Mind maps allow you to place your thoughts on paper in a highly visual way. They are simply an organized drawing with the themes of your ideas highlighted through the placement on the page. They can be as messy or as structured as you like, and making multiple drafts may help with getting your ideas organized. The size varies based on how involved the project is. While a mind map for deciding a yes or no question may be less involved, the thought map for a research paper or a novel may be much more involved. This will give you room to think through your ideas in a visual way. There are also many online apps for mind mapping. Make sure the circle is big enough so that it will stand out from the subtopics, but not so big that you don’t have much room to write your ideas around it. The topic itself should be as precise as you can make it, so that you can organize your thoughts more easily. Instead of using the topic “Global Warming,” for instance, you might use “The Effects of Global Warming,” or the “The Theories Surrounding Global Warming.” These will be topics related to your main topic, but you can write more than you will use in this section. Doing so will help you select the most important parts of the thought map, as you see how the sections relate to each other. If you want to get really detailed with your topic, you may want to draw lines from the subtopics, and write details about the subtopics. This is where it is really useful to have larger paper or a poster board, so you’ll have plenty of room to go into as much detail as you’d like. Writing out these details will help you organize your thoughts further as they will help you see the connections between subtopics.

Summary: Make a mind map, or visual organizer. Start with a large piece of paper or poster board. Write your overall idea or them in a circle in the middle of the paper or poster board. Draw lines leading from the circle, and write the ideas that stem from the main idea. Draw lines leading from the main lines to indicate subtopics.


What are your most important qualities? Understanding the unique gifts you have to offer the world can help you figure out what direction your life should take. Take a few hours to think deeply about what makes you special.  Spending time in a place where you can be yourself is a good way to identify what makes you, you. Try going to your favorite place in nature, or spending time near people who get you. When you can really be yourself, what qualities emerge? It may also help to ask people you trust what good qualities they see in you. Sometimes it's difficult to see our own strengths clearly. Spend time thinking about your priorities divorced from what you know your current obligations are. Take note of the happiest moments in your life, and prioritize the parts of your life that deliver these moments to you. Remember, you don’t need to think about what’s feasible and what isn’t, just what truly makes you tick. This will help you see what you cherish rather than the strategies you’ll use to get them. Keep the list short and sweet—no longer than five things. Ask yourself the following questions in order to connect with your priorities:  How would you like to live your life? Would you like to be healthy and vital? Would you like to have deeper connections with people in your life? What will make you proud to be able to say about yourself in ten years time? When you have a completely average day, what does it entail? By laying out a daily schedule, not of what you want for yourself, but of what you actually do you can see your current strategies for meeting your priorities. Now that you have this schedule, see if your priorities are reflected in your daily activity or not. Can you draw links between what you cherish and what you know must be taken care of each day? For example, if you already eat a nourishing breakfast in the morning, you can connect this up with a stated priority of maintaining a healthy body and mind. If you cannot see the connection between how you spend your time and what your deeper priorities are, you will know that a significant overhaul may be in order. Looking again at your daily schedule, sort everything you do into two different categories: urgent and valuable. Everything we do holds some sort of meaning for us, otherwise we wouldn't be doing it. Notice the things you do that are urgent, meaning that you feel as though you are under pressure and seek to avoid the consequences of not doing it. Then, look at the other activities that are valuable. If something is valuable that means that there is something intrinsically enjoyable to the activity itself, as it is in line with your priorities (even if only in a small way). For instance, you might be confused about where to place an activity like calling your mom. Ask yourself: do you call your mom daily because you would feel guilty or fear hurting her if you don't check in? Or, do you talk to her frequently because you prioritize family and talking to her sparks the joy of connection in you? Yes to the first option shows that the activity is urgent, and yes to the second means that it is valuable. These need not be only the obligations that we consider crucial, like paying rent and buying groceries, but also the obligations that you feel you have toward others. What are the things that you have to do, for fear of some type of punishment or shame? While these will not go away completely, recognition of what you do out of fear will sharpen your ability to see when you are acting from a priority and when you are acting out of fear, urgency or obligation.  Slowly, you'll learn to make different decisions about what needs to be done and when. This time, caring for your priorities and growth rather than simply running in fear of consequences. Begin to notice which obligations can be altered, split, or delegated in order for your values and priorities to be upheld. Can an aunt, friend, or coworker help out with the obligation half time? Or maybe the task is truly the responsibility of someone else - let that person rise to the opportunity to be responsible and handle the task. To live without getting overwhelmed or confused about what your priorities are, it is crucial to surround yourself with people who make you feel comfortable enough to be confident and creative. The next time you go out, be extra mindful of who gives you energy and who makes talking feel like a chore. This will bring out your gut feelings about whose presence really nourishes you, making it easier to spend your time feeling boosted rather than obligated in relation to others. Honestly ask yourself the questions: “Who makes me feel shrunken when I’m around them? Who makes me feel like my contributions are trivial?” You might be surprised (and shaken) to find that people who we love very much bring out tendencies of self-effacement and repression of our true feelings.

Summary: Visualize your best self. Make a list of your priorities. Write out a daily schedule. Separate the urgent from the valuable. List your obligations and duties. Think about your relationships.


One round of bleeding the slave cylinder is complete when your friend lifts their foot off of the clutch pedal.  With the bleed valve closed and your friend’s foot off of the pedal, open the brake fluid reservoir on the master cylinder and add brake fluid to it to ensure it doesn’t run dry as you go.  Bleeding the slave cylinder with an empty reservoir will suck air into the system again. Check the reservoir regularly to ensure it does not run out of fluid. As your friend presses on the clutch pedal, look at the clear hose so you can see any debris or air bubbles that drain with the fluid.  Air bubbles may look like bubbles, or they may look like gaps in the fluid as it passes through the hose.  When there are no air bubbles for a few round of bleeding, you are finished.  Air bubbles in the system can lead to your clutch system only delivering intermittent pressure. Intermittent pressure in the clutch system can cause the clutch to fail to disengage. Do as many rounds of bleeding the clutch as necessary for the bubbles to stop coming out of the hose.  If bubbles continue to appear no matter how much you bleed the system, there may be a leak somewhere in the lines or at the master cylinder.  Once the bubbles stop coming you can seal the bleed screw and place the cap back on the reservoir. If there is a leak somewhere in the system, you will need to seek a professional to identify and repair it.
Summary: Add more brake fluid between each round of bleeding. Look for air bubbles in the hose as it drains. Repeat the process as needed.