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Making Adjustments

This Year, Small Changes Are Big

Jan 22, 2021

This Year, Small Changes Are Big

How many times can you say “unprecedented?” Looking back one year ago, we could not have imagined the events that were about to unfold. The life-altering pandemic, political drama, economic inequity, and social unrest left us, understandably, exhausted. Better days are surely ahead, the question is how to keep moving forward productively?

When the thought of doing something different or learning something new is daunting, think small. Breaking down changes into mini or bite-size increments is an easier route to long-term success.  Implementing this concept for adjusting to progressive vision loss, or low vision, is tried and true.  Let’s explore ways to get things done in minutes instead of hours.  Breaking up monotony and boosting efficiency will help restore our sense of stability.

Image shows hand making gesture symbolic of small.

Image shows hand making gesture symbolic of small.

The One Minute Rule

An easy and effective way to keep your home or office in order. Don’t put off anything you can do in 1 minute. Hang up clothes, fold laundry, answer an email or pay a bill. Don’t think too much about it, just do it. It becomes habitual, in a good way.

Ten Minute Rule

Tackle a time-consuming task or project in 10-minute sessions.  Organize the kitchen, one drawer, or one cabinet at a time. Clean a closet in small sections.

Micro Learning

The pandemic also showed us the essential nature of technology. It would be hard to imagine independence without it.  In terms of manageability, micro-learning is the way to go. That means advancing your ability one skill at a time. No need to put that off or wait for it to be developed, it’s already available whenever you want it 24/7 at Hadley.edu and at these Accessibility Support Phone Lines. Devote a few minutes a week to improving your tech ability.

Exercise  Snacks

Recharge with a few minutes of exercise several times a day. No need to change your clothes. Can be indoors or out. Grab some weights or exercise bands. Do jumping jacks, squats, or wall push-ups. Put on some music and dance or just run in place. Make it your own or try something like this:   The Standing 7- Minute Workout.

Thinking small is actually a better way to get big things done.

For comments, questions or feedback, email us, or connect on Facebook or Twitter. We would love to hear from you!


About the Author: Dorrie Rush

Dorrie Rush is the Chief Content Officer and Visual Accessibility Expert at Ophthalmic Edge Patients (OE Patients), an online resource, presented by the Association for Macular Diseases, providing practical information and empowering advice for living a full and successful life with vision loss.

She is the former Director of the Grunwald Technology Center and Information Resource Service at Lighthouse International 2001 to 2016. Dorrie is known to have an eccentric view, which is particularly useful in compensating for her central vision loss from Stargardt Disease.

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