• Blogging

    Mind Mapping with MindMeister

    I’ve started planning for 2015 in theory, but I’ve struggled with execution. Usually, I  wrote my goals, wants, and wishes down in a Word document. I forget about it as soon as I close the document. Hard to stay focused when your goals are hidden in a file.

    The other day, I read a blog post by Britni Danielle about mapping out your goals. Talk about being right on time…whew! So I grabbed an erasable pen and some printer paper and got to work.

    My original mind map. Pardon my handwriting.
    My original mind map. Pardon my handwriting.

    There’s something freeing about putting everything on paper. Not keyboard to screen, pen to paper. As much as I love being “connected”, I enjoyed actually having to write something out. I don’t do that often.

    Excited about my idea map, I texted Amber to share my glee. She sends me the link to MindMeister. It’s the online version of your DIY mind maps. Just when I thought the internet couldn’t get any better, once again, Amber proves me wrong.

    Some Highlights About MindMeister:

    • There’s a demo version. Many of the options are unavailable in the demo version unless you sign up for free.
    •  You can create up to 3 minds maps. There are also 3 paid account options (personal, pro, and business).
    • Mind maps can be exported into formats such as Word docs and  PDFs.
    • Not only is it available on web, you there’s also an app, which is available for iOS and Android!!

    I created an account and after spending about an hour playing around with the app, I created this:

    My mind map courtesy of MindMeister.
    My mind map courtesy of MindMeister.

     

    It’s definitely worth looking into if you want to make your mind maps look nice. If you check out MindMeister, let me know what you think!

  • The Complexities of Life

    My Version of Success

    Embed from Getty Images

    Back in September, I received my Monday Motivation email from Britni Danielle. In the email, she asked subscribers the following question:

    What does success look like to you?

    Next was a series of questions designed to inspire the reader to work towards creating the life they really want. What initially appeared to be a simple exercise was really eye-opening and I wanted to share it with you.

    Am I happy?

    If not, what would make me happier?

    I feel most successful when?

    I really, really want to accomplish __________.

    What’s stopping me?

    Is that just an excuse?

    How can I overcome it?

    Today I will do________ to get me closer to_________.

    (After you get through the questions, the reader is instructed to  jot down a brief description of his/her ideal life using the following questions.)

    What do you do for a living? Where do you live? What do you feel like? Who are you sharing it with?

    That’s the end of the exercise.

    When I finished, I felt so relieved. Not because the exercise was difficult, but because I realized that successful was within my reach. Prior to receiving the email, the idea of success was so overwhelming. The email helped me evaluate what was preventing me from accomplishing my version of success. I printed multiple copies and placed them all over my home. A visual reminder for me to do something daily to work towards my version of success.