset, like a new year, and literally, a new month. Next time I will try burning the paper outside. Multiple matches on the bathroom sink only resulted in partially combusting what I was resolved to let go off.

Out with the old

In with the new