Penny is an artist who uses her creative side and imagination to express herself. She’s now using this opportunity with ASDNext to not only do that through art, but also blogging. For much of her life, she felt like the “quirky sidekick” stereotype in a movie, always doing what others expected of her. When she was diagnosed with autism later in life, that all began to change. This news was life changing and she knew it was time to rewrite her story. She’s no longer on the sidelines of this so-called movie that is her life, she’s the director, leading-lady, or whatever other part she needs to play to figure out who she REALLY is! Every small step toward authenticity is now a victory for her in this new stage of life.
View all postsFinch: A Fun and Functional App for Achieving Goals
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For most of my life, I have struggled with overcomplicating or completely forgetting the simplest tasks. Before discovering I had autism, this challenge was a trait I always chalked up to being disorganized or forgetful. Now I understand that my brain just works differently. One strategy that has always helped me navigate this challenge is writing tasks down or checking things off a list. Visual aids REALLY help me get out of my own way to get stuff done. So, when my friend Amanda encouraged me to try her new favorite quirky goal-setting app, Finch, I was eager to give it a go.
Upon download, I was reminded I had tried out this app before. The first time I tested out Finch was a couple of years ago, and all I remembered from that experience was that it was cute, but I didn’t quite get it. I remember making a list of things to do, completing the list, and having my bird fly off to go on an adventure. I forgot about her and never rechecked the app. On this second attempt to try Finch, my newly adopted baby bird I named Darlene, auto populated my goals list with fundamental adult tasks. These included getting out of bed, brushing my teeth, washing my face, and doing 1 thing that makes me happy. I was consistently knocking these out of the park all week long. At the end of the week, Darlene and I did a check-in, figuring out what areas of my life I was excelling at and which I was struggling with. The app suggested I add 3 deep breaths to my day. I also added “eat a filling lunch or snack” to my list (sometimes I forget to eat when I’m in super-focus mode).
Each goal completed generates energy. When your bird (or Birb as it is called in the app) has enough energy, it is ready to embark on an adventure. Right before she left, Darlene told me she wouldn’t be back for at least 6 hours, which seemed like forever. The app let me know that if I tackled more in-game tasks, like doing a quick breathing exercise or sending a positive note to a friend, Darlene could return to me faster. Once she returns, she informs me of her latest “discovery.” For example, the other day, Darlene left and returned to me, discovering a bar of soap. Darlene reported back, “This rock smells nice and flowery. Do flowers turn into rocks when they die?” This opens up the opportunity to explain to her what soap is. Discovering soap sounds silly, but some discoveries go deep and sentimental. My responses to her questions help my Birb form opinions that contribute to developing her personality and values.
The more I kept up with my goals, the more points the app required to level up my Birb. I started thinking creatively, adding even EASIER daily checkboxes with things I needed to remember specifically for the day, like payday, working out, and remembering to take simple items with me on the go, like my phone charger or a piece of mail to send. If I don’t complete my tasks, I can’t send Darlene out on her adventure; she won’t make any discoveries or bring back any Rainbow Stones. Rainbow Stones, what are those, you ask? They are the in-game currency used to unlock cosmetics. Cosmetics include clothing, furniture, and paint for my Birb’s space. The cosmetics I bought allowed me to dress Darlene as a big, fluffy brown chicken, put her in cute, poofy dresses, and even give her a bedtime outfit of comfy pajamas. Her little living space is filled with bright colors, plants, a bookshelf, a heater, and a beautiful stained-glass window. All these amenities were purchased with the Rainbow Stones she and I gathered by completing real-life tasks.
All these features are included in the free version of the app. There are many other free options, like extra reflection prompts, breathing exercises, and a whole friend list where you can connect with others (like my friend Amanda) who use the app. If you upgrade to the paid version, there are additional cosmetic options and more ways to acquire Rainbow Stones. Since I tend to get hyper-focused on things only briefly, I’m shying away from paying for a whole year’s membership (especially in this economy). Plus, when I think about it, paying real-life money is silly since Darlene isn’t a real pet and already has nicer clothes than I do in the app’s free version.
Once I understood the concept, the Finch app helped me set goals and see them through to completion. It’s really like having a self-care Tamagotchi on your phone. The more effort I put into following through on real-life tasks, the more she learns and grows. Will I stick with it? Only time will tell! Overall, I recommend trying it out if you want a fresh way to reach your goals. It could be just what you needed!
Penny
