Are you ready for a change? Visual thinking can help!

Deborah DeLue • June 22, 2024

The Art of Applied Visual Thinking

The official newsletter of Applied Visual Thinking SUPERHEROES. Vol. 5 No. 13

June 22, 2024

How time flies. We're near the end of June, and aphelion (the point of the Earth's orbit farthest from the Sun) is just days away. This is a great time to reflect on where you've been, where you are now, and the direction things are heading in the future.

This week, we're taking a few moments to decipher what you might need to adapt, shift, or change on your way to becoming the next best you.

If the aphelion is an inflection point in the earth's orbit around the sun. There are also inflection points in work

and life.

In simple terms, an inflection point is a change in direction. Work and life are full of inflection points; they could be significant changes like an addition to the family, a career change, or a big move to a new area. They can also be minor changes like a shift in understanding, responsibilities, or interests. Whatever the inflection point is, the common denominator is the need to change. What has served you well in the past may not be working now or serve your needs in the future.

An inflection point is a great time to make a change.

There are many different tools to help you recognize and navigate an inflection point, including mind mapping, flow charts, and timelines. One tool we particularly enjoy is a Past >>> Present >>> Future journey map.

At an inflection point?

Download a copy of the free template, grab some pens

and markers, and play along!

Download Free Template

Map your Past >>> Present >>> Future journey:

Step 1) Take a few moments to reflect on what change you are facing. Consider:

What type of change is happening?
Where are you in the change process? Has it happened already? Are you in the middle of the change? Is it on the horizon?
How big is it? Are you looking at a small shift or a radical change?

Step 2) Set your timeline:

Using the P ast >>> Present >>> Future template, add the start date of your timeline at the left end of the curve and the end date at the right end of the curve.
Your timeline can be any length, from a few months to a few years. It's up to you.

Step 3) Mark your inflection point:

Draw an icon that resonates with you at the inflection point (the lowest point of the curve). For example, if you're changing jobs, you might draw a figure wearing a fancy new hat, or if you'd like more work-life balance, you might draw a balance scale.
Using hierarchy, color, and icons, jot down a few bullet points around your icon describing what has, is, or will be changing.

Step 4) Look back:

On the left side of the curve, jot down a few bullet points describing what's been happening for you, including what you've been thinking, feeling, and doing in the past. Use hierarchy, color, and icons to represent your ideas visually.
If you completed the Put On Your 2024 Google process and selected 3 words at the end of 2023, add them to your map, too.

Step 5) Look forward:

Take a few moments to reflect on who you want to be and how you want to feel, think, and act in the future.
On the right-hand side of the curve. Using "I am" and "I have" statements, jot down a few bullet points to describe your future self. Use hierarchy, colors, and icons to add meaning to your "I" statements.

Step 6) Embody it:.

Take a few moments to reflect on what you've created. Visualize how you will be in the world when living as your new self. Imagine in vivid detail where you'll be, how you'll feel, what you'll be doing, who you're with, etc. The more details, the better. Envisioning a bright future is the first step in bringing it into being.
Place the map where you will see it daily, such as your bathroom mirror, or take a photo and make it your screensaver. Look at it often. Keeping your vision front and center will keep you on the path toward positive change.