By now you’ve created your mindmap or lists or whatever you wanted to do to capture 1) accomplishments of the past year and 2) the aspirations for the new year. If not, here’s a handy little Planning Booklet I used a few years ago.
Now it’s time to ANALYZE.
The notion of ‘analysis’ sometimes sets off alarm bells in the creative person. Analysis doesn’t sound creative! Ah, but it is My Friend. Evaluating and Choosing are central to the creative process.
Here’s one method to create some focus:
Look at everything you’ve written on your Past Year map. Circle 5 that bring you the most satisfaction. You can use any criteria you like…the most difficult/breakthrough. the most fun, the ones that connect to your deepest values. Anything. Just choose FIVE.
Then look at these five. What do you notice? How might these top five inform your choices for the coming year?
Now look at everything on your New Year map. Choose TEN. Again, apply any criteria you like to choose your ten.
Write each of these aspirations on a notecard or a slip of paper. Ten pieces of paper.
Array them and take a deep breath. This is a good time to tap your intuition and follow those ideas that have the most juice for you. As you read each one, what raises your energy a little more?
Next you’re going to pile them up. Of these ten, which is at the bottom of the list? Which is at the top? Which is second from the bottom? Second from the top? And so on.
You now have a prioritized list of your top goals for the coming year.
What Next?
Incubate on this list for a couple of nights. Reread your notecards before you go to sleep tonight and let your unconscious play with the ideas. In my next post I’ll discuss how to support the process of actually DOING something with your dreams.
Last week I posted an exercise to do a quick temperature check on the level of Enjoyment in your Life. This week is all about Diverging in order to get to the things you REALLY want to do in 2010.
Looking Back
For the past few weeks I have been making mindmaps as part of my year-end creative planning. Check out this post if you haven’t used mindmaps before.
As I think about the past year I start with some categories to help me generate the items. This year I am working with:
Fun
Health
Home
Work
Friends and Family
Personal Development
Creative Projects
I simply draw the stems and note accomplishments or events that fit in the bucket.
Now, you may ask, “Why bother? The year is over. Why look back?” And here is how I would answer:
1) Take Credit. Some years, I have come to the end of the year with the feeling that I haven’t done much. When I begin listing I notice that, in fact, every year is full of something. I like to give myself credit for what I did–even when the accomplishments weren’t foreseen.
2) Notice the Buckets. Some years my buckets are really uneven. For a few years I neglected my Health. Other years the Fun bucket has been really jammed while the Work bucket was a little light. This activity helps me to recalibrate.
3) The Power of Reflection. If you are a person with a ‘bias-for-action’ it is useful to spend a little time in reflection. Does this map reflect how you want to spend your time?
4) Remember the Good Times. I just like the simple snapshot that this activity gives me.
Looking Forward
At the same time I am building my mindmap for the past year I am generating ideas for the coming year. Notice I wrote, “Ideas”. This is a Brainwriting activity…not The Plan. These are things I might do. So go for it! List anything you might choose to do. Use the same categories or build up some new ones. Maybe you want to take some risks in 2010. Create a stem for Daring Deeds. Or maybe you want to Get Organized–add that to your map. Remember it’s your map and it’s just another step along the way.
In my next post I’ll describe some ways to Converge on The Plan. Until then, have fun imagining a great 2010!
Just look at the words: a map….of your mind. Awesome!
Mindmapping is a tool to get your ideas out, organize your thinking and get visual with your thoughts. Wikipedia has an excellent page about this technique so I encourage you to enjoy a much broader explanation here.
Why Map?
Maps help me to capture a lot of ideas quickly. When I am designing a workshop or client engagement I always begin with a mindmap. The process tends to expand my thinking in a way that simple listing does not.
MindMap Formats
I tend not to get fancy on my own maps. I keep them in my journal and add to them as thoughts occur. However, I do occasionally use mindmapping software. There are two I like:
Inspiration. This company has been around for years and they keep improving the software. They are based in Oregon so I can support the local economy. My favorite feature is the toggle between the mindmap graphic format to the Outline format. Very efficient.
FreeMind. The best thing about FreeMind is that is actually is free. Yup. Open source and free. I have less experience with it but I am playing with it now because it has some sophisticated features such as ‘folding’ and easy linking. I’m planning on running a FreeMind Map for my 2010 Business Plan.
If mindmapping intrigues you I encourage you to explore the tool. There are MANY resources online. The learning curve on new software is probably worth it for more complex tracking. And good old-fashioned paper is instant and satisfying–especially if you use colored markers!
After you’ve answered the questions look for patterns.
Are you indulging in your favorite activities often enough?
Do all your favorites require enormous planning that can stall you?
Do you need others to have fun?
The first time I did this exercise I was quite smug. I had a nice variety in all the columns and I was enjoying myself regularly. Then I got to the last column–all my favorites were OLD standbys. I hadn’t picked up a new activity in years. Which kind of surprised me. It gave me some insight to patterns that were keeping me in a rut, creatively speaking.
From this activity you might come to a few new goals to add to the fodder of your Creative Planning for 2010.
Despite the frigid temperatures (Really? Why is Portland, Oregon below freezing in the daytime??) this is one of my favorite times of year. Why?
Yuletide Traditions
Obviously, the Yuletide jolliness is enjoyable. Over the years I have learned to pace myself. The pacing began in my twenties when my poor husband begged me not to make all the gifts. Because I became a CRAZY Woman, embroidering and assembling until we left for Grandma’s house. Now I am more circumspect. What gets done gets done. If packages are late arriving to my family in Europe they will not die. They’ll have something to open during the post-holiday letdown!
Winter Stillness
This time of year is about patience. When I was a girl we lit an Advent wreath nightly and anticipated the birth of Baby Jesus. Today I still light Advent candles (so nostalgic) and I await the Return of the Light. December 21st, when the days begin to lengthen I am happy-wappy because I won’t feel like hibernating. Meanwhile, the cold, dark evenings slow me down.
Creative Planning
Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living. -Anais Nin
Above all, my excitement builds all month as I initiate my annual strategic planning. I know strategic planning can be a BIG DRAG. It can also be really thought-provoking. I enjoy facilitating strategic planning offsites because they ARE difficult. But personal strategic planning is FUN.
Every year I make a personal plan and it’s amazing to me how many of my goals come through. Despite the fact that I am not a methodical person I get a lot done. So it’s always important to seed the brain and guide it in the desired direction.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be describing my process. I invite you to come along….
Years ago my children were discussing ‘theater nerds’ and how they found them annoying. I said, ‘That’s weird. When I was in high school theater, it was considered pretty cool.” They both looked at me without saying anything, the obvious hanging in the silence. I, too, was a theater nerd. I was also a dance dork. And I was in student government. Oh yes, I was cool.
I’m a grown-up now. A professional. And I am still enjoying expressing my other side. Furthermore, I think playing with crafts and joining bands are forms of play. And, as we all know, PLAY IS CRUCIAL TO CREATIVITY.
So I share my methods of play now.
Exhibit A: Crafts
I am making jewelry (cuz I love sparkly things!) and I am lucky enough to be part of an art collective. We are putting on our third annual Open Doors show and sale. If you are in the Portland area come and visit. The shopping is quite excellent.
Exhibit B: Get a Life Marching Band
My first gig with the Get a Life Marching Band was the Chinese New Year’s Parade in San Francisco last February. Regrettably, I don’t play an instrument. I am a dancer with the band (I come into the picture at 24 seconds, tall one in the middle of the back row).
Last Friday I marched with G.A.L in the local Macy’s Holiday Parade. And, yes,we used poms poms. Super fun!
So, in this season of extremes I encourage you all to blow off a little steam and embrace your inner dork. Really, it’s fun to play.
