Tracking Change
Tracking change, measuring progress, and thinking of things in terms of numbers is something most of us do every day.
Sometimes it helps us and sometimes it hurts us. We can be proud of doing better than we had expected or we can resent having
to "measure up." We keep track of time in order to meet friends and lose track of time when we are with them.
For some of us, keeping track seems like a mechanical chore which feels dehumanizing. For many, therapy is the last place they
want to have to keep track of things and for some, learning to not keep track so much is actually their goal. Even this can be
tracked though in a way which is helpful. I don't believe keeping track and not keeping track need to be seen as opposite things. I
also do not believe that measurement needs to rob us of our humanity or of the universe simply unfolding as it should.
Consider the photos to the right. Certainly we can discern changes in the growth of plant life and if it were not important for us to
measure it, then we would simply enjoy watching this miracle of nature. If, on the other hand, we were farmers and this were the
crop from which we earned our living, we might start keeping track. The same is true in our lives. Some things are important
enough to keep track of. What is important to you? If you find it important to make changes of some sort, how do you know the
changes are being made?
In my office, I have two rulers -the wooden kind kids use in school. One is a regular ruler and one has all the numbers and lines
sanded off. If you wanted to know the dimensions of a photo and I handed you the sanded ruler how successful do you think you'd
be in buying the right sized frame?
Consider the photos to the right. If it were important to you to avoid getting a speeding ticket, wouldn't you want to know whether
you were speeding? How would you know, when the speed limit changed whether you could speed up or whether you should slow
down? The speedometer on top has no needle. You would not be able to tell. The speedometer on the bottom is capable of
measuring something which may be important to you.
The same is true in therapy. We may not be measuring your speed or picture frames, but it is likely you are looking to make some
sort of change and will want to keep track of it in order to make your decisions as well as possible. We weigh pros and cons. We
measure depths of sadness. We assess our general satisfaction. We count the number of times we spend with our children. We
look for changes. Are there new trends in the changes we are making or do we just have lucky days now and again? Are there
discernible trends among the things that are bothering us, or are we just having a bad spell? How do we know for sure? How far is
guessing getting you?
When you come into therapy, you will work to discover the patterns of your concerns. Your therapist will help you establish a
baseline (the way things usually go for you) and you will tell your therapist how it is you would like things to be. You will want to be
able to tell the difference. Maybe it will just be in the way you feel. Maybe it will be a reduction in symptoms or complaints.
Maybe it will be in the quality of your relationships, your satisfaction, or in your peace of mind. Sometimes, even when it seems no
changes are being made, changes are being made. Your therapist can help you track these changes so that you can know for sure.
Can you count your breath or the beats of your heart in a minutes time? Can you slow them down or speed them up?
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Informal ways of tracking change include:
More formal ways of tracking change include:
These are but a very few examples. What problems might
formal tracking help you to gain more control over?
Sometimes it helps us and sometimes it hurts us. We can be proud of doing better than we had expected or we can resent having
to "measure up." We keep track of time in order to meet friends and lose track of time when we are with them.
For some of us, keeping track seems like a mechanical chore which feels dehumanizing. For many, therapy is the last place they
want to have to keep track of things and for some, learning to not keep track so much is actually their goal. Even this can be
tracked though in a way which is helpful. I don't believe keeping track and not keeping track need to be seen as opposite things. I
also do not believe that measurement needs to rob us of our humanity or of the universe simply unfolding as it should.
Consider the photos to the right. Certainly we can discern changes in the growth of plant life and if it were not important for us to
measure it, then we would simply enjoy watching this miracle of nature. If, on the other hand, we were farmers and this were the
crop from which we earned our living, we might start keeping track. The same is true in our lives. Some things are important
enough to keep track of. What is important to you? If you find it important to make changes of some sort, how do you know the
changes are being made?
In my office, I have two rulers -the wooden kind kids use in school. One is a regular ruler and one has all the numbers and lines
sanded off. If you wanted to know the dimensions of a photo and I handed you the sanded ruler how successful do you think you'd
be in buying the right sized frame?
Consider the photos to the right. If it were important to you to avoid getting a speeding ticket, wouldn't you want to know whether
you were speeding? How would you know, when the speed limit changed whether you could speed up or whether you should slow
down? The speedometer on top has no needle. You would not be able to tell. The speedometer on the bottom is capable of
measuring something which may be important to you.
The same is true in therapy. We may not be measuring your speed or picture frames, but it is likely you are looking to make some
sort of change and will want to keep track of it in order to make your decisions as well as possible. We weigh pros and cons. We
measure depths of sadness. We assess our general satisfaction. We count the number of times we spend with our children. We
look for changes. Are there new trends in the changes we are making or do we just have lucky days now and again? Are there
discernible trends among the things that are bothering us, or are we just having a bad spell? How do we know for sure? How far is
guessing getting you?
When you come into therapy, you will work to discover the patterns of your concerns. Your therapist will help you establish a
baseline (the way things usually go for you) and you will tell your therapist how it is you would like things to be. You will want to be
able to tell the difference. Maybe it will just be in the way you feel. Maybe it will be a reduction in symptoms or complaints.
Maybe it will be in the quality of your relationships, your satisfaction, or in your peace of mind. Sometimes, even when it seems no
changes are being made, changes are being made. Your therapist can help you track these changes so that you can know for sure.
Can you count your breath or the beats of your heart in a minutes time? Can you slow them down or speed them up?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Informal ways of tracking change include:
- Simply paying attention. The downside of this is that we often forget where we've come from. It is possible for you to have
made great changes for the better while it still seems to you as if you've made no change at all. This would be very
unfortunate. The upside is that this is the simplest and most natural type of tracking of all. Using more formal methods at
first (pen & paper), can help you to pay better attention and to develop confidence in your perceptions. No matter what
other methods you use or don't use, simply paying attention is a crucial part of enhancing the quality of your life - not only in
the attention you pay to the world around you, but your inner world as well. Reflection and contemplation are extremely
valuable practices.
- Talking to others. The downside of this is that others have their own biases and points of view. If this is the method you
choose, it will be best to choose trustworthy and honest people who will give you objective feedback. It will also help the
most if these people know how you are trying to change from the very beginning. Other people can help encourage us and
when we feel we're getting stuck, they can sometimes give you some advice or suggestions. It also helps to stay on track
when you have a "witness" to your praiseworthy accomplishments. To avoid dependency on the opinion of others, it will be
best if you get several people on board with this as opposed to just one, and it may be best to get people from different areas
of your life. Don't choose them all from your family for instance or don't choose them all from your church - unless of
course, these are matters which are related exclusively to them.
- Asking your therapist to help you keep track. Whether it is obvious or not, your therapist is probably already doing this and
because of their training and experience, their feed back may be especially valuable.
- It is okay not to track at times. As you see in the following section, formally tracking changes (pen & paper) can be quite
labor intensive. It can be inconvenient, and if you are having no problems in certain areas of your life, there is really no
need to track and measure. This is the ultimate goal, combined with periodic times of self reflective "check-ins" and self
assessment. It is only during times of problems and desired change, that formal tracking may be the best route for you to go.
More formal ways of tracking change include:
- Journaling. Keeping a journal or a diary can give you an opportunity to look back and compare where you are today with
where you've been. Often people are amazed at how far they've come. It can also help you identify trends which may need
special attention. All these methods can give you an opportunity to reflect. Sometimes it can result in greater understanding
and you may learn to appreciate yourself more deeply. You may decide that you don't really wish to make changes which at
one time, you thought you should.
- Calendar style tracking. With this method, you usually choose a target behavior or experience which you want to change.
Everyday, and sometimes, several times a day, you record what has happened. You will need to get the right kind of
calendar to serve your purpose. Just a few examples include:
- - My over all mood for the day.
- Number of times I yelled at people while driving.
- Did I make sure to get out of work on time today?
- Did I stand up to any bullies today?
- How many panic attacks did I have today?
- Of the times I was supposed to take my medication,
how many times did I actually do it?
- When I was anxious or depressed, did I remember to
use my coping skills?
These are but a very few examples. What problems might
formal tracking help you to gain more control over?
- Numeric scales. Often, these are used in combination with other methods. Most simply, these are number scales and can be
of a type that serves you best.
- Examples include:
- - On a scale of 0 to 10, how calm are you feeling right
now
- On a scale of 0 to 6, how important is it for you to
stand your ground on something? Should you give in if it isn't very important to you? Should you stand your ground when
your self rating is higher?
- On scale of 0 to 100, how are your grades in school?
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how helpful was your therapy today.
- Keeping track regularly can help us discern general trends and help up to know whether we are on the right track.
- Charting. Often with graph paper, we can make charts. Most common would be a chart in which you took the information
from calendar style tracking or numeric scale tracking and tracked them over time on a few single pages so you can see the
course of change in a single glance. Connect the dots. Is the general change in the direction you want? Is there great
fluctuation? Is the change happening quickly or slowly? How much of a change are you making? Have you met your goal?
Are you satisfied with the progress you have made?
- You can take the charting even further. You can measure averages. If long term trends are what you want to measure,
short term fluctuations may not matter as much. For instance, if you are a store owner and you are having slow days and
busy days, you may wish to look at your average sales over a month. This may give you information you can use. If the
average is okay, you may not have to worry so much when you have slow days here and there.
A journey of a
thousand miles
begins with the
first step.
thousand miles
begins with the
first step.
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| Christian Wolff, Psy.A., Licensed Psychologist Associate • Psychotherapist & Counselor 820 NW 21st Avenue, Suite B. Portland.Oregon. 97209. 503.381.2032. christian@christianwolff.com |
