source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/229202
In this day and age, we are bombarded with information all of the time. It can make it hard to stay focused and get things done. If you find yourself overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, mind maps can help. Here’s a brief guide to mind maps and how to use them to get more organized.
Mind maps have been used for hundreds of years but got popular as a productivity tool in the early 1980s. They help you organize and refer to information in a visual format. If you’re a visual learner or find yourself frustrated by to do lists, mind maps are the way to go! They can be used for goal setting, project planning, organizing information, problem solving, decision making and increasing your productivity.
A mind map is organized with a center idea, word or image and then various sub-ideas sprouting out from the center. For example, if you have a series of projects to do around the house, you’d start with the idea of home renovation and then create a branch for all of the necessary projects. Each project would then get its own series of branches that detail the steps that need to be accomplished to finish that project. Once you’re done figuring out the order of your tasks, you’ll have a snapshot view of everything that needs to be done to get your house in order.
Mind maps help you make sense of complicated processes in a visual format. They are effective because they help use both sides of your brain – the right and the left. The left side is fed by the logical nature of making the branches and sub-branches. Your right side (which is more creative) can process the visual nature of the map much more easily.
Follow these simple steps to using your own mind map on paper.
1.Start with a central idea. All of your other branches will come from this idea so make sure it’s a “big picture” ideas. Write down the idea and draw a circle around it.
2.Branch out different subcategories from the central idea. Make sure to keep them arranged in a radial manner so you avoid linear thinking. Making the subcategories branch out will help you think more creatively.
3.Don’t restrict your thoughts. Put as much detail as you can into your mind map. Write down everything you can think of because you can always edit things out later. A large part of being able to use a mind map effectively is to think about things in new ways. Write down any connections and ideas that seem natural.
4.Set a time limit for yourself to create the mind map. Spend a specific amount of time working on your mind map. If you give yourself a time limit you’ll be able to focus and clear your mind of the problem.
You can create a mind map by hand the “old fashioned way” on a piece of paper, or you can download one of the many free mind mapping programs like FreeMind, Compendium or FreePlane.
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