The mind mapping project I thought was instrumental and something I have never done before. It helped me organize my thoughts and daily actions and showed areas where I can optimize individual lifestyle decisions. Whether that means less junk food, spend less time on video games, and spend more time on self-reflection, which can lead to a healthier everyday routine.
To kick this project off, I thought about the four main pillars that I commit to throughout the week. Easy.
1.) Work Day — a high overview of what a day of work consists of.
2.)NYU Masters program — the classes that I am taking this semester and the similarities.
3.) Health & Food — what type of snacks, mental and physical exercise am I partaking in during the week.
4.) Relaxation & Leisure — overview of what I spend my free time doing and areas where I can spend more time generating more innovative ideas.
1.) Work Day
The hardest part of the project for me was the workday section. Over the course of the day, many different things can occur, and each day can bring something significantly different. Breaking up the workday section into 3 columns made it easier to record my thoughts more accurately.
Starting from left to right, the column on the left is pre-work. Any event or thoughts that happen before I log on before 9 a.m. For context, I usually kick off my morning around 7:30 a.m. every morning. An action that has been extremely beneficial not only for my mental state but also keeps me physically accountable. Every morning I walk my dog between an hour to an hour in a half. Naturally, I don’t bring my phone, so this gives me the clarity to reflect on what’s at stake for the day ahead, what’s going on in the world, and the other random thoughts that populate my mind during that time. I often found this time to be even more beneficial when trying to solve complex problems that might have lingered from a previous day because I started the day with a clean slate.
Interestingly enough, the middle and the column on the right we’re relatively similar. The only real difference I noticed on some days meetings may have gone longer than planned, which pushed certain items to later in the evening.
2.) NYU Masters Program
Next, I focused on was the NYU Masters program. So far, the most significant difference I found was the different platforms each class was using and some of the technologies. The rest of my thoughts were similar. Both classes foster collaboration amongst myself and peers, a similar class structure of reading, watching, and practicing what you learned from the course.
3.) Health & Food
Next, I grouped health and food. I thought they both go hand in hand with one another because they both affect your mental and physical state. It was extremely beneficial to think about the types of produce and vegetables I am consuming throughout the week. Taking care of yourself both mentally and physically is crucial, especially during the times we are currently in. Making smart and healthy choices enables you to think more clearly, boost your mood, and improve your ability to focus. This step made me feel more freely about different food items to consider and cut back on to enhance my productivity.
4.) Relaxation & Leisure
The final step for my mind map was relaxation and leisure. I found this section to be the easiest to record my thoughts and the most natural. Some would consider the middle column learn to be a section of its own. Still, when I am learning something new, I find the latest materials to be somewhat meditative, and I am usually in a very tranquil mindset.
Conclusion
Overall, I really enjoyed trying this exercise, and it’s a useful strategy that I could apply to other aspects of my life. Maybe even make it monthly! It would be fun to look back at each month's results and see what has changed over a year and what actions I have committed to.
Technology Used for this project: Sketch.
I choose sketch because it’s a product that I am already familiar with and thought it would be easiest to create a mind map.
