Mapping Your Story Out

You are the author of your life. You are the hero of your own story. Put another way, mapping your story out should carry high value because who you are and where you’re headed is important. Unlike GPS, your personal story won’t arrive at your desired destination without guidance from you – the author. This is true whether you’re actually writing a book or not. I call it life crafting. In fact, after using that phrase I googled it and it’s actually a thing. Life Crafting. Who knew? Apparently, me.

Your Story Starts With You

Harvard Business Review’s Ascend writer Amanda Reill quoted various sources in her article stating the average adult makes 33,000 to 35,000 decisions a day. She goes on to say that many of these are subconscious – or automatic – decisions based on prior input. Our minds steer us one way or another based on how we’ve judged or categorized life events previously. So, if we’ve had a negative response to something already, our natural subconscious choice is avoidance. Conversely, positive responses earlier in life want to push us toward more of that.

But what if something great for us is on the other side of what’s hard, scary, or previously associated with “bad”? Mapping your story out can refocus you on your what, your why, and your how, to overcome that hurdle toward success. Write down what reaching that goal will accomplish for you. What might it accomplish for others? Can you imagine three worthwhile events that could happen along the way?

Hurdling Toward Success

Merriam-Webster.com defines “hurdle” in three ways. Let’s look at the third one first: barrier, obstacle. In my own words, a hurdle is something standing in your direct path. The second dictionary definition goes deeper: an artificial barrier over which racers must leap. Ahhh. The key word in that definition is artificial, meaning it isn’t natural, it isn’t real, and it isn’t true. Wow. How do you help yourself hurdle those kind of obstacles in your race through life? Mapping your story out gives you “end of the story” perspective to see the benefit of future success. When you don’t allow the hurdle to block you indefinitely, when you instead allow the possibility of that mountain to move, that same subconscious mind creatively works to problem solve. Write down possibilities as they come to you.

How Mapping Works

Mapmaking is an art form. Perhaps that’s why I like physical maps so much. It reminds me of the ancient cartographers who had to travel the distances, study the landforms and waterways, and draw them by hand. Talk about an adventurous artful life!

You are the best choice to make your best choices!

Mapping your story out involves the same principles except you’re writing down on paper (or tablet) where you’re going – without having seen it yet. E.L. Doctorow’s famous insight jabbed me in the eye when I first read it:

Who Gets To Drive