Some weeks, some days, some hours, we all feel the pressure of life, until we become aware of a clenching jaw, a furrowed eyebrow,
and maybe even grinding teeth. I feel my
stress in my brow. Maybe you feel it in your gut.
Regardless of where we carry our stress, we all have complex
lives that pull us in too many directions. Today I want to share a strategy I
use to get out in front of stress by
gaining clarity on the forces that are causing it. This strategy helps me become
the driver of my world, and not the slave to it. It is easy, and I think it can help you too.
The strategy I use is called mind mapping. It is a visual thinking strategy that allows you to
figure out what you have going on in your life, what you have done, and what you need
to do. The result is a picture – a mind map – that clearly shows you all of
this.
Below is the mind map of my week. Further down you will see a link to a template you can download and use for yourself, and a
video that shows how I created this, which I hope you will watch and try.
If you look closely at this mind map, you see that it has branches
for WORK, FAMILY, HOME, ATHLETIC, SPIRITUAL, JUST FOR OTHERS, JUST FOR ME. These are my key categories for a balanced
life. Yours may be different. Make your own categories that make sense for
your life.
My map shows me that I was somewhat productive at work and very
busy with family. It also shows me that
I exercised enough, and even had a little fun.
Upon reflection, I remembered that I picked up a litter one day, making
the streets a little nicer for others.
While I DID NOT get million other things done, this map
PROVES to me, VISUALLY, that my week was pretty balanced. Overall, I was MORE productive, conscientious, family focused than I may have
felt in many individual moments – especially moments when I felt overwhelmed
by the High School application process or guilty for watching TV instead of
writing this BLOG!!!
Weekly mind maps are beneficial on many critical
fronts. They will help you:
1.
Show you why you feel so busy;
2.
See what you have done;
3.
Feel good about your progress;
4.
Combat feelings of guilt over and laziness and
procrastination;
5.
Gain a plan of action to prioritize what you
have to do.
6.
Replace feelings of overwhelm with a tangible
reality of what you can do.
Life can make you crazy, and it can hard to get a grip on why. For a great solution, try mind mapping. It is a fast and fun way to engage your creative, visual, right brain in the process of self-reflection and analysis. It can help you put yourself in charge of your busy, crazy life.
Make a "My Week" Mind Map. Sketch it out from the template or make one yourself.
Give yourself credit for what you did this week, and share how it went for you.
Make a "My Week" Mind Map. Sketch it out from the template or make one yourself.
Give yourself credit for what you did this week, and share how it went for you.
Contact the author at www.visualleap.com
