My question is, does anyone struggle with the concept of efficiency? I was raised in a family where being efficient was highly valued. From performing housework to exercising to speaking, not waisting time, or appearing to not be waisting time was important. It wasn't always stated that "you must be efficient," but if you weren't efficient then criticism often followed.

Of course MC is a very inefficient disease. Just the very nature of how the muscles use energy is very inefficient, as the muscles continue to contract long after the contraction is needed. I often find myself planning the order that I perform different tasks, so I can conserve the most amount of energy as efficiently as possible. Of course this causes me to be very impatient with people at times, especially when I am trying to get something done at work, and I have to wait on someone else. It also causes me to get very frustrated with myself when I drop something or can't move something when I want to--very inefficient. In fact one of my least favorite things in the world is gravity. I get so angry with gravity, because it causes things to move faster than I can react, that I sometimes reach out and punch objects when they fall on the floor. Not really the most effective or efficient use of my time or energy, but then again, just another example of how much I hate being inefficient.

Type of Myotonia: Thompsens

Country: USA

Jim:

I'm what is known as a "failed perfectionist".

I often think about the most efficient way to do things, however, I often find theory is different than practice, and end up making revisions after my first attempt.

But then again I'm usually dealing with a lot of ifs and unknowns. For example, if both bus routs are running on time and the traffic isn't bad, then it's faster to take the bus to school. If one bus rout is running late, then it takes the same amount of time to take the bus as it does to walk. If one bus rout is running late and there's traffic, it's faster to walk.

But buses aside, I generally just take initial inefficiency, and "acts of God" in stride. If my first run of some process proves to be inefficient, I just take it as a learning experience.

I think you have to ask yourself "What is the point of this?" If you are designing a production line, distribution system, or some emergency room process, then efficiency is very important. But if you are trying to determine what order it's most efficient to go to the bank, post office, and market in, when you really don't have any time constraints, then your effort might exceed the benefits. Maybe the most efficient method saves you 5 minutes, but at what cost? Stress? That can eventually take a toll on your body that's not worth it.

My family never espoused a philosophy about being efficient. But my grandfather did have one philosophy he liked to embrace, and that was, it's ok to be wrong as long as you're right 51% of the time.

Though he was speaking in respect to business and important life decisions.

Type of Myotonia: Becker

Country: USA

I don't have this mind-set.

I can be efficient in my work but to me efficiency is an attribute and not the end goal in itself.

I do try to be as efficient as my MC allows, but I accept that for the most part this is a battle where the odds are stacked against me.

Type of Myotonia: Becker's

Country: England

Thanks for the responses. Its actually nice to hear that you don't have this problem. I have gotten over most of my issues that used to cause me to hide my muscle stiffness, but I have been in counseling now for about fifteen years and have just uncovered this issue of efficiency. I get very angry when I move and my body does't do what I want, because to me it is very inefficient. In my mind I want to be like a machine, just pumping out tasks with no regard for exhaustion or hold up. In fact on the weekends, I sometimes lay around, just resting, for hours, as I try and rest my muscles as to not waist energy. The result of this is my muscles often cramp up even more, and I feel pathetic at the end of the weekend when I haven't accomplished everything I set out to do. I know that going out and doing things or even just staying at home and writing usually gives me energy, but for some reason this concept of efficiency dominates me so much that sometimes it renders me immobile.

Type of Myotonia: Thompsens

Country: USA

Sorry to hear you have this problem Jim, sounds like you need to ease up on yourself a bit, after all, it's not your fault that you've got MC!

Type of Myotonia: Becker's

Country: England

I'd like to pose an alternate view on this question. Are we talking about efficiency or organizational skills? Not trying to hamstring anyone here, but curious.

I have never viewed either of those traits as concomitant with Myotonia. I would think they are more related to your dominant hemisphere. Right brained people are going to have difficulties with organizational skills and efficiency, but will have really good color and visual skills. It is not an insult, it is just normal. Jim, considering you tend to be creative (your films) I would bet if you took a hemisphere test, you would be right brained. Left brained, or logical minded people likely will have much more ease with efficiency and organization.

Example with Myotonia included. (Yes I am witing this ad hoc)
Scenario: - there are 15 jars of jam sitting on the floor - various types, they need to be put into a shelf above in one of the cabinets. For the myotonia in this, the floor to cabinet lift is going to be a hassle.

Right Brained: Jars will go up one at a time, looked at on the way up and will likely be organized by color, size, or image on the front when put away.

Left Brained: Will go get a basket, put all the jars in it, move them to the counter, then place them in the cabinet by label classification.

Neither way is correct or wrong. It is all based on perception depending on which hemisphere is dominant.

I could also be entirely full of crap, been known to happen (I am 50/50 dominant). But, something to think about.

Type of Myotonia: Acetazolamide Reactive (Testing)

Country: US