Observation Journal Project - A Challenge
- Lenworth Ryan Wilmot
- May 21, 2018
- 2 min read
Observation journals are a great way of documenting and cataloguing the world around you. They should be used to help you keep accurate notes of the things that are occurring around you. Last week I hosted a challenge to anyone wanting to improve their observation skills. They could fill out the observation journal PDF and do the prompts along with me for a week. (Download the PDF if you wish to try the project. (Click Here)). Below are the major takeaways from this project.
VISUAL BIAS
I tend to focus on the things that I see when I make observations more than any of my other senses. While the ability to see can be a powerful tool, it shouldn't be the only focus of an observation. We can miss some very important details when our focus is what we see.
SMELL AND TASTE
I found that during this project, my sense of smell and taste were severely underperforming. Granted there are a time and place for everything, including when to focus on what you taste and smell. For example when you are eating or entering a new space, or observing something that may have some sort of aroma. Unfortunately, I have no idea if I have an unsophisticated or sophisticated sense of smell or taste. It definitely hasn't been something that I have focused on in my lifetime, so it's no wonder that I might be missing some of these observation inputs in my journal. If you look at my entries you can see that I tended to put next to no observations on these senses.
Entry Log Example (Click Here)
WHAT I NEED TO IMPROVE ON
My ability to observe doesn't really seem like it's lacking. As long as I am thorough and patient, I think I can observe well. But it is balancing between all 5 of my senses that I have an issue with. If I focus on my sight, I ignore what I see and smell. If I focus on what I feel, I tend to miss what I see. I need to find a way to oscillate quickly between my senses and memorize my observations in the moment accurately. In order to do this, I have devised a project that should help me improve my short term memory. I am going to be hosting a project called "Flash Analysis" in which I will be doing nothing but memorizing random things quickly. Hit subscribe to keep up to date on the posts and projects that I feature on this site.
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