Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefits of Making a Life MapGetting StartedLife Mapping TechniquesHow to Use Your Life Map
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits of Making a Life Map
Getting Started
Life Mapping Techniques
How to Use Your Life Map
Close
It’s easy to getoverwhelmedwhen we think about the rest of our lives. What do we hope to achieve in the long run? Are we on the right path or are we just drifting through life? Wouldn’t it be helpful to have a plan or a compass to guide us? That’s where a life map comes in.
A life map is a visual representation of the key events, goals, and milestones in our lives, saysSergio Muriel, LMHC, CAP, Chief Operating Officer at Diamond Behavioral Health.
A life map can take various forms, such as a timeline, a collage, or a flowchart, and often includes personal achievements, challenges, relationships, and other influential factors that have shaped our lives, saysAshley Peña, LCSW, Executive Director at Mission Connection.
If you’re interested in making a life map, we’ve got you. In this article, we explore the benefits of making a map and some life mapping techniques that can help you get started. This simple but powerful tool can help you reflect on your life, map out your goals, and visualize your future. I know I always feel better when I have aplan!
At a GlanceWant a clearer path to your goals? A life map can help. It’s a tool that helps you reflect on your past and plan for your future. Basically, it can help you be more self-aware, make smarter choices, and live a more fulfilling life—who wouldn’t want that? It’s time to chart the course to being your best self!
At a Glance
Want a clearer path to your goals? A life map can help. It’s a tool that helps you reflect on your past and plan for your future. Basically, it can help you be more self-aware, make smarter choices, and live a more fulfilling life—who wouldn’t want that? It’s time to chart the course to being your best self!
If you’ve ever felt lost or unsure about what you want, a life map may be able to help. Making a life map offers many benefits, such as:
A life map gives us a clear overview of where we have been and where we are headed, helping to contextualize past experiences and future goals.—SERGIO MURIEL, LMHC, CAP
A life map gives us a clear overview of where we have been and where we are headed, helping to contextualize past experiences and future goals.
—SERGIO MURIEL, LMHC, CAP
Don’t worry, making a life map is easier than it might seem. Here’s how you can get started:
Creating a life map involves reflecting on the past, acknowledging the present, and considering the future.—ASHLEY PEÑA, LCSW
Creating a life map involves reflecting on the past, acknowledging the present, and considering the future.
—ASHLEY PEÑA, LCSW
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As you get started with making a life map, these are some techniques that might come in handy. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, just go with the one that feels most natural to you.
Mind Map
A mind map can help you organize your thoughts across different categories.Here’s how to make one:
Timeline
A timeline can help you see the progression of your life and set goals for the future. Here’s how to create one:
Vision Board
Avision boardcan help you visualize your goals, serving as a daily source of inspiration. Here’s how to build one:
Journal
Journalingcan give you an opportunity to reflect upon your life. Here’s how to go about it:
Wheel of Life
A wheel can help you assess the level ofbalancein your life. Here’s how to draw one:
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A life map is more than just a pretty picture; it’s a dynamic tool for personal growth and development. These are some strategies that can help you use it effectively and make the most out of it:
How to Be Successful in Reaching Your Goals
Takeaways
A life map is like a personalized compass for your journey through life. It can be a useful tool that keeps youfocusedand motivated. Knowing what you want and planning how to get there can help you feel more confident and less anxious about the future.
So, grab your tools and get started. You’ve got this!
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4 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Whitehead A, Alves NJ.Use of the “Future Life Map” exercise to improve awareness of career options and opportunities in underrepresented minority undergraduate students pursuing STEM careers.PLoS One. 2022 Feb 10;17(2):e0263848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263848Nikopoulou VA, Gliatas I, Blekas A, Parlapani E, Holeva V, Tsipropoulou V, Karamouzi P, Godosidis A, Diakogiannis I.Uncertainty, stress, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.J Nerv Ment Dis. 2022 Apr 1;210(4):249-256. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001491Ameden WC, Tricomi E, Heintzelman SJ.The role of planfulness for well-being, stress, and goal disruption during COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2024 Feb 8;15:1224451. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1224451Kalyanasundaram M, Abraham SB, Ramachandran D, Jayaseelan V, Bazroy J, Singh Z, Purty AJ.Effectiveness of mind mapping technique in information retrieval among medical college students in Puducherry-A pilot study.Indian J Community Med. 2017 Jan-Mar;42(1):19-23. doi:10.4103/0970-0218.199793
4 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Whitehead A, Alves NJ.Use of the “Future Life Map” exercise to improve awareness of career options and opportunities in underrepresented minority undergraduate students pursuing STEM careers.PLoS One. 2022 Feb 10;17(2):e0263848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263848Nikopoulou VA, Gliatas I, Blekas A, Parlapani E, Holeva V, Tsipropoulou V, Karamouzi P, Godosidis A, Diakogiannis I.Uncertainty, stress, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.J Nerv Ment Dis. 2022 Apr 1;210(4):249-256. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001491Ameden WC, Tricomi E, Heintzelman SJ.The role of planfulness for well-being, stress, and goal disruption during COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2024 Feb 8;15:1224451. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1224451Kalyanasundaram M, Abraham SB, Ramachandran D, Jayaseelan V, Bazroy J, Singh Z, Purty AJ.Effectiveness of mind mapping technique in information retrieval among medical college students in Puducherry-A pilot study.Indian J Community Med. 2017 Jan-Mar;42(1):19-23. doi:10.4103/0970-0218.199793
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Whitehead A, Alves NJ.Use of the “Future Life Map” exercise to improve awareness of career options and opportunities in underrepresented minority undergraduate students pursuing STEM careers.PLoS One. 2022 Feb 10;17(2):e0263848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263848Nikopoulou VA, Gliatas I, Blekas A, Parlapani E, Holeva V, Tsipropoulou V, Karamouzi P, Godosidis A, Diakogiannis I.Uncertainty, stress, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.J Nerv Ment Dis. 2022 Apr 1;210(4):249-256. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001491Ameden WC, Tricomi E, Heintzelman SJ.The role of planfulness for well-being, stress, and goal disruption during COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2024 Feb 8;15:1224451. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1224451Kalyanasundaram M, Abraham SB, Ramachandran D, Jayaseelan V, Bazroy J, Singh Z, Purty AJ.Effectiveness of mind mapping technique in information retrieval among medical college students in Puducherry-A pilot study.Indian J Community Med. 2017 Jan-Mar;42(1):19-23. doi:10.4103/0970-0218.199793
Whitehead A, Alves NJ.Use of the “Future Life Map” exercise to improve awareness of career options and opportunities in underrepresented minority undergraduate students pursuing STEM careers.PLoS One. 2022 Feb 10;17(2):e0263848. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0263848
Nikopoulou VA, Gliatas I, Blekas A, Parlapani E, Holeva V, Tsipropoulou V, Karamouzi P, Godosidis A, Diakogiannis I.Uncertainty, stress, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.J Nerv Ment Dis. 2022 Apr 1;210(4):249-256. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001491
Ameden WC, Tricomi E, Heintzelman SJ.The role of planfulness for well-being, stress, and goal disruption during COVID-19.Front Psychol. 2024 Feb 8;15:1224451. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1224451
Kalyanasundaram M, Abraham SB, Ramachandran D, Jayaseelan V, Bazroy J, Singh Z, Purty AJ.Effectiveness of mind mapping technique in information retrieval among medical college students in Puducherry-A pilot study.Indian J Community Med. 2017 Jan-Mar;42(1):19-23. doi:10.4103/0970-0218.199793
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