Vision Mapping (How to Create the Road Map to Your Dream Life)

Vision mapping is the process of creating a detailed mind map of the goals and dreams that you have for your life. Vision maps are a powerful tool that help you to create a personal vision and a detailed plan for your life. You can then use vision maps to help yourself stay accountable to your life vision.

What are Vision Maps?

It is important to note that vision mapping is not the same process as creating a vision board. A vision board is generally a collection of visual elements that doesn’t necessarily have a specific plan for just how you will reach your life goals.

On the other hand, a vision map is a very detailed plan that helps you set goals and lay out the specific steps you need to take to achieve them.

Vision maps clearly show where you are, where you want to be, and what specific steps you need to take to get there. They also highlight the challenges you expect to encounter, and the supports that you have to help you along the way.

Like vision boards, your personal vision map should also use visual elements to help paint a vivid picture of your vision.

How to Create Your Personal Vision Map

Begin with your vision for your life

To get started with vision mapping, take a moment to think about your vision for your life.

Your personal vision map should begin with your destination in mind. What will it look like when you create the life you want to live?

This can be a big and scary question that feels intimidating. You may be wondering if it is even possible to come up with a vision for your life. But don’t let those feelings discourage you from getting started.

Your goal is not to have to every single detail of your life figured out during the vision mapping process. Instead, just focus on your future self and what make the decisions you think are best for that version of you.

If you feel overwhelmed or confused, consider starting a vision mapping journal. Write down anything that inspires you in your journal. It may be an idea you have for a side hustle, a picture of what you envision your family life looking like, or anything else that helps you clearly see what you want your future to look like.

Before long, you will start to see connections between your ideas. This will help you understand your personal vision for your life.

Map out your pathways

The next step is to map out the different paths that will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Just like when you are taking a trip from one point to another, there are many possible routes that will take you to your destination.

The important thing is making sure that each pathway contains specific steps to help you move closer to your vision.

The best vision maps also highlight the obstacles and challenges you are likely to encounter along the way. This will ensure that you take the necessary steps to prepare yourself to overcome them successfully.

You should also include the key stakeholders that are going to help you along your journey. For example, specific family members and friends are two different stakeholders that you have in your life to help you when things get tough.

You may notice that you have different visions for different areas of your life, or that they all intertwine along different paths to form a single vision. That’s okay! There are no rules in vision mapping. This is your personal vision for your life!

Analyze your pathways

One of the greatest benefits of vision mapping is that it helps you visualize each different pathway toward your vision.

Having a clear visual of each possible pathway will help you make the best decisions that will take you to where you want to be.

A great analogy to understand this step is thinking about a cross town trip in a car. Having a good map allows you to plan the best route for your journey. For example, you could take the highway because it is faster and has less traffic than the downtown route.

Being able to take a closer look at each individual step and challenge along each different pathway will help you make more informed decisions about your life.

Look back at your progress often

Keep your vision map in a convenient place that you visit often. You should have simple access to it so that you can check in frequently – just as you would check a map often on a long road trip.

Remember that the goal isn’t to laminate your map and move on. Your vision of the future is always in motion, and life will throw unexpected curveballs at you all the time!

Sometimes these show up as opportunities, while other times they are setbacks. You should be able to count on your vision map as much as possible, but you don’t want to be so rigid that you turn away opportunities.

You may have to revisit and update your map if you find that life is calling you toward a direction you had not originally intended to pursue.

Vision mapping can be a scary experience because it involves stepping outside of your comfort zone! Embrace this feeling and enjoy the excitement! When you do the hard work to plan and prepare, it won’t take long before your dream life becomes your reality!

Don’t forget to share this post with your friends and family members on social media! If you know someone who could use some help with the vision mapping process, this could be just the blog post that they need!

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