Find the right people
How I use mind mapping for networking + personal recs and a gift guide
Time is finite. Days are long but decades are short.
The problem with networking is that lots of people waste time making shallow connections with the wrong people. That’s no good. And that’s no fun.
I’ve learned it’s better to make a meaningful connection with one person than a shallow connection with 10. It takes more time, more energy up front, but it’s worth it.
Basically, everything good in my life has come from connecting with the right people. In this edition of a good omen, I’ll share the framework I use to find the right people to reach out to. I’ll also share my list of recommendations and gifts that will make you freak out in a good way.
The key to making genuine connections is meeting people who care about the same stuff you care about.
Here is the framework I use to find the right people:
Pay attention
Connect the dots
Look closer
1. Pay attention
First, figure out what you care about, what you really like, and what you want by answering a few reflection questions. Use a piece of paper to map them out.
What do you value? (use this list and choose a few that jump out at you.)
What kinds of connections would you like to make? Or, what area of your life would benefit from finding your people?
Where do you hope you’ll be in this area in 3 years?
What are the things in your house that you love? Look around the room you’re currently in.
What kinds of content do you consume regularly?
What kinds of content have shifted the way you think?
What kinds of content have you recently learned about that you like?
What are the things you’ve just learned about that you’re obsessed with?
2. Connect the dots
Using the questions above, you can use mind-mapping to capture the things already floating around inside your head. This simple brainstorming exercise can help you connect the dots between seemingly very disparate ideas or concepts.
3. Look closer
It is somewhere in the combination of what you value, what you’re looking for, and what you’re obsessed with that will lead you to the right person to reach out to. The fun part is looking for it.
Now that you have this map of things you love, and a better understanding of what you want, it’s a good time to remember that there is a person, or group of people, responsible for making that thing.
With a bit of research (on the internet), you can find a person to reach out to. A person who values what you value, a person who has made something you genuinely love. A person who probably worked really hard to get their idea out into the world and has no idea that you’re out there loving their thing.
Now it’s time to tell them.