Dreams, Goals, Commitments: Mind Maps for Aligned & Actionable Goals

Hilary Grosskopf, systems engineer, yoga teacher, and founder of Awake Leadership Solutions, introduces her “Dreams, Goals, Commitments” framework for setting and achieving meaningful objectives. Drawing on systems thinking and leadership experience, she demonstrates how mind mapping helps individuals integrate personal and professional aspirations, think expansively, and turn intention into action. Key Themes & Topics (Timestamped) [0:00] Introduction and context – Presents the Biggerplate Connect session on aligning personal and professional goals through systems thinking. [0:57] Hilary’s background – Shares her path from engineering and corporate leadership to founding Awake Leadership Solutions and writing Awake Leadership and Awake Ethics. [3:22] Mind mapping overview – Explains how non-linear mapping expands creativity, improves clarity, and enables visual communication beyond list-based tools. [7:21] Benefits of mapping – Highlights mapping as a way to enhance focus, structure, memory, and team accountability in leadership and collaboration. [9:08] Basic ordering ideas – Introduces the principle of defining map layers (main topics, subtopics, details) to guide clarity and consistency. [12:22] Dreams before goals – Encourages starting with aspirational “wow” journaling to imagine meaningful personal and professional futures. [15:38] Layer one: dreams – Defines first-level branches for professional and personal dreams; stresses balance and integration between both spheres. [18:05] Layer two: goals – Introduces milestones as the stepping stones between dreams and achievement; recommends prioritising and colour-coding goals. [21:24] Layer three: commitments – Focuses on specific, checkable sub-goals or challenges that make progress tangible and trackable. [24:31] Applying the framework – Demonstrates the 2022 “Dreams, Goals, Commitments” mind map using leadership, wellness, and personal examples. [27:55] Tools and flexibility – Compares hand-drawn maps for reflection with digital tools like MindMeister for iteration and updates through the year. [29:14] Ongoing evolution – Emphasises that maps should evolve as priorities change, keeping focus on the original dreams as the compass. [31:56] Supporting resources – Concludes with her Awake Leadership book series and how they extend the mapping principles into practical leadership growth. .