Life Mapping

Get The Life Mapping Workbook on Amazon.com here

Get it as a pdf here

Why Life Mapping?

Alice and Wonderland’s infamous Cheshire Cat once wisely declared, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” (Actually, the Cheshire Cat said something longer, which you can see in The Life Mapping Workbook. This quote is from a song by George Harrison – Any Road – but that’s besides the point.) Unfortunately, this is the way many of us live our lives. Going down any, or all roads open to us, leading us to who knows what end.

Most humans just go with the flow, live for paychecks/fun/coping, they don’t hold anything with much meaning, and/or are stuck in jobs they don’t like. Or, if you are more like me, you have all the vision–too much of it in fact! People like me want to say yes to every invitation, jump on all the trends, are unable to manage their time well, haven’t created systems, or other ways to organize their lives around what they value and prioritize most.

I just shared two extremes, but maybe you find yourself familiar with some of the above. Both are reactive. Both lives that might have direction, but the end goal isn’t clear (well, besides death) and there is no good method to forge a path.

I used to live this way. I had a high purpose, a calling even. But I was all over the place living reactively, even while truly wanting to live meaningfully. And it didn’t serve me (or others) very well. Now, because I know where I am going, I stand by the axiom: “Not all who wander are lost.” I’m going to share a little of my story in a minute, but first, let me share a solution with you.

So what do we do? We move from being reactive to being active. The antithesis of living a reactive life is living an intentional one.

Okay, you ask, just how do we do that? There is no right method, but the system I use is dubbed Life Mapping.

What I Love The Most About Life Mapping:

Here, at Average Advocate, we highly value living intentionally. Why? We believe we can live fully alive and make a difference in the world. Yes. You read that correctly. Both. At the same time. And we can have these both without burning out. (*SHOCKER*)

Isn’t it nice to know pursuing internal wholeness and an external meaningful life, where we give back to the world, are not mutually exclusive? Advocates, caregivers, activists, nonprofit workers, ministry leaders, grassroots organization volunteers–or any other labels changemakers collect for themselves–can live intentionally, even if slowly, and make an impact from their best way to make a difference (what we like to call ’round here our “sweet spot”).

How is this possible? Two reasons:

1. Our Be comes before our Do – pursuing who we are designed to be actually guides us to what we do, not the other way around
2. We can’t pour from an empty cup – so we learn how to refill, rest, manage our time, and address beliefs that keep us working to prove ourselves
3. We believe that each of us matter just as much as the people, causes, and missions we serve – our actions reflect this value

What if you aren’t a changemaker? Or are a cynic? Or don’t have a purpose?

Oh, I should mention, it doesn’t matter if you don’t view yourself as a changemaker. Personally, I view everyone as a changemaker–it is just a matter of what type and how wide the change is. We all have a circle of influence and people watching us. Those who become intentional with this influence are changemakers.

But maybe you haven’t found your path to changemaking yet. You don’t volunteer, do good, live generously, act kind, know what causes you care about or what mission you want to jump on board with. Maybe even more deeply, you are unsure of who you are and don’t have a vision for your future.

That’s great! The first part of Life Mapping is dedicated to help you understand your purpose and life themes. I also have plenty of tools in the extra resources for you to discover your values, your personality, giftings, and other ways to help you begin to “find yourself” as some mystics call it.

Why I Began Life Mapping

So remember that story I said I’d share? I talk about it a lot more in my Life Mapping Workbook, but here it is in a nutshell. I was doing all the good things to change the world and burned-out, unintentionally hurting those around me and myself in the process. (Average Advocate has been here through all of this, like a patient friend)

I moved across across the country, took a year-off ministry, business, and all non-profit and do-gooder work to heal, re-calibrate my people-pleasing ways, and figure out how to do things differently.

And that is when I began Life Mapping. You can read more about my story here, or an updated version in the book. But now, on to you.  

What is Life Mapping?

Life Mapping is a form of life coaching (also known as life planning, but that term sounds too intimidating for my wanderlust soul). Life Mapping guides individuals through a series of exercises that rapidly help them chart the path they need to be on to get to where they want to go–even if they have no clue where that is when they start!

Life Mapping is a tool to help us focus on what is essential.

Here’s What You Should Know About Life Mapping:

Think: Compass. Map. GPS.

If you can figure out your destination point, you can re-calibrate over and over again to get there–even if you make 20,000,000 wrong turns. And, SURPRISE! The destination point isn’t what you do, but rather, what type of person you’ll be.

(Ya, let that sink in for a moment. Is it actually possible to structure your life around characteristic instead of achievements? I’ll answer that one for you: Yep.)

Life Mapping is a full system to help you figure out your values, life themes, what direction to go in, and make a plan for how to get their in goals and scheduling.

Does Life Mapping Empower You To Be a Changemaker?

By now you should know that Average Advocate exists to empower everyday people be changemakers. But most of us get stuck before we get started, or we start strong and then fade fast. (After all, global problems just keep comin’ and life is already so overwhelming).

Solution? We flip the script. We start being who we are designed to be first. Uncovering vision, implementing order, and living who we are out behind closed-doors (in our hearts and homes) changes us. The result? We begin meaningfully making a difference in the world.

How Do You Start Life Mapping?

You don’t need me or any other coach to begin Life Mapping! Just get the workbook and begin! The workbook will coach you through it, giving you all the guidance you need.

The workbook also includes an access link to all of my free Life Mapping resources that help you figure out your life, including access to online documents, examples, a faith addendum for Christians, and a set of tools from other leaders.

But . . . Accountability & Coaching are Awesome!

People have more success Life Mapping with accountability and personal feedback. The workbook is just information. But it is Information + Imitation + Implementation = Innovation. Personal access to and coaching from someone who does Life Mapping greatly increases your odds of finishing your initial Life Map and using the system well so that it changes your life.

Life Mapping gives you tools for life long habits that empower you to live intentionally and make a difference in the world.

I really believe in this, which is why I am try to give this to you at the lowest value I can afford. But I’ve also discovered that those who are the most likely to finish their Life Map are those who’ve made an investment because they value it.

Life Mapping in Groups:

Life Mapping groups include five group sessions and one individual session. This can be done with a small group that you bring together or groups I gather. These can be done as an intensive (such as for a retreat), over a six week timeline, or go every-other-week for twelve weeks.

Tell me if you are interested in a virtual group or have me facilitate your group here.

One-On-One Life Mapping

To schedule one-on-one Life Mapping, make an appointment and get the details about coaching here.

You can also skip reading up on coaching and just schedule a free no-pressure discovery call and ask me all the questions here.

I AM SO EXCITED TO DO THIS WITH YOU!

What does the Life Mapping Package included?

• Six 45-minute coaching sessions (either every-other week or every week for intensives)
• Instructions and initial hand-holding to learn how to do Life Mapping for the rest of your life
• The Life Mapping Workbook and Purpose Roadmap workbooks in pdf form
• Guidance to any other life-coaching worksheets, assignments, and projects you might need to help you move forward
• Weekly connection between sessions (via email or text)
• Introspective feedback and guidance to help you see your life themes and what motivates you
• Accountability even after our sessions to help you meet your initial 90-day goals
• Email or a short phone call with feedback of your first Life Mapping revision for your next set of 90-day goals

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There is no need to get to the end of your life with regrets.

There is so much hope for you now!

Life Mapping can be life-altering, and in the best way!