Heroes Not Zombies

I’ve never really thought of myself as someone who has a method but now I realise that I do.

What do I mean by a method? Well, simply that there are common behaviours that I have in life. Behaviours that developed day after day over many years.

My method has three elements, or three verbs if you like. They generally occur in sequence but it’s a continuous loop, not a straight line with a beginning and an end.

Observe, reflect, respond.

That’s it. Not more complicated than that.

Observe is more than look, of course. We notice most when we use a combination of our senses….sight, hearing, touch, maybe scent and taste.

I was taught to observe at medical school. We learned to listen to patients stories, to look at their bodies, to listen to their heart, and lungs, feel for swellings and organs, and so on. So when I say observe I mean paying attention, noticing, using all the relevant senses.

After observation I like to reflect, taking some time to make sense of what I’ve observed. To understand.

Only after that do I want to act. Action might mean saying something, making a suggestion or, especially when I was a working doctor I would prescribe something. Sometimes however the best action was to wait….to take some more time to learn more.

Well, that was my method at work. Observe, reflect, respond – and then continue on around that loop – observe again, reflect again, respond differently.

I realise this method has become my lifestyle. I think it suits me. It’s feels right.

Do you have any methods? Could you describe them?