The other day, my friend, Heather, and I were talking about all that fills our plates. I was saying how helpful I think it would be if I could pull up a hologram screen of all of the things in my mind, and organize them into folders as if they were on a touch screen. That way, instead of thinking of a thousand things at once, I could simply open a file and only think about the things that were there. Then, I could close that folder and open another. It would be so nice if my head worked like that! Right now, I could really use a "clean up" command or an "organize by" button to push!
Whenever I get overwhelmed, I like to make a mind map. I tried one tonight and I posted it below.
It was so messy and full that it actually made me feel worse! I usually like mind maps because they are interesting to look at and help me to categorize my projects. This one did not work!
I started thinking about my folder idea from the other day, and I decided to try something different. I pulled up this design I created a while back and it looks like folders on a computer screen to me. That is not what I had in mind when I created it but it works for me today!
I decided that I should only include projects that I am working on and this helped me to clean it up even more. Now it resembles a checklist (which I like) and it clean and usable. I was just telling someone the other day how charts and lists work well for me.
I still have just as much work to do, but now I think on one project or one task at a time. I feel like I can sleep now!
I have liked to help the kids make bubble maps when they were trying to write a paper for school. It helps get thought together and be creative too. I really love the ideas of the folders.
ReplyDeleteBut I believe that you have happened upon something that I could use for me. I try to wrap my head around what I need to do small picture an large. It can be so overwhelming, but being able to look at it like this would really help make things more manageable. I throw most everything into a folder on the computer so that I can be organized and find it later why not do that with current and future projects. I have lots of ideas for a book and this can help me organize my chapters and thoughts well. Thanks Wendy.