Feeling Stuck? Draw Yourself a Life Map
The writings on my wall.
They’re not beautiful like the love notes/street art all over NYC, but I love them just the same. These scribblings are my Life Maps and they keep me sane while making decisions.
A Life Map is a visual representation of a decision I’m faced with and all of the potential ways it could play out. So instead of the options and pros and cons swirling through my head and creating what feels like an insurmountable situation, it’s laid out on a piece of paper. Big, scary decisions are broken down into manageable chunks.
I hang the map on my wall in a place I’ll see it every day (admittedly not hard to do in a 100 square foot studio!). When I start feeling anxiety about what to do, I walk up to my map and take stock: “It’s okay. If this one path doesn’t work out, I’ve already identified at least three other ways to move forward.” I update them often, sometimes crossing out entire plans or adding in new ones as my situation changes.
How my Life Maps change over time reminds me that we can plan all we want but the trajectory of life is truly unknowable. Nothing is ever absolute - not jobs, relationships, money, health.
The quote that’s headlining my current Life Map? “There is no right decision.”
They’re not beautiful like the love notes/street art all over NYC, but I love them just the same. These scribblings are my Life Maps and they keep me sane while making decisions.
A Life Map is a visual representation of a decision I’m faced with and all of the potential ways it could play out. So instead of the options and pros and cons swirling through my head and creating what feels like an insurmountable situation, it’s laid out on a piece of paper. Big, scary decisions are broken down into manageable chunks.
I hang the map on my wall in a place I’ll see it every day (admittedly not hard to do in a 100 square foot studio!). When I start feeling anxiety about what to do, I walk up to my map and take stock: “It’s okay. If this one path doesn’t work out, I’ve already identified at least three other ways to move forward.” I update them often, sometimes crossing out entire plans or adding in new ones as my situation changes.
How my Life Maps change over time reminds me that we can plan all we want but the trajectory of life is truly unknowable. Nothing is ever absolute - not jobs, relationships, money, health.
The quote that’s headlining my current Life Map? “There is no right decision.”
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