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Vertical Mapping Example
Patrick Rhone | Sep 21 2006
Here goes Patrick on his Vertical Mapping soapbox again :-) I have discussed not only in my Whitepaper but also on this forum about my belief in Vertical Mapping as a crucial and often overlooked aspect of GTD. For those unfamiliar, Vertical Mapping is the process of connecting all of those N/A's (Runway) and Projects (10,000 ft.) to your responsibilities (20,000 ft), goals (30,000 ft.), Vision (40,000 ft.) and Principals (50,000 ft.). The vertical map is all about "the why" of getting things done on a very deep personal level. I regularly review my Vertical Maps while reviewing my projects and next actions and if there is an action or project that does not fit in vertically then I really have to force the question why that action/project is really on my list. If it is not directly related to the 50,000 ft. of who I wish to be, then I can tell you it's likelihood of getting done (zero). I have been asked several times, especially since the resurge in popularity of my Whitepaper (Thanks to Merlin) how I use OmniOutliner for doing vertical maps and/or further examples or templates. I have been wrestling with a way to explain this without actually sharing my personal Vertical Map. I have yet to find a way that conveys this process without doing up a "dummy" map involving the life goals of some guy named Lorem Ipsum which would take just as much work as the one I have already built for myself. Therefore... I am going to do something bold. Something that involves trust in the goodness of my brothers and sisters of human kind and here on this forum. I am going to post my actual (though still an unfinished work in process) Vertical Map. Because this is the real deal, it contains some personal but not secret information about my life (My sons names, my wifes name, where I work, etc.). Also, this is a slightly outdated version and some items have changed (for instance, I am now married so the wedding planning stuff is over - thank god) . That is part of the point though, Vertical Maps are living documents and should be part of a regular review where they are scrutinized, re-evaluated and tweaked. Download Here: Patrick's Master Vertical Map As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome and encouraged. 8 Comments
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 Re: Big Picture DaySubmitted by patrickrhone on October 17, 2006 - 11:25am.
Chrome47;6297 wrote:
This might be just the sort of template I need to do the "Big Picture Day" I have planned for next week when I'm off from work. I want to take some time where I have zero distractions, sit down with paper, pens, pencils, sketchbooks, and whatever resource materials I need to plan the next stage(s) of my life. Am I on the right track? Is that what vertical mapping is? It is certainly part of it. It depends on how far out you are planning. If you look at my map, you will see that I am using a "bottom-up" approach. I am starting with the 20,000 foot stuff (Areas of responsibility) which then allow me to drive the 30,000 ft. stuff (12 to 18 month goals). For instance, by starting with the 20,000 foot and simply outlining all of the things I am responsible for and people and institutions I have a commitment to, I am able to then make the next natural (30,000 ft.) step of asking "Where would I like these things to be in the next year or so?". With such information in hand, one is able to make sure that their actions (Runway) and projects (10,000 ft.) are driving those goals. Hope it helps. » POSTED IN:
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