I introduced the idea of the plateau in my previous post, Beware the Plateau! I have two reasons for not liking the concept of a plateau: the first is below and the second is in the post, The Plateau and 'Bedding Down' Gains.
So things had been working out well for me in my TBI recovery. When I write about it now, it seems obvious that eventually they wouldn't go quite so well. Somehow, I convinced myself that all that was required was more effort, all I had to do was "stay the course."
So I kept at what I'd been doing. Unfortunately for me, I was caught out by the old adage, you do the same thing, you get the same results. I was trying the same old things long after they'd stopped working, as if I expected them to magically start producing results.
Belatedly, I realised one thing that might help was a new approach, a new way to try and improve my skills at whatever the activity was. Back to my balance example, an alternative way to work on my balance more was to start relearning how to juggle a soccer ball. To juggle a soccer ball, you need to stand well on one leg while using the other to kick the ball in just the right place with just the right amount of force. Your balance must improve.
Ball sports have never been a natural thing for me and, even after heaps of practice, I'm nothing special at juggling. But I am better than I was and, more importantly, my balance is better than it was.
That's consistent with the discussion of Myth 3, the Concept of a Plateau in Debunking Ten Myths of Brain Injury Recovery. It talks about how "energizing environmental events" can lead to sudden leaps forward. Trying something different, getting the brain to think in a different way can cause it to 'wake up' a little bit more!
The discussion suggests, even years later, a new, committed counsellor or more social contact can bring about enough change to break from the plateau.
Cheers,
Mike
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