The Quest Log: A Practical Tool for Innovation in Therapy and Volunteer Programs

 Join host Gina on "Animals & Aquatics in OT" as she explores the power of the quest log in refining therapy interventions and volunteer programs. Discover how this practical tool can enhance engagement, track progress, and create an innovative approach to your practice. Gain insights into the ENGAGE method, learn real-life examples, and explore the benefits of quest logs over checklists. Don't miss the opportunity to attend "The Quest Log Roadmap" workshop for practical strategies and a deeper dive into quest log implementation. 

Transcript

0:12

Welcome to another episode of animals and aquatics and OT. I'm your host, Gina. And today we're diving deep into a topic that can refine your therapy interventions, or be used in volunteer programs. It's called the quest log. The quest log is the strategic tool that I use and teach within the engage method it's designed to guide participants towards progress and satisfaction. It's a great activity that I found to be quick. Easy to use and helpful in my practice. Today, we'll explore what the quest log is all about and how it can help you create an innovative approach in your own practice. But first let's define the engage method. It's a comprehensive approach that encompasses nine domains of human motivation. It focuses on intrinsic motivation. And a 360 degree customer experience. The engaged method stands for. Evaluate. The nine domains of human motivation. Generating ideas, applying techniques. Guiding the process and ensuring success. This is the overarching framework that I am teaching in the trailblazers quest program. The quest log is one of the 25 techniques taught within this method. And it really provides a structured pathway towards progress and engagement. But first of all, what is a quest log anyway? Uh, quest log is a powerful tool that guides people on an engaging and purposeful journey fuels their motivation, tracks their progress and fosters a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction along the way. I find the quest log, easy to use quick to put together and really fun. So to give you a better understanding of the quest log. Let me give you some real life examples. Let's take Johnny. He loves doing his own thing and his OT sessions. You've worked really hard to set up the environment and follow his lead, but he often leads back to what he already knows how to do. And can do already well. And this week you're going to work on a quest log with him. He gave me part of the process in creating the steps to help him reach his goal. Or at least he can glue the pictures that he likes beside the visual pathway of steps that you created. Together Jamar progress and celebrate together. With a special quest stance, which Johnny thinks is really funny. Or we go look at our volunteer programs. Now there's many challenges with volunteer programs, but we really need them, especially when we're incorporating hippotherapy into our treatments or using the aquatic environment. We need to have extra hands on deck, so to speak. And wouldn't it be great to give the volunteer a personalized roadmap to their highest calling within our business or organization? Yes. It would trust me. We know that some people come for horses and some people come for the kids that we work with and some, for a sense of community. We can create quest logs that have distinct steps for each volunteer to complete. As they complete each step, they can have it stamp. With like an awesome horseshoe stamp. And as they progress down the road, they can earn something like extra barn time, pool, time attendance at a training event, new skill permissions or even a specific title, like head barn volunteer. The quest log gives a clear progression. It can be tailored to their skills and reward them for the tasks that we need them to do. And since today, we're speaking about quest logs and thrill to mention, the quest log roadmap workshop. In it, I provide a deep dive into implementation of the quest log and offering practical strategies to get you going right away. Attending this workshop will equip you with the tools, templates, handouts, and knowledge to get started using the quest log. Like that afternoon. So now let's look at a couple really good reasons why you might want to learn to create quest logs. First quest logs enhance your participants engagement. And motivation. By providing clear goals and a sense of purpose. It's really a structured adventure and it can InSpark enthusiasm drive progress. Putting a pretend storyline or a theme to the quest can be engaging for children and adults alike. So finding out what it is that your client likes, is it mermaids or pirates or unicorns or harry Potter. And creating your quest log around that will really help that client be engaged and motivated in the process. Next. Quest logs helped me track progress effectively and celebrate achievements both with my clients and with their parents, by having a visual representation of the milestones and accomplishments. Everyone is experiencing a sense of fulfillment and motivation to continue on their journey with me. Lastly, I like quest logs because they create a structured framework for therapy sessions or volunteer programs. They promote consistent attendance and they give me a way to plan effectively. This allows me to provide a cohesive and purpose-driven experience for my clients or volunteers. But really why would I use a quest log over a checklist? Well, usually a quest log has several advantages over a traditional checklist approach. Here are a few reasons why you might choose a quest log. Uh, quest log adds an element of adventure and excitement to the process. And I love to play pretend. So this is kind of just like a big game of pretend for me. It transforms mundane tasks like sweeping the barn aisle into an immersive journey. It makes the experience more engaging and motivating for participants. Unlike a checklist, which can feel repetitive. A quest log creates a sense of progress and achievement throughout the journey. How many times have we created checklists for our volunteers that nothing ever gets done on? With the quest log, there is a sense of purpose. There's a way to track progress more clearly while a checklist simply marks off the completed tasks. The quest log allows for more detailed progress tracking. Especially if you've done your activity analysis first. Participants can see their progress visually represented. They can unlock new challenges and milestones along the way. This provides a sense of accomplishment and helps participants understand how far they've come and what lies ahead. Quest logs are personalized and flexible. They offer more room for us to personalize it and customize it compared to a typical checklist. So again, thinking back to those volunteers and what is motivating them to come and volunteer and spend their time with us. The quest log really allows us to customize what is on their quests log. While still making sure that we get needed tasks done. It allows people to choose their own path. Tackle challenges in a way that suits their individual preferences and needs. This personalization fosters a sense of ownership. Which is one of the nine domains of motivation. And is empowering in the process. The quest log format taps into the psychological aspects of motivation. It appeals to the participants, intrinsic motivation by creating a sense of purpose, autonomy, and mastery. By framing task as meaningful quests participants are more likely to feel motivated, invested, and inspired to complete them. It also helps with the parents understanding the process. And for longterm engagement. Uh, quest log encourages, ongoing engagement and a longer-term commitment. As participants progress to the log, they unlocked new quests or challenges that you set, this ensures a sustained interest and continue involvement, especially for volunteers. In contrast, a checklist can feel static and limited. Potentially leading to disengagement over time. Like all the checklists we make for barn tasks that never get done. Overall, I feel that using a quest log over a checklist offers a more dynamic and engaging approach to task completion. It provides motivation provides clear progress tracking. Allows for personalization and fosters a sense of adventure and accomplishment. So as we wrap up this episode, I hope you've gained some valuable insights into what a quest log is and its potential. Remember by attending the quest log roadmap workshop, you can take a deeper dive into this useful tool and gain some practical strategies for success with me. Thank you for joining me today on animals and aquatics in OT. Stay tuned for more practical episodes where we explore innovative approaches to enhance lives through nature and motivation until next time, keep making a splash in the world of OT.