Choice Mapping: A Visual Guide to Making Conscious Decisions

A single choice can tell you an enormous amount about yourself.

I’ve seen this in my own life and in the conversations I’ve had with people exploring choices that matter to them. What begins as a question about a career, a relationship or a new possibility can lead to a much fuller understanding of what’s influencing the way you think, what matters to you and what you want.

Choice Mapping gives you a way to see those connections.

What is Choice Mapping?

Choice Mapping™ is a visual process I created to help you explore the choices you’ve made, the choices you’re making and the ones you’re considering for the future.

You begin with one choice and a series of questions. As you answer them, you capture your thoughts in short statements on a map, where you can see them together.

You might begin by exploring why a particular choice matters to you. That could lead to a question about what you want, what concerns you or whose expectations may be influencing your thinking.

And because everything remains visible on the map, you can return to an earlier answer, follow a connection or recognize something you hadn’t considered before.

I love the way a map allows you to see so much of your thinking in one place.

Sometimes there’s more to the choice

I remember working with Sarah, who was considering leaving her successful corporate career.

She began with the practical things you’d expect someone to consider: finances, timing and what she might do next. As we continued exploring her choice, she began recognizing how much she wanted her work to reflect values she’d been setting aside.

Those practical considerations were still important, but now she could see another part of what was influencing her decision.

I’ve had many conversations where someone begins with a particular understanding of their choice, and as we follow their answers, they begin to recognize other things that deserve attention.

It’s one of the reasons I enjoy this work so much. There’s a difference between knowing the options in front of you and understanding everything that’s influencing how you see them.

Why put your choice on a map?

When you’re thinking about a choice, it’s easy to move from one thought to another. You consider an option, remember a conversation, worry about a possible consequence and then circle back to something you’ve already considered.

You may have thought about the choice extensively, but that doesn’t mean you’ve been able to see all those thoughts together.

A Choice Map gives each answer a place.

You can see what matters to you alongside what concerns you. You might recognize a connection between an expectation you’ve been carrying and a possibility you’ve been reluctant to consider.

And you can return to the map later.

I find this particularly interesting because your understanding of a choice can change. You may have a conversation that influences your thinking, learn something you didn’t know before or recognize that something you once believed no longer feels true.

Your map becomes a record of what you understood at that moment, and you can continue exploring as your thinking develops.

Three ways to use Choice Mapping

Over the years, I’ve developed three types of Choice Maps.

An Exploration Map helps you look closely at a choice that’s asking for your attention. You place the choice at the center and explore questions about why it matters, what you’re afraid of, what you want and what might become possible.

An Unfolding Map allows you to look at what happened after you made a choice, including the people, experiences and opportunities that entered your life. You can also use it to consider how a choice might unfold in the future, knowing there may be possibilities you can’t yet imagine.

A People Map begins with a person who has mattered in your life. You can trace the introductions, relationships and experiences connected to that person, sometimes discovering just how far their influence has extended.

Each map offers a different way to explore your experiences and understand the role your choices have played in your life.

How it began

My first Choice Map came from wanting to understand what had happened because of a decision I’d made to attend an out-of-the-box coaching event.

I opened my mind-mapping software and began tracing the people I’d met, the experiences I’d had and the opportunities that had come into my life.

I wasn’t seeking a new methodology. I simply wanted to understand what had come into my life because of that one decision.

As I continued, I became curious about other choices I’d made and what I might discover by mapping them.

That curiosity eventually led to the development of Choice Mapping, a process I’ve continued to explore and refine for more than a decade.

What you may discover

One of the things I appreciate about mapping is that you don’t need to know where the questions will lead.

You might begin with a choice about work and discover that a relationship is influencing how you think about it. You may recognize that a fear you’ve been carrying has affected which possibilities you’re willing to consider. Or you might look back at a choice you made years ago and see how it introduced people and experiences that continue to matter in your life.

I’ve also found that mapping can help you recognize where you have a choice, particularly in situations where you’ve been telling yourself you have to do something.

That recognition may change what you decide to do, or simply give you a different understanding of the situation you’re in.

And sometimes, a map leaves you with more questions than you had when you began. I’ve come to appreciate those moments too.

Begin with one choice

When I introduce someone to Choice Mapping, I usually begin with a simple invitation.

Bring one choice you’d like to explore.

It could be a choice you’re considering, one you’ve already made or one you’d like to understand more fully.

You don’t need to know what you’ll discover before you begin. The questions give you a place to start, and the map allows you to see what emerges as you explore.

I’ve created many maps over the years, both for myself and with others, and I continue to be fascinated by how much a single choice can tell you about yourself.

Continue exploring Choice Mapping

This article is part of a seven-part series about Choice Mapping, including how the process began, how to create your first map and different ways you can use it in your life.

Next article: Beyond Journaling: How Choice Mapping Creates Clarity

Explore the Choice Mapping Series