To turn “who do I want to become?” into an action, name one quality you admire, find where it matters in your own life, and choose an act you control. Keep the aim in your own words. You are choosing a direction, not writing a verdict on yourself.

Start with a person or an act you admire

You might admire someone who asks good questions, finishes what they start, makes work of their own or notices when help is needed. Name the act behind the admiration. Fame and appearance tell you little about what to practise.

Now ask why it matters to you. “I want to speak more freely with people I meet” is personal. “I should be like that person in every way” gives you an impossible task.

Use the action map

Copy this blank map

What I admire
Which act or quality catches my attention?
What I want for myself
What would I like to practise in my own life?
Where I am starting
What do I already do? What do I tend to leave undone?
A real situation
Where could I use this this week?
My next act
What will I do? What is mine to control?
What I need to check
Time, cost, access, safety or another person's agreement.
After the attempt
What did I do, what happened, and what would I try next?

A map filled in

Admiration: People who ask a useful question instead of pretending to understand.

Aim: I want to speak when something matters to me.

Starting point: I attend talks but usually leave my question unasked.

Situation: The question session at a local talk.

Act: Write one question beforehand and ask it if questions are invited.

Control: Preparing and asking respectfully. The speaker's answer is theirs.

Choose the right kind of growth for this moment

If the act is already routine, choose a different useful edge. If it is too large to attempt safely, cut the scope or choose another route. A small action still needs a reason to matter to you.

The guides below offer different forms of practice: conversation, making, exploration, follow-through, attention and contribution. Use them to choose, then leave the map and do the act.

Keep the direction open

Your answer may change after trying. You may want more of the activity, less of it, or a different expression of the same quality. Write what happened and make the next choice with those facts.

Laurels is being built to connect personal aims and starting points to real-world challenges. This map is a way to make that connection yourself while the app is in development.