Category: Resources and Tools

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Imagination and Empathy – Tools to Decrease Division and Conflict

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Division and conflict over a wide variety of topics and issues are a reality of life these days in the U.S. and across the globe. It truly is like we see different realities. What’s happened? Why are we so unable to understand others’ situations and perspectives? Could things improve if we expand our ability to imagine and empathize with other’s situations and perspectives?

Author and clergyman Stephen Mattson makes a powerful statement about this:

“When you can’t imagine, you can’t empathize, understand, or relate with the actions, struggles, pain, suffering, persecution, and trials of others — you become apathetic, unmoved, stoic, and inactive….

When you can’t imagine, you can’t celebrate, appreciate, admire, and joyfully love others. You disconnect yourself from humanity.

Imagination leads to empathy, empathy leads to understanding, understanding leads to action, action leads to experience, and experience leads to wisdom — which leads to even more imagination.”

Imagining someone’s situation that is outside our personal experience with all our senses breaks down barriers. When you imagine what it is like for that person, what they are dealing with, you become more empathetic and understanding. And that opens doors to so much more.

Understanding Empathy

So what exactly is empathy? How is it different from sympathy? I found this compilation to be helpful:

“Sympathy and empathy are both related to feelings, but they have different meanings and expressions. Sympathy is feeling compassion, sorrow, or pity for the hardships that another person encounters, or a recognition of what they are going through. Empathy is putting yourself in the shoes of another, understanding and experiencing their emotions or situation from their perspective, or using your experience to relate to their experience. Empathy is usually preferred over sympathy when dealing with difficult situations, because people need to feel understood rather than pitied.” Summarized from 5 sources and the web, Bing Search engine

Imagination is important to empathy because it takes you beyond your own thoughts and experiences.  As we expand our ability to imagine and empathize, we open our minds and hearts to new things.

Let’s break down empathy a bit more. There are 3 different types of empathy – emotional, cognitive and compassionate empathy with problem solving. The last is actually a combination of the first two.

Here’s one way to describe the difference between the first two types –

“Cognitive empathy is an attempt to walk a mile in another person’s shoes, while emotional empathy is screaming in pain when someone else steps on a nail.” Source: MasterClass.com.

Emotional empathy most often occurs when someone experiences something you’ve been through before. You re-live that situation and its pain with that person. Even if you haven’t experienced the same thing but have a relationship with the person, emotional empathy is possible. That can be extended to others beyond your circle of friends who are dealing with similar things.

Cognitive empathy is a conscious effort to understand the perspective of someone else. You relate to what someone else is going through even if you’ve never experienced it yourself. You aren’t inserting your personal point of view. There’s no bias on your part and you’re not trying to insert your own experiences. You may happily help another person and might even understand the point of view of an individual. You don’t necessarily identify with what caused the problem in the first place but respond with empathy.

Compassionate Empathy combines the emotional and cognitive and goes farther. It means looking at a situation and trying to get at the cause. You analyze the underlying reasons why something happened, as well as the effects.

With this ability, you can demonstrate to a person that you understand where they’re coming from to the degree possible. You don’t offer any bias or prejudice. You may even offer an alternative way of thinking or some insight that helps the person in need.

Expanding Our Abilities and Impact

Empathy in any form makes the world a better place. It’s selfless and caring. It is also a powerful tool to apply in many situations in our fractured society and world. We are fortunate to have resources to help us expand our ability to imagine and empathize.

TED’s series “How to Be a Better Human” includes this article: 5 exercises to help you build more empathy | (ted.com) It includes 5 exercises to help build your empathy from Dr. Jamil Zaki, Psychology professor at Stanford University. Dr. Zaki believes we all have a responsibility to cultivate empathy in “the same way that we try to take care of our bodies or of our mental health…building empathy is a way to take care of our social health.”

I recommend Dr. Zaki’s book, The War for Kindness – Building Empathy in a Fractured World by Jamil Zaki

Another resource was written specifically for educators but provides so much great content for everyone. Preventing Polarization: 50 Strategies for Teaching Kids About Empathy, Politics, and Civic Responsibility  by Michelle Blanchet and Brian Deters

Each of us can make a difference if we make the choice and seek out the tools and opportunities to expand our ability to imagine and empathize.

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

 

 

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Ten Ways to Develop Your Creativity

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Do you consider yourself to be creative? Often we associate creativity with writers, artists, musicians, and dancers – things associated with the arts. And we may see some people as more naturally creative than others.

But in truth we are all creative beings.  We’ve had to use our creativity in very practical ways in the past few years during these uncertain, challenging times. You can further develop your creativity in all aspects of your life. Whether it’s looking for an out-of-the-box solution at work or coming up with something fun and interesting to do with your family or friends this weekend, you can be more creative. I wrote earlier about Cranking up Your Problem Solving Creativity .

There are some basic things you can do to develop your creativity and use it to enhance your life.

  1. DECIDE to be creative. Start with making a decision. As with anything, you’re never going to improve in an area until you decide that you’re going to. You must commit to being creative. Then set up a plan to carry out that commitment.
  2. Increase your understanding. It’s hard to see a creative solution to a problem you don’t understand. So when you are facing something you are not familiar with, take the time to educate yourself in that area. Learn it inside and out, and then examine it again, from the point of view that comes from understanding.
  3. Be curious. Curiosity enriches our lives in multiple ways and certainly can help us develop our creativity. My grandson’s curiosity about the ocean and ocean creatures has led him to dig into the topic and become a walking encyclopedia on related subjects. It may well lead him to a career in that field.

Sometimes we pursue something that has sparked our curiosity immediately. But if we don’t have the time to pursue it at the moment, it may be forgotten. So I encourage you to capture those topics you want to learn more about in a CURIOSITY JOURNAL. When something interests you, take note of it. Write down your questions. Use these as jumping off points when you’re looking to be creative and when you are feeling stuck or bored.

As I write memoir essays, my curiosity about the background and context of some of my memories has led me to learn more about it and to develop an approach to writing such essays. Here’s my Kindle book that has resulted from that: Memoir Essays: Memories + Context + History = Deeper Appreciation of Your Life Journey

4. Become a risk-taker. Don’t stick with the tried and true solutions. Ask yourself how you can do things differently? Then jump in and try things that way to see how they go.

5. Drop the negativity. It’s so easy to fall into an attitude that things are too hard or you aren’t smart enough to figure out something. By thinking you can’t find a solution, or that it’s impossible to be creative, you have already failed. Don’t create self-fulfilling prophecies. Instead, decide you will succeed, that the solution is already there. (Another decision!!)

6. Try something new. By experimenting with new art, involving yourself in a new sport, or going somewhere you’ve never been before, you engage your brain along different neural pathways and see the world in ways you haven’t before. Now is the time to try that thing you’ve always wanted to do!

7.  Brainstorm. Throw out ideas, one after another. Get wild and crazy and see what sticks. The best creative ideas come out of the silly ones. Doing this with someone else in a playful attitude can spark even more possibilities and develop your creativity.

8.  Know there’s more than one right way to get something done. If something isn’t working, that doesn’t mean there’s no solution – only a solution you haven’t found yet. Keep trying. Look for the other ways things might work. Sometimes it’s a work-around rather than a direct solution.

9. Look for inspiration. Spend time exploring other people’s creativity to stimulate your own. Visit art galleries. Listen to music. Read books. Explore the world around you and see what touches off a creative spark in you. Being intentional as we read, watch and listen to the works of others will help open our minds to other ideas.

10. Let things snowball. Jump from one idea into another and another and another. See where the creative path takes you. Maybe you won’t find the solution to the problem you’re working on, but you might find the solution to something else, so jot down the best ideas that crop up.

To learn more: Tony Laidig’s book is a treasure! 21 Ways to Skyrocket Your Creativity 21 Ways to Skyrocket Your Creativity

Here’s another tool you may find helpful. It’s a printable item to capture your ideas and gives a process for moving the best ones to reality.  Idea Journal and Planner   Idea Journal and Planner

Creativity doesn’t have to be out of reach, even if you tend to think of yourself as an un-creative person. By working to develop your creativity, you’ll enjoy more success in your work and home life and will learn new ways to think and do things. With so much benefit, isn’t it time to find that new and exciting more creative version of you?

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

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5 Ways to Exercise our Brains to Combat Cognitive Decline

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Brain HealthCognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are discussed a lot these days. As the numbers of baby boomers – now aged 59 to 76 (in 2023) – grow, those conditions are big issues. It is true that as we age, our cognitive reserves start to fade and we find ourselves searching for lost words or taking longer to perform mental tasks. If we intentionally exercise our brains, especially after the age of 50, it can make a difference.

I like to think of those occasional memory lapses as a by-product of a brain full of data and memories of years of life. Rather like a full hard drive on my computer. It makes sense to me that it’s difficult to quickly access everything stored there. Often it just takes a while for it to be found and sometimes a bit of information is simply inaccessible. It’s a normal part of life.

It is true that we use our brains less intensely as our lives slow down with empty nests and moving into some form of retirement or semi-retirement. Health experts often bring out the phrase, “Use it or lose it,” when speaking about our body’s muscles. If you don’t use your muscles regularly, they will atrophy and you will lose strength, especially as you age. To combat atrophy and muscle loss, you need to engage in strength training exercises. Did you know the same is true for our brains? Intentionally doing things that give our brains a workout helps us remain sharp. Here are five ways to exercise our brains:

  1. Learn new things. Experts believe that when the brain is passive and unengaged, it will atrophy. The brain wants to learn new things and the best way to keep your brain healthy – just like with your other muscles – is to make it work. Choose something new to learn that is enjoyable to you and attack it with gusto. Check out your local Adult Continuing Education department to find classes for foreign languages, cooking, art, business, or fitness. Take online workshops or classes on a regular basis.
  2. Solve math problems in your head. Forgo the use of pencil, paper, or calculator and use that brain to solve simple math problems. Increase the difficulty as needed or try walking while solving those math problems. Don’t fret if you make mistakes or it seems to take a while before reaching the answer. The key is to not give up.
  3. Engage your senses. All five of our senses utilize different parts of the brain, so choose activities that depend upon using your senses. Cooking classes are excellent choices because they use sight, smell, and taste.  I also compiled a short report that focuses on using all our senses to reduce stress in our lives. “5 Practices for Taming the Stress Monster” is FREE and you can access it here with immediate download and no opt-in. Tame the Stress Monster
  4. Practice your hand-eye coordination. Putting a puzzle together, knitting, crochet, painting, or      drawing are just some examples of hobbies involving hand-eye coordination. Even the simple act of handwriting a letter can assist in strengthening your coordination and your brain function. It’s an enjoyable way to exercise our brains. Buffalo Games has a huge variety of puzzles that appeal to adults. Some are nostalgic, others playful or scenic. Check them out here: Puzzles
  5. Read. It’s a simple concept we learned back in elementary school yet as life gets in the way, taking time to read a novel or a magazine goes by the wayside. Reading engages your sense of sight but it also engages your imagination as you picture what’s happening in the story. Reading also increases your focus and attention as well as your knowledge and vocabulary. Keep a Reading Journal to record what you’ve read, what you want to read, quotes you want to keep and more. Here’s one I designed: Reading Journal: For Book Lovers Who Take Their Reading Seriously.   Not a fan of novels? No worries…choose a favorite magazine, crossword puzzles, or logic problems. You’ll reap the same benefits no matter what the format is.

One quick note: Memory game software is not found to have quite the same effects as these suggestions above. Real-world activities, such as finishing a Sudoku puzzle or driving home on a different route, are more effective at maintaining cognitive function and won’t cost much money to complete.

No matter what your current age, now is the time to care for your brain and maintain your cognitive function. As we exercise our brains and gain these benefits, we also find some joy by integrating fun activities into life.

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!

 

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Do You Want To Be a Super Learner?

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lifelong learningWe all agree that things continue to change, and it seems at an accelerating pace. Keeping up with it all can be a challenge. Whether technology changes, health and wellness advice, the businesses and shops within our local area, or any number of additional things, new things are available to us all the time. To keep up, it’s almost like we need to be a Super Learner.

Sometimes it’s just so much, and we hear those voices saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.’ But those are old tapes and they do us a disservice. In fact, some of the new things available to us are insights about and approaches to our lifelong ability to learn and grow. At every stage of life, we make choices about what is worth our time learning, based on what will benefit or enrich us most.

No, at this age I’m not interested in learning to skateboard or do mathematical calculations. There are other things that I am simply interested in learning about or learning to do and if I prioritize them and figure out how, I can learn them. Is that how you approach learning new things?

Thomas Oppong wrote an extremely helpful article, “6 Habits of Super Learners.” I think you may find them interesting and useful as you strive to be a Super Learner.

Oppong’s first habit: super learners read a lot. He says, “In a world where information is the new currency, reading is the best source of continuous learning, knowledge and acquiring more of that currency.” As an avid reader, I am delighted to see this as number one.  The hard part of this – the overwhelming amount of new information available every day. That’s why it’s helpful to be connected with networks and individuals who offer some recommendations that are pertinent to us. It may be an online group or website or people who share your values and interests. Where do you find that input?

Adopting a growth mindset is another of Oppong’s habits.  A growth mindset is the opposite of a fixed mindset and it allows us to be open, curious and always ready to learn. This is especially important as we age. It can be too easy to slip into a pattern of assessing possibilities in the framework of our past rather than future opportunities of thought and action. Dr. Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset, the New Psychology of Success, provides much valuable information about how we can have a growth mindset.  Importantly, her approach is broad. When she speaks of success, it is in any part or endeavor of life. I’ve written about mindset in more detail here: https://carolbrusegar.com/mindset-growth-or-fixed/

The final tip I will share from the article is that super learners teach others what they know. As the author states, “Teaching others what you know is one of the most effective ways to learn, remember and recall new information. Psychologists call it the ‘retrieval practice.’” I expect that many of us have had that experience, formally or informally. It is a process of both deepening our understanding and putting it into action.

Increasing our super learning habits and skills can pay off in many ways.  How about starting with deciding what you would like to learn and determine what you need to be and do to make that a reality?

3-Part Bucket List & JournalPerhaps you are not sure what you want to learn right now.  Here’s a way to get started – a 3-Part Bucket List and Journal. With this 3-Part Bucket List, you will divide your desires into three main categories: 1) things I want to learn about, 2) things I want to learn to do, and 3) things I want to do. In addition there are goal setting/planning sheets, journaling pages and doodling/sketching/mind mapping pages.

3-Part Bucket List & Journal

Thomas Oppong has a variety of books on Amazon, which you can find here:  https://amzn.to/39szzf7

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck is available here: https://amzn.to/32H90A2

Each of us can be a super learner with a little effort!

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!

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MEMOIR ESSAYS – AN APPROACH THAT DEEPENS YOUR APPRECIATION OF YOUR LIFE JOURNEY

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Memoir Essays

Get your copy here: Memoir Essays

Perhaps you have considered writing a memoir or some other format to capture your life. Maybe you’ve started such writing. Or maybe you think it’s self-centered or egotistic to do this. Perhaps you think no one will be interested in reading it so it’s not worth the effort.

I see writing about your life as a gift to yourself and to others, whether they read it now or sometime in the future. The way I prefer to do this is with MEMOIR ESSAYS. These essays capture snapshots of your life including context and history. The formula is Memories + Context + History = Greater Appreciation for Your Life Journey. You can create MEMOIR ESSAYS, one at a time, starting anywhere in your life.  Start with a memory, do some research to learn more about the context and if possible consult with others. When you expand your memories in this way you will:

1) gain greater perspective and appreciation for your life journey, and
2) make your essays more interesting to those who read them.

As Russell Banks said, writing in this way is “much more than memoir; it’s history.

 My Kindle book on the topic is available on Amazon.com. It focuses on 6 strategies for identifying topics for your memoir essays:

  • Finding topics to explore from old photos
  • Digging deeper when a current experience triggers memories
  • Choosing a time period to focus on and capture highlights
  • Exploring music in your early life
  • Identifying pivot points in your life
  • Excavating the impact of major community, national or global events

A complete Memoir Essay accompanies each strategy to illustrate that approach. Each illustrates how to dig deeper, research the history, and round out your memories. Included is a free worksheet to keep track of your ideas.

Get your copy here: Memoir Essays

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!

 

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3 Steps to Alleviate Information Overload

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Alleviate Information OverloadAre you an information junkie? Do you want to learn about new things and dig deeper into topics you are already familiar with? Do you want to stay current on many of the issues and concerns of the day? It can be simply all-consuming or overwhelming at times. Consider some ways to alleviate information overload.

Information overload has been continually growing since the Internet became part of our daily lives. Mobile devices give us access to limitless sources virtually any time we choose. There are both great benefits and significant negatives to this access. The more information we see, the more we want to consume it, which leads to becoming more overloaded with information.

Be more intentional about your pursuit and use of information. Rather than falling down the proverbial rabbit hole regularly, make some choices. Here are three suggestions for taking advantage of the treasure trove of available information and not allowing information overload to be another stressor.

1.    Categorize Your Information Seeking

Surfing the internet has become a recreational activity. With a phone at hand, many spaces of open time are filled this way. It can be entertaining or educational. It can give you a needed break from situations or tasks. And that’s all good.

In addition to random or stream of consciousness surfing, you can choose some categories to explore. What information will be helpful?

  • Think of your home life. Do you want to make your living space more comfortable? Do you want to get out of the rut of preparing the same 5 meals over and over? Do you need solutions to storage shortage? The list can go on.
  • Think of your work life. Are you ready to look for another position? Do you want to be more organized as you work at home? Are there difficult work relationships that you would like to handle better?
  • Think of your recreational and volunteer activities. What opportunities are there to expand or change what you are doing now?
  • Think of specific projects you are working on or would like to start. Perhaps it’s writing some family stories or memoirs and you need to find some context or history of the times. (My Kindle book, Memoir Essays, Memories + Context + History = Deeper Appreciation of Your Life Journey, has strategies to do this.)

You get the idea. Jot down the categories of things you want to explore and prioritize them. Then when you have surfing time, pursue one of them. Be more intentional with larger blocks of time. Focus on a priority topic and go beyond the scanning D stage. Document what you find that is useful. This process is an important step to alleviate information overload.

2.    Use Mind Maps to Organize

Mind maps are a visual way to organize both what you want to do and the results of your searches. Start with a mind map of the categories you selected above. Your center point can be “Exploration Topics” with a time period – a week or month perhaps. Then the branches are the categories. Add subbranches for the main things you are looking for or problems you want to solve.

To capture and further organize, do a mind map for each of the categories, adding ideas or questions you have as you explore.

Refresh or do new mind maps as you progress. When you have gathered the information you want, capture it in a final map for future reference. This practice can become a regular part of your life, helping you organize and manage all that information. Use it frequently – weekly, even daily. Some people use a mind map as a visual guide to daily priorities and tasks.

If you are new to mind mapping or would like a refresher, I have written about the basics here: Mindmapping as a Multifaceted Tool

3.    Decide What is Enough and What is Too Much Information

Consuming information is a lot like medication, there is a minimum effective dose that can be absorbed before the positive effects become null, and the negative side effects take over.

With information, this means that there is a precise amount of information that you need to achieve your goals. What is enough, what is too much? Continuing to gather information beyond a certain point can easily stop you from taking any action at all.

You procrastinate because you think there is something to be discovered before you move forward. You can have a mind full of data, ideas, possibilities, swirling around – and you are essentially paralyzed. Decide what is enough information and go with it. Take action.

These 3 approaches can go a long way to alleviate information overload in your life. This intentionality of focus can relieve stress and increase your productivity and accomplishment in both your work and personal lives.

If you’d like to try additional strategies, check this out: The Mind at Ease: 10 Mini-Habits for anyone who is stressed in the Age of Information Overload

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

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Introducing “5 Practices for Taming the Stress Monster”

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Stress MonsterDo YOU feel stressed more often or more deeply in the past few years? I certainly have. The pandemic and all the ripples from it on physical and mental health, relationships, the economy and more have affected all of us. Taming the stress monster within our own lives is possible. Please read on.

In the pursuit of return to ‘normal’, I and I suspect many others, have pushed down a lot of feelings and ignored red flags. The result has been elevated stress. Some is a result of personal situations and challenges; some comes from external realities.

Some stress is good. It keeps us engaged and moving. But excessive amounts have negative ripple effects on many parts of our lives. If it gets to toxic levels, stress can affect both our mental and physical health.

And the stress shows up in many ways.  Have you experienced some of these common symptoms?       (Source: American Psychological Society)

  • Irritability and anger
  • fatigue or low energy
  • lack of motivation or interest in things
  • anxiety/nervousness/worry
  • headaches
  • feeling sad or depressed
  • Indigestion/acid reflux/upset stomach/muscle tension
  • appetite changes

We can do things to tame the stress monster in our own lives! In my new short report, “5 Practices for Taming the Stress Monster,” I offer 5 practices that engage our senses and can interrupt and reduce stress. More importantly they can help prevent stress if incorporated into our lives:

  • Understanding and Utilizing the Power of Deep Breathing
  • Utilizing the Power of Sound to Calm and Heal
  • Using Our Vision to Reduce Stress
  • Using Our Sense of Smell – Aromatherapy
  • Adding Hands-On Creative Activities to Our Routine

I have compiled information from earlier posts and included additional information and resources into this report. It is FREE to download now! Feel free to share with others.

The information in the special report goes into detail about the 5 practices to explore as you strive to tame the stress monster in your life. All of these are self-care. If you think – even once in a while – that self-care is selfish or something that can be lower in priority than all the must-dos in your life, let me remind you that it is not.

Managing Your Stress is Self-Care

Self-care involves taking better care of yourself, which is essential for mental and physical wellbeing. In addition to relieving stress as the report details, it has a positive impact on your relationships and your ability to handle your daily responsibilities.

As you incorporate some or all these practices into your life, you will be improving your mental health and raising your self esteem. You will be raising your confidence and that boosts your mood and your attitudes.

As is pointed out in the report, these practices can be easily built into your daily and weekly routines. The key is to start with one or two things and incorporate them into your life. Add others as you choose. Consider the power of a personal wellness routine, as I wrote about here: http://carolbrusegar.com/effective-wellness-routine/

Please get your FREE copy of the report by clicking here: 5 Practices for Taming the Stress Monster. No opt-in is required.

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

Follow me on Twitter!     Follow me on Instagram!   Follow me on Pinterest!

        Follow me on Facebook!         Visit my Etsy Shop!

 

 

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Using Mind Mapping For Problem-Solving

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Mind Mapping for Problem-Solving

Image by Freepik

Mind Mapping is a tool that can be used for multiple things: brainstorming. planning, notetaking, simplifying or unpacking ideas, organizing ideas, making attractive presentations, and more. The focus of this article is using Mind Mapping for problem solving.

Some background on Mind Mapping

Before we look at this specific use for it, I want to address a question you may have: Why does Mind Mapping work? In a mind map, information is structured in a way that mirrors exactly how the brain functions – in a radiant rather than linear manner. In fact one of the early books by Tony Buzan who popularized the tool was The Mind Map Book: How to Use Radiant Thinking to Maximize Your Brain’s Untapped Potential. This is a great description:

“It literally ‘maps’ out your thoughts, using associations, connections, and triggers to stimulate further ideas. They make it easier to extract your ideas from your head into something visible and structured.

Research shows that the brain likes to work on the basis of association, and it will connect every idea, memory or piece of information to tens, hundreds and even thousands of other ideas and concepts. This is why mind maps are beneficial for countless tasks.” Why mind mapping works: the benefits of mind mapping – Ayoa Blog

(If you are new to mind mapping or need a refresher, you can look at two of my previous post: Mindmapping as a Multi-faceted Tool or Five Useful Applications of Mind Mapping . )

Why Mind Mapping is Good for Problem Solving

Why is Mind Mapping effective for creative problem solving? Because it lets you bypass your conscious mind and your reactions to having a problem to solve. That reaction is often to get stressed or anxious. Or both. Mind mapping avoids this issue.

Your mind map will be a visual map of an issue – in this case, a problem to be solved and all its constituent parts, that shows the linkages between all of them. It also shows connections between the problem and outside forces.

This visual ‘map’ lets you see a problem and all the things that go into it by simply glancing at it. It makes it easier to take in the information and see connections that might otherwise go unnoticed. Here are the steps to use mind mapping for problem-solving.

First Create A Mind Map for the PROBLEM

 Start by writing down the central problem or idea in as few words as possible. It goes in the center of the map. Put each additional issue down as a keyword or short phrase around the center and link them together with a line. This is known as a branch.

Do this for each component of the problem. You can use different colors or thicknesses of lines to indicate how important a branch is or how strong the connection is between the problem and its component. You can also use images instead of words. Consider outside forces that impact this issue and add them. Connect them to the keywords or phrases where they belong.

 This visual map allows you to use word association, which is an important method of problem-solving that cannot be used when writing out problems in long form. As you expand your map, additional thoughts will come.

Create A Second Mind Map for SOLUTIONS

This one will be slightly different. The central idea will simply be the word ‘Solutions.’ Write it down. Now, add branches for every possible solution you can think of. Add subbranches to these to include resources, people, and other components you would need to have to implement this solution. Again, use colors, thicknesses of lines and images.

You can add more branches to ideas you need to explore further as well. When you are finished, look over all the proposed solutions and select the best one(s) of them to explore further. Create a new mind map with to further explore details for putting your solution(s) into action.

Mind mapping is an incredibly powerful tool for problem-solving! It can help you find the best and most practical solution simply by looking at the visuals you have created. Give it a try and see how it works for you. Use it more than once to see the results for you.

Here are some items you may find helpful as you explore the tool or expand your use of it.

Mind Map Journal with Templates

Mind Map and Brainstorming Log Book with Multiple Templates

 

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. Visit my Amazon Author Page to find my published books: https://amazon.com/author/carolbrusegar

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Creating Your Personal Vision Statement – A Step-by-Step Process

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Personal Vision Statement

A vision is not just a picture of what could be;

it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.

~ Rosabeth Moss Kanter

 As stated in the previous post, https://carolbrusegar.com/personal-vision-statement-part-1/ , this is a perfect time to create a new Personal Vision Statement. We are still experiencing the effects and after-effects of the pandemic. After all the interruptions and dislocations of the past few years, creating a fresh one can be an energizing process.

Before we get started on the step-by-step process for doing this, I urge you to go back to that post to review the benefits and examples of statements.

Your Personal Vision Statement will encompass your values, goals, and purpose in life. It may focus on the totality of your life moving forward, or you may want to create a statement that is for a particular segment of your life – like the next 10 years, the time while you have children living at home, your retirement years, etc.

Here we go. Be sure to have a supply of paper and pens to write with and be prepared to spread the process over some days to be most meaningful.

GOALS

  1. Brainstorm every single thing you’d like to do and to be in your life. No censoring. Take some time with it. Carry the list around with you for a few days and add to it whenever something crosses your mind. Keep going until you feel like it is completed.
  2. Do some culling of your list. Think through every item you wrote down. Is this something that you want in your heart of hearts? Or is it something you think you want? Or that you think you should want? Cross out the ones in the last 2 categories.
  3. What’s left is a list of things you really want in your life. Which ones do you most want to accomplish? Some of them are going to exert a stronger pull on you than others. Put a star beside these.
  4. Now look at compatibility of the items on your list. Some may be contradictory or can’t be accomplished together. There may be some painful choices here — which goals do you want most? Which are you willing to sacrifice in order to get to the others? Mark off the ones that don’t make the cut.
  5. When you’re done, copy the surviving goals down onto a clean sheet of paper. This is the beginning of your vision statement.

STRENGTHS, SKILLS, WEAKNESSES

The second step in creating your Personal Vision Statement is to make a list of your strengths and skills and decide how they relate to what you want to do with your life.

  1. Strengths. What are your strengths as a person? Write down everything you can think of. This is another brainstorming session. Don’t judge yourself and don’t hold back because of uncertainty or insecurity.

Are you strong (physically or psychologically)? Stubborn? Independent? Are you a freethinker? Are you good at helping people get along? Are you highly intelligent? Empathic? Incredibly organized? You have a list of strengths just like everyone else. Don’t stop with this list until you feel like you’ve covered them all.

2. Skills. List every skill you can think of that you have, in particular those that are related to the goals you identified in step one. What skills do you currently have that will help you get to those goals? How many of those are good to go and which need work?

  1. Assessment of strengths and skills needed to reach your goals/intentions. Grab another sheet of paper and go back to your final list of priority goals. What are the strengths a person who reaches each of those goals must possess? Take the goals one at a time and identify strengths needed.

Then make another list of the skills needed to accomplish these goals.

  1. Identification of weaknesses/things to work on to accomplish your goals. Compare the two lists you’ve create – the one of strengths and skills you already have versus those needed to accomplish all of these goals you want to achieve.

The differences between the two are your weaknesses. These are things you need to work on if you’re going to make all your goals a reality. Circle all these weaknesses.

 If you like, you can add working on or developing some or all of these weaknesses to your personal vision statement. You don’t have to do so, but still  keep the list handy because you will have to work on these things if you want to reach your goals.

VALUES

Take another sheet of paper and title it “My Values.” What’s the most important thing in the world to you? Your top priority, the thing you work so hard for, the one rule you always follow, the one guideline you use to define everything else in your life.

This may require some thought. Or maybe you know right away what it is. If so, you’re one of the lucky ones.

The answer, when you come up with it, might be simple or it might be complex. It might be the Golden Rule. It could be taking care of your family. Making money is a top value for some people while making a difference is most important to others. Some write a single word, such as “love” or “caring.” To have your vision statement be genuine, make sure your values reflect your innermost self. Dig deep.

Once you have an answer, you’re going to write down your second and third most important values. These might take you a while as well. You might even discover you have two or three on the same level. That’s okay too.

Now write down any other values you hold in high importance. Don’t write down too many; you don’t want to dilute the issue. You’re going to want to include your top value in your vision statement. Depending on your personality, you might want to do your second and third most important and maybe a few others as well.

Putting It All Together – Writing Your Personal Vision Statement

You have the raw materials from what you’ve been writing. It will all come together into a meaningful Personal Vision Statement with your attention and patience.

  1. Collect what you’ve arrived at on a new sheet of paper. Write down all the things that need to be included in your vision statement: write down your most important goals, any strengths or skills you want to include, and your personal values. These together form the basis of your vision statement.
  1. Have fun with this step. Allow yourself time – at least as much as you spent combined on the first three steps. Be as creative as possible. Create drafts of your vision statement by playing around with words. Start a sentence with any of the following phrases and write until you have incorporated everything you want to include. Remember, your vision statement may be anywhere from one sentence to a short paragraph long.

Vision Statement Opening Words

“I am…”

“I want…”

“My purpose/mission/vision is…”

“My life will show…”

“To…”

“I will…”

“I won’t…”

Try several of these and play around with them. Come up with four or five draft vision statements. Use active, first-person verbs in all of them. That means you should write as “I [verb]” as much as you can.

Make multiple drafts of vision statements that all start with the same opening words. Add things in and take out other things. Use synonyms and antonyms.

Try different lengths, sentence structures, pacing, and tones. Make drafts that sound as different as possible while still expressing the same core set of beliefs.

How Will You Know When You’re Finished?

How will you know when you’re finished? If you’re extraordinarily lucky or a talented wordsmith, you might be able to come up with the perfect vision statement just from these drafts. If not, keep working on drafts until you get tired of it or frustrated.

Set the task aside for a day or two, then come back and read your drafts again. Circle things that you really like. Mark out things you don’t. The bits and pieces that you like are going to form the core of your final draft.

Start making another set of drafts and this time use only the phrases you’ve circled from your first drafts. Then repeat the process until you’ve formed a personal vision statement that suits you. You’ll know when you’re finished.

Having and using a Personal Vision Statement to provide clarity and inspiration is truly worth the time and energy you put into it. It can result in a pivot in your life, or a clearer view of what you already sense about the direction of your life. Enjoy the process and the outcome!

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be. 

Great Resource For You

Dennis Becker has a publication that can be of great assistance as you begin the process of living out your vision – Unlock Your Ideal Self. He says, “It’s not a magic button, it’s a journey. It’s a journey you’re going to be thrilled to embark on and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. Imagine, in just a short time from now you could see some powerful, big changes in your life. Changes that will help you earn more, do better, and find what really makes you happy.” Check it out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Personal Vision Statement – A Tool for Direction, Motivation and Decision-making

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Vision is the true creative rhythm.  ~ Robert Delaunay

Does the idea of a Vision Statement excite you? Inspire you? Leave you cold? A Personal Vision Statement can be useful, especially if we keep it fresh and adjust as life progresses. A tired, dusty, tattered vision statement may have historical interest, but lacks power day to day.

This is a perfect time to look at Personal Vision Statements. We are still experiencing the effects and after-effects of the pandemic. After all the interruptions and dislocations of the past few years, creating a fresh one can be an energizing process. I am eager to do this myself. I have experienced lots of changes and frankly, a frequently muddled brain. I have less focus in some areas of my life and look to this to regain that.

What is a Personal Vision Statement?

Here’s a quick definition:

A Personal Vision Statement encompasses one’s values, goals, and purpose in life. Sometimes it also includes a statement of the lifetime impact you wish to have on the world. Perhaps you want to focus on the totality of your life moving forward, or you may want to create a statement that is for a particular segment of your life – like the next 10 years, the time while you have children living at home, your retirement years, etc.

Personal vision statements can encompass both personal and professional goals. They also tend to include a list of some deeply held personal values. They tend to be short, only a few sentences long.

Examples

Each of these examples include a simple statement, followed by more detail:

(from “25 Best Personal Vision Statement Examples, https://brandongaille.com/personal-vision-statement/)

To Empower My Children to Be Great

I commit that I will do all that I can to give my children the best life possible. I will ensure they have access to healthy food and are empowered to understand good health and nutrition. I will provide a roof over their head and access to education, so that they will not need anything. I will not allow them to become selfish or complacent by being spoiled by excess. I will teach them to appreciate and use the stability and financial surplus I will provide them to improve their own lives and to bless others.

Not Being Define By the Past

I commit that I am not defined by my experiences, but by who I am in light of my experiences. I will work hard to overcome past challenges and experiences. I will seek opportunities for personal and professional development to help me become a valuable contributor at work and in society. I will be an example to others that you can always improve, no matter what challenges life has given you.

Do these examples inspire you to do your own? I am eager to do this myself. I have experienced lots of changes and frankly, a frequently muddled brain. I have less focus in some areas of my life and look to this to regain that.

Benefits of a Personal Vision Statement

Personal Vision Statements have multiple benefits; here are the top three.

  1. It gives you a sense of direction

 A personal vision statement will provide you with a feeling of direction, of knowing where you are right now and where you are trying to go. If you start to feel lost or rudderless, look at your vision statement to help you realize the truth. This is an important psychological benefit – don’t underestimate it!

  1. It helps motivate you

 Personal vision statements have been shown to provide additional motivation when it’s lagging. It can provide you with that extra “oomph” you need to keep pushing and get yourself over the finish line when times are tough.

  1. It provides a framework for decision making

A personal vision statement helps with decision-making by providing a framework you can use to evaluate options, especially for complex decisions. Which options move you towards accomplishing your intentions? Which will move you further away? Which ones would let you uphold your values? Would any require you to break your values? These questions help you decide.

Getting Started

Creating your Personal Vision Statement is, well, personal! Everyone’s is different. It’s a creative process to come up with one that will be valuable to you.

This is best done as a hands-on, paper and pen process. Handwriting has advantages over keyboards for projects like this.  Somehow, it helps us access memory and emotion and find ideas. It gets the juices flowing.

The basic steps are writing down your goals/intentions, strengths, skills, weaknesses and values – these will be the basis of creating a powerful, useful Personal Vision Statement.

I hope you are getting excited about crafting your very own Personal Vision Statement! In the this post –  https://carolbrusegar.com/step-by-step-to-your-personal-vision-statement/ – you will find the steps in more detail and you will create your personal, powerful statement.

Great Resource For You

Dennis Becker has a publication that can be of great assistance as you begin the process of living out your vision – Unlock Your Ideal Self. He says, “It’s not a magic button, it’s a journey. It’s a journey you’re going to be thrilled to embark on and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. Imagine, in just a short time from now you could see some powerful, big changes in your life. Changes that will help you earn more, do better, and find what really makes you happy.” Check it out!

I’m Carol Brusegar, author, photographer and curator of information. My focus is on gathering and writing on topics that enhance all our lives – regardless of our age. Topics include health and wellness, personal development, innovation and creativity, and a variety of helpful, practical tools and practices. I have a special interest in helping people over 50 years of age to create their 3rd Age – the next stage of their lives – to be the best it can be.