2821: Mind Mapping as a Transformational Tool by Kathy Robinson of Athena Wellness

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_01] Before we start, please check out our new podcast, Good Sleep. Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:25] [SPEAKER_01] So press play on Good Sleep tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. This is Optimal Living Daily episode 2821, Mind Mapping is a Transformational Tool by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. And I'm Justin Malik reading you articles every single day of the year, always with permission from the authors.

[00:00:52] [SPEAKER_01] And with that, let's get right to our next post and continue optimizing your life. Mind mapping is a transformational tool by Kathy Robinson of AthenaWellness.com. I've written about the importance of discovering and exploring a broad range of interests and how it can bring a sense of joy that spills over into other areas of your life.

[00:01:18] [SPEAKER_01] From a wellness perspective, learning new things is a wonderful path of self-discovery. But as you delve deeper into your interests and passions, you may feel your life path diverge from your norm. It's as if you're bridging two different worlds, the one of daily responsibilities and the one where you're connecting with a sense of aliveness that has been dormant. I felt this at times in my life, such as when I was training for an ultra marathon, writing my book, or planning for my retirement.

[00:01:46] [SPEAKER_01] It felt like I was living double lives. I was more than the corporate executive who showed up for work each day. I was an athlete, an author, and an entrepreneur at various times throughout the last five years of my career. When I begin working with new clients, they usually don't know how to discover what feels compelling. New interests can feel elusive. But a great way to explore such abstract ideas is through a process called mind mapping.

[00:02:14] [SPEAKER_01] Mind mapping is a visual thinking tool that can help you brainstorm and organize your thoughts and ideas. In the business world, mind mapping is used to generate ideas, solve problems, and plan projects in a creative and or collaborative way. But it can be an especially helpful tool to use when you're working through a life transition. Here are the basic steps of creating a mind map. Begin by writing down the main topic in the center of a piece of paper.

[00:02:43] [SPEAKER_01] Then, branch out from the center with related ideas and thoughts. You can keep it simple by including words only, or use different colors, shapes, and images. Adding other elements will not only make your mind map more visually appealing, but new connections may be easier to identify. As you brainstorm, don't worry about the output. Just let your thoughts flow freely. You can always go back and amend your mind map later.

[00:03:08] [SPEAKER_01] Now, once you have a basic mind map, start to think about how the different ideas are related to each other. What are the pros and cons of each option? What are the risks and rewards? What are your intentions and potential actions? As a deeper understanding of your options emerges, you can start to shape a plan. What initial steps can you take to move forward? What resources would be helpful? What support do you need?

[00:03:34] [SPEAKER_01] So here's an example of how a client I'll call Mary uses a mind map. Mary has established a long professional career and is considering what to do next. She's already excluded the option of retirement. Mary wants to find a passion and pursue a more purposeful life. So here's an outline of her process. In the center of the page, Mary writes the words, what's next, and circles them. Envisioning what life might be like when she doesn't have her current work commitments,

[00:04:03] [SPEAKER_01] she draws several lines with potential ways she might want to spend her time and circles each. For example, de-stress from work, travel for pleasure, start a business, write a book, get involved in the local community. Mary continues down each of these five paths, jotting down words and thoughts on why it's important and what it could feel and look like. For example, the things that came to mind when she thought about the word de-stress

[00:04:29] [SPEAKER_01] included phrases like outdoor movement, sleep, deepened friendships, ocean, calm energy, laughter, mountains. Once the basic mind map was completed, Mary looked for prominent themes. For example, on the de-stress thread, she combined deepened friendships with laughter, mountains, and outdoor movement because she already decided to invite a few friends on a day-long hiking trip.

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_01] She also connected ocean, calm energy, and travel with the intention of booking a trip to a favorite beach she hadn't visited in years. Starting with those two activities, hiking and the beach trip, she created concrete action plans for each and began taking action immediately. That's a simplified version of what a mind mapping exercise could look like. So now to you. How might you use mind mapping as you navigate a life change as a way to begin to initiate action?

[00:05:25] [SPEAKER_01] Well, my first suggestion is to pull the lens out by first asking some big questions about the topic that's the subject of your mind map. For example, if the life change you're considering is similar to Mary's, you might start with questions such as, what kind of lifestyle do I want to have? Or, what kind of impact do I want to make in the world? Or, how would I like to feel each day once work is no longer part of my daily schedule? As you warm up your brainstorming muscle,

[00:05:53] [SPEAKER_01] you can expand your range of possibilities by asking questions like, if I could only do one thing for the rest of my life, what would it be? And, what would I attempt if I had no fear? Or, how would I spend my days if I had all the money in the world? If you're feeling really creative, you can ask sensory-based questions to get to deeper emotions and meaning. For example, you could ask, what color is the next phase of my life? Or, if the next phase of my life had a soundtrack, what songs would be on it?

[00:06:23] [SPEAKER_01] You can create a next life phase culinary menu, travel itinerary, or a list of beloved memories and related feelings you'd like to evoke once more. As you begin to mind map, keep the following in mind. Be open to new ideas, surprises, and connections. Allow the thoughts to flow without judgment or the constraints of perfection or life responsibilities. And feel free to use colors, shapes, and images if you find them visually stimulating or you find them more freeing.

[00:06:53] [SPEAKER_01] Once you come to a stopping point, tuck it away for a bit. When you feel it's the right time, take a look and see what deeper messages and meaning you can glean from your work. And if it feels right, share it with a trusted friend to see what they pick up that perhaps wasn't apparent to you. When you have a version of the mind map you're happy with, now it's time to take action. Pick one area that has the most energy for you. If the next step is clear, create a plan to take action.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_01] If the way forward isn't clear but you're intrigued by a particular section, you can create a mind map on that specific area and see where it leads. You can use the mind mapping technique wherever you are in the transformational process. As tennis legend Arthur Ashwin said, quote, Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can, end quote. With this as your mantra, you can take steps along a diverging path and walk toward a new vision as it crystallizes.

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[00:09:37] [SPEAKER_01] Thank you to Kathy. Longtime listeners of this show might remember me bringing up a favorite question, which might be overused and was mentioned in this article, but I found it's helped me multiple times in life. And that is honestly asking yourself, what you would do if you had all the money in the world. You really have to picture it though. Like money is no object. How would you spend your average day? A friend of mine once told me, he'd invest in real estate. It's a fine answer,

[00:10:07] [SPEAKER_01] but it doesn't really give the full picture unless you dig deeper. Like why? Why real estate? To make more money? Again, money's no object. So what's the actual point here? I didn't get to go that far with the questions in his case, but knowing him, I suspect it's actually more that he likes to work on and improve houses. So he'd probably purchase one, work on it for fun, improve it, and then probably sell it, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Maybe, maybe not.

[00:10:36] [SPEAKER_01] Only he can answer that. And only you can too, if you try to get to the bottom of it. For me, I would continue doing this podcast if people are still wanting to listen. If not, maybe develop more ideas because for me, it's rewarding to bring an idea to life and then make it sustainable as a business. So I'm curious what yours is. Is it spending more time with others? Can you do that now, at least a little more? And what's the why behind all of it? All questions to think about today.

[00:11:06] [SPEAKER_01] Feel free to share with me your answers. I always enjoy hearing from you. You can get in touch at oldpodcast.com. But that'll do it for today. Thank you for listening and being here. Have a great rest of your day. And I'll see you tomorrow where your optimal life awaits. Have a great rest of your day.