Logs vs. No Logs & Snellen vs. Natural Impression

I advocate the use of a log for your eyesight improvement project.

This practice helps makes the progress more tangible, and eliminate subjective concerns. It also helps me provide you with some direction, when you feel stuck. Maybe this is a bit of a stereotype of my culture, the methodical approach to everything, but it certainly is effective.

Here is a great example of a log, that I recently received for review:

And while in most cases, after the initial few weeks you only need to check once a week (or every other week), this is definitely a very nice log.

I am also working on an online version of a log system, so I can more easily review questions. It’s still not ready for release just yet, however.

There are people, who prefer not to use a Snellen or a log. And they certainly aren’t wrong.

I have had hundreds of clients, over the years, who didn’t use measurements for tracking. They did use measurements initially to get normalized and differential prescriptions, but after that they just wouldn’t do logs. It’s easier to let it go with office visits, having met people – there are certainly some people who do better without the numbers.

I remember one client, he started with quite high myopia (around -7 or -8).

In his whole time of improving his eyesight, he didn’t do a single recording, or even measure his distance. And he did recover to 20/15 eventually, a bit faster than the average. He was also a motivated guy, but with a certain attitude about these things.

He said to me:

Alex, I know this works, and I understand how to work on it. Numbers are distracting. I prefer to trust my eyes, and just go with reductions when I feel ready.

This gentleman is also very successful in his business ventures, and has a very no-nonsense attitude.

And he has a point. You can tell, when you can move back further from your computer screen. You make note of it, and get yourself 0.25 lower prescription. When you are outdoors, and you can read that car license plate from a distance further than you need anymore, you get a 0.25 lowered normalized prescription. It’s certainly just as workable.

In some cases I prefer it, over the logging. Because some people just don’t want another task, another thing to keep track of. If I know that you are the type who stays on track, who doesn’t second guess yourself, then there is no harm in doing it this way either. However…

The no log contingent of successful participants is a definite minority.

If you tend to start things and then get sidetracked, not finish them, then no logging isn’t for you. A log helps with having another habit, another thing to remind if you if aren’t doing what you need to be. A log also tells me where you are at, if you end up with questions.

So there it is. You will not be swallowed up into a black hole if you refuse to log. At the same time, you know what I might tell you, if you say six months from now, that you don’t feel like you improved.

Log, don’t log, enjoy some healthy eyesight!