The old-school tool I use to survive jam-packed life chapters

Well, business has been busy!
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Next week the new Cottesloe office will be all ready to go!

Our wonderful new therapist Joanna has been seeing clients from Fremantle and online in the meantime, and, as expected, I’ve received beautiful feedback from her new clients.

Let’s just say, I have excellent taste in therapists!

Joanna has space for 6 more clients in August, so get in touch!​
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​What have I been up to?

I have been managing A LOT of moving parts with this new phase of business, opening the Cottesloe office, renovating it, bringing on new therapists and seeing clients.

But it feels like I’ve unlocked a new era of self-confidence. Most of the time.

Sometimes I criticise myself for having a brain that works like a mind-map, rather than a linear to-do list, and other times, like when I am juggling 1000 moving parts while still being 100% present for my clients, I am grateful for the talents of my brain.

How do I get through it?! I actually mind-map, A LOT!

And so I wanted to share a beautiful mind-map template I’ve created to share with you if you’re going through an incredibly busy time in life with lots of moving parts too.
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You can use this as a visual to-do list, but I use it as a brain dump for ideas, and potential opportunities and to theme and group things together.

Then, I methodically work through which ones I like and want to execute, and some of my crazy ideas get left on the mind map.

You can do mind maps for different areas of your life such as:

• Business/work mind-map: Create bubbles for your short-term and long-term projects and all the aspects of your business or work (Business development, networking, organising your files, going for that promotion) and off-shoot smaller tasks and ideas.
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• Home life mind-map: Create bubbles around DIY projects or different rooms of the house, your pets, and then off-shoot smaller task, and preparation work (hello Bunnings trip!) and write out all the things on your mental load that you only notice or care for. Stick it on the fridge once completed!
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• Managing the kids mind-map: Make bubbles for their activities, health tasks, chores, things to prep/sell/donate, values you want to teach them and how, and hopefully a bubble called “village” where you can delegate their care to not just yourself.
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• Dreams and goals-mindmap: Create a bubble for each of your goals, such as do your Yoga TT, read more, self-care, save more, bucket-list items, travel ideas etc
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• Relationship mind-map: Create a bubble for each of the people you care for in your life, partner, parents, neighbour, besties and then create smaller off-shoots for tasks or ideas to nurture those relationships. You can also have a bubble for those people you’re ready to let go of and need to say goodbye to, aka toxic friends and useless dates who DM you random memes but won’t ever commit to a meaningful relationship.
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• Communicate your invisible load: Take your mind map into a meeting with your boss or team, or with your partner. Sit down and share it with them so they can see everything you're currently taking mental responsibility for. Then ask: Can we share this? Can you help me prioritise? Where should I start focusing?

✨ Benefits of Mind Mapping ✨

Now, mind mapping is not just a to-do list in circular form. It’s a gateway to clearer thinking and enhanced creativity.

Here are some beautiful benefits that you probably didn't know:

• Organises Thoughts Visually: Mind mapping helps arrange complex information in a visually appealing way, making it easier to digest all in one place.
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• Enhances Memory Retention: By engaging both sides of your brain, mind mapping helps you remember information more effectively.
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• Boosts Creativity: It allows for free-flowing exploration of ideas, sparking new and creative thoughts which really helps when you’re stuck in an infinite loop, as it will help you to see other options.
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• Problem Solving: It's a creative tool where you draw branches of ideas stemming from a central concept and the ideas will keep on coming and help you problem-solve along the way with new solutions.
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• Zoom Out: Like a vision board, it also helps you focus on the bigger picture and not just the day-to-day stuff we get bogged down in. So stick it somewhere you will see it or look at it every morning so you remember “Ahh yes.. my dreams and travel bubble”.. and not just the boring house bubble.
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• Get Unstuck: Break down large projects into manageable tasks so you can see all the little steps and get started. Often when you’re overwhelmed you’re looking at THE WHOLE TASK as one and you don’t know where to start. Mind map with many, many little tangents and offshoots and break it down into smaller steps.
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• See your work/stress load clearly: Once you have your mind map completed, you’ll probably step back and think “Holy Moly! No wonder I’ve been so stressed and can’t sleep at night” because you’ll visually see everything that has been swirling around your brain. Speaking of your brain…
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✨ Once you've finished your map..tell your brain... ✨

Tell your brain to forget it: If your brain is worried you’ll forget something, it will keep reminding you and looping it back to put the mental post-it note at the front of your mind.
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Once you’ve brain dumped into your mind map, you can then say to your brain “I hear you, but it’s in the mind map now, I don’t need you to keep reminding me. Close that mental tab please.”

Get Improved Sleep: Mind map before you sleep so that when your head hits the pillow, you can say to your brain “Let’s sleep now, I’ve written everything down and I’m ready for tomorrow. Now, let’s dream of being pulled on stage by Beyoncé, not turning up to an exam naked, please.”
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​Oh, the satisfying strike-through: Just because this isn’t a list doesn’t mean you don’t get the ever-satisfying feeling of crossing it off your list. Take a highlighter or pen and strike through the thing you’ve done once completed.

Does anyone add things on their to-do list that they’ve already done and are really easy just to get the satisfaction of crossing something off??

✅ Wake up and breathe. Tick!

No? just me.
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✨Download my gorgeous mind map template here. ✨

Or, draw your own!

Have the best week!

Gabriella

PS. We are taking bookings for Joanna in August either in Cottesloe or online wherever you are in the world.

Reach out to us before her books are full of talking about bespoke counselling services for women and couples.​

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