Inspiration for your mind map practice
Chapter 2 in the online course “Seasonal Reflection & Goal Setting Exercise” is all about mind mapping! I guide you through the mind mapping process with prompts to help you find meaning and generate ideas related to your goals. Check it out!
Mind mapping has probably been around since people have been writing and having ideas. It's simply a way to express and organize information, and make connections between what you are learning about.
I bet you made an idea web in elementary school for a report to demonstrate how events were connected, or depict themes you discovered.
Mind mapping is just the 1994 buzzword name for a more colorful version of a straightforward, trustworthy diagramming process wherein a lot of thoughts sprout out of a central idea or theme.
It's a multi-purpose tool for individuals, families and teams looking to:
* increase productivity
* brainstorm and enhance creativity
* make sense of and better retain info
* learn something new
* express ideas in any order and have them organized by the end
There's a ton of info out there about how to create a mind map - with mindmap.com an obviously great place to start.
You'll find a ton of digital mind mapping tools great for virtual teams and on-the-go, but I personally believe in the power of getting your hands dirty when you can.
Rather than bore you with basics, I rounded up a few inspiring mind maps that provide insight into how and why to use them to better navigate both your personal and professional life.
TIme Management by Paul Foreman at Mind Tools Limited
As a busy person, I like this final map due to its ability to communicate a lot of information to me quickly and in a digestible format where I think an otherwise bullet heavy list would fail. So not only did it's development help the creator get a handle on all the ways they could be making decisions and simplifying procedures, it also became an ongoing resource for himself and his team. A process-oriented infographic. So productive. So meta.
How To Focus by Jane Genovese at Learning Fundamentals
This is a great example of using a mind map as a brainstorming and problem-solving tool when numerous options are required, whether to meet various audience needs, create a holistic campaign or plan of attack, or ensure every path forward has been considered before making a decision. While one person created this, you could also easily have a whole team sitting around a big piece of paper with this central idea, working on brainstorming together.
I also really like how color was used to highlight each branching idea, keeping your eye moving and enhancing your memorization of the content.
Learning German by unknown author
There's nothing better than a mind map you can't read the text on to show how powerful they can be for learning. A student created this mind map to help learn German, grouping vocabulary by parts of the home with supporting graphics to help organize and better retain information. This is a great technique for note taking, whether you are deep in your studies, amidst market research or just trying to come up to speed on a new situation at work. Mind mapping - so easy, kids do it!
My Goals by Roberta Busscalino
This one gets all the feels going for me as she pairs illustration of her dreams with her sense of self. There is no way a linear bullet list comes even close to capturing and expressing the kind of emotion or can handle the mental "jumping around" the way a mind map can. Research has found that when you set forth your goals on one page and return frequently to it, hanging on a wall or even just in the mind's eye, your goals become more achievable.
A Better To-Do List: Things on My Mind by me, Kate Peabody
Remember how I said mind maps was just a fancy name with some fancy touches of a straight-forward diagramming tool? Here's a not so fancy mind map I created last week that is an example of what gets me going every day, or helps me calm down every night when I just need to get everything out of my head and a regular to-do list just can't keep up with my running thoughts. I'm quickly able to group and capture everything I feel like I have to do around the main aspects of my life - personal, business and volunteer. While I didn't get doodling on this specific occasion, I did end by using color to circle my priorities for the week as a reminder that just because I wrote it down or its bouncing around, doesn't mean it gets attention from my brain right now. I'll make a new one every week or so as things get crossed off or re-prioritization happens.