Venn Diagrams as Tools for Life
Sometimes it can be hard to identify your priorities in life and see if they really match up to what matters in the long run. We’re all individuals with different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences, and there’s no right answer that works for everyone when trying to discover what drives you and leads you to be a better person.
For me, taking time to write down the things that matter and the things I can control has been a great help in choosing where to best spend my time. A Venn Diagram can be an incredibly useful tool to get a good visual of the bigger picture, and it also reminds me that it’s not about keeping score, comparing myself to others, or worrying about what lies beyond my control. All you can do is your best, and creating this graphic visual is a powerful reminder of that idea.
Circle One: The Things That Matter
The first circle of a Venn Diagram is a place where you can write down things that matter most to you. It could be a goal you want to accomplish or some of the overarching values you have. Or it could be ways you want to divide your time when it comes to work and family. It’s a place to take stock of what truly matters to you on a deeper level, and by writing it down, you can really visualize the different things that make you tick, what give you happiness, and where your priorities are.
Circle Two: The Things You Can Control
The second circle of the Venn Diagram is reserved for things in your life that you have control over. It can be taking steps to improve your health and build better habits, like working out and eating right. It can even include things with a much bigger scope, like continuing your education, making a career change, moving to a new place, or pursuing a creative project. The point is that all of these points are in your scope of control. These are the things that you have the ability to change by taking concrete actions and small steps to make them a reality.
The Middle: Your Focus
The place where your two circles intersect is where you should focus, and it’s the only place I choose to dedicate my time to. It’s the place where what matters to you meets what you can control, and it identifies where you can best take action to instantly improve your situation or state of mind.
For me, this has been a life-changing tool that allows me to better focus on what really matters to me and helps me put my best foot forward. It’s also made me a more positive, productive, and mindful leader since I’m not constantly dwelling on things that I can’t control or don’t really matter. I believe that frequently taking time to do small exercises like this can yield some amazing results down the road, and I hope that you find it useful in your own life.
