The world before Apple Maps
I’m utterly dependent on Apple Maps. Back in my college days, when I assisted appraising houses, we used a bound book that featured a sprawl of interconnected road systems across each page. Using the book took a willingness to learn how to piece together the route and being OK to reconfigure it at the time of an unexpected closure or issues with traffic.
Maps are not only for getting to a distinct destination. When I think of a map, I think of exciting, unusual experiences, a display of situations with distinct sensations, efficiencies but with a bit of nuance. It is best used for planning. Maps prioritize efficiencies and the capacity for handling unexpected nuances. Focus mapping is a method that does that, too.
Goals are helpful for planning. Effort, on the other hand, lets you experience change rather than simply thinking about it. A goal is about aiming. Effort is action that moves you toward the target.
Following is how to make a focus map based on The Fogg Behavior Model. This is a 10-15 minute activity.
What you’ll need is a pad of sticky notes, a thick-tip marker, a writing tool, and a flat work surface with expansive room for your sticky notes.
Choose one progression you want or need: efficient actions, or important actions. Then follow along with the images below.
Mark four sticky notes as shown above; fill in the ______ with your progression type (effective or important.) The white notes are shown only for clarification. Stick the notes as shown above: MOST on top, LEAST bottom, NOT left, YES right.
Brain dump action ideas, one per note. Determine which are MOST and LEAST by sticking the notes next to one of the two labels the idea represents. No idea is a “bad” idea. Get all of your action ideas up there.
Be honest with this next step: read one LEAST action idea at a time to consider if you’re motivated and able to do it (YES) or not (NOT) then move it to the left or right corner under the labeled note representing your decision; repeat this step with your MOST action ideas. The results in the upper right hand corner represents action ideas you might realistically move towards doing.
