Strategic Storyboarding

Is that a mountain on your desk? Will the triple Americano help you make a dent? If your desk looks anything like mine, on Monday morning—you’ll need a shovel and a strategy to get going! If your Monday Morning Desk is a nightmare, read on to find out what fast-acting medicine you can take to get out of the Monday Morning Blues. I used to walk in, look at the desk, and just feel hopeless. I mean, really—which pile should I start with? They’re all important, even urgent-- plus there’s email, mail, proposals, and all the things I haven’t even written down yet! Sound familiar? Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. And you’re about to discover a fast, painless method that will put a smile on your face the next time you face the overwhelming piles. Map Out What’s Up for the Week You’re probably already familiar with branching maps, mind maps and focus maps. You may have seen them in presentations or even used them in your own meetings, trainings, studying or coaching sessions. I’ve used focus maps for years, but the “WOW” really hit when I started using them to make a map of the week. How does it work? A focus map starts anywhere. Write the topic in the center, make branches by days of the week or aspects of your work projects…and you’re off to the races. Add in thoughts, tasks, research areas and action items. Work on any branch. Write in any order.  If you have an idea about who to phone, write it down. An appointment on Tuesday, write it down. It doesn’t matter where you write or what order you write in. Work rapidly, add, change and delete. Mapping along branches is called “mind-mapping” because it is similar branch formation as the neurons of the brain. It’s literally a mirror image for how the structures for thought look on a microscopic level. Good News It’s fast. Because there is no linear structure, you’ll find that this method is fast and painless. It’s a fluid medium for capturing the random flow of thought. And when it’s Monday morning, you need something that is fast acting. What do you notice? You might notice that everything is loaded into one day or one area on your map. Get realistic—give yourself some flexibility. Move some of your projects to the rest of the days of the week—or possibly even into the following week. Do It Your Way If you think along different lines, categories or branches…. guess what? Do it your way! You’re in charge. Make a map for each day. Make a map for each project. It’s up to you. The map works when it works for you. It’s a process! Work with your map. Put it where you can easily see it—on the wall, on your desk, in your notebook. Work with it. Cross off items as you complete them. Add post-it notes for items that may need to be moved. Use a highlighter such as a bright yellow to mark urgent items. Have some fun with this colorful planning tool. Track patterns After you do this for several weeks, compare your maps. What do you notice? Are you overloading on Monday? Can you organize your day or week so that you enjoy the flow? Use this simple pattern-seeking system to move from being overwhelmed and overloaded to feeling in charge and confident. Plan of Action Discover Practical Tools for organizing, remembering and studying.  You’ll find more easy-to-implement mapping tools that you can use today in the just released e-book, Focus Maps you’ll find practical tips and techniques for getting past the Monday morning blues and much more!