Great and Easy Tool: Create a MIND MAP

A mind map is a graphical way to symbolize thoughts and concepts. It is an image thinking  that helps structuring information,  better evaluation, understand, create, remember and produce new ideas. Mostly, mind mapping avoids boring and linear thoughts. It will stir your creativity and make note taking fun again.

We can use a mind map for:

• Taking down notes and summarizing
• Problem solving
• Studying and memorization
• Planning (1, 5, 10 Year Plans)
• Researching and consolidating information from various sources
• Presenting information
• fast insight on difficult subjects

To create a mind map, take pen or pencil and a piece of paper and just get to it. If your doing something like a 5 year plan (which I advise all my students to do), I would advise doing it in a great state. Perhaps drink a little coffee, followed by a 10 minute pure silence of meditation (focusing on deep breaths, clearing your head) then begin writing your mind map. Here is a mind map my assistant made for us.

Here’s how it goes:

Step 1:

Draw a circle (you can use any shapes that you want) and write down the description of your goal inside the circle at the middle of your mind map.

Step 2:

Around the circle at the middle of the map, note down any of the major elements of your plan. Use lines to connect them back to the center.

Step 3:

List any minor characteristics, points or attributes for each major goal. Use lines to connect each major characteristic to its minor characteristics.

To effectively apply Mind Maps,  you can use different colors for visual impact, symbols and images for more creative thinking. When done, you could even put some small magazine cut outs to it, like your future mansion or beach holiday, or a language your going to be proficient at.

Lastly put up a photocopy of the mind map on your bedroom and bathroom wall. In the short term ups and downs that life naturally brings, your mind map keeps you focused on the bigger picture— your success!

If you do any form of research, planning or note taking, try experimenting with Mind Maps. You’ll love using them! I also have a ‘Life Trial Balance and Values Chart’ which you can do separately a couple of days after doing your Mind Map (if it’s a like a 5 Year Mind Map that is). I recommend for all my friends to firstly do a Mind Map. Secondly do the Life Trial Balance and Value’s Charts. I do these myself regularly.

Below is another sample Mind Map with the subject “How To Create a Mind Map”.

This picture is from http://www.examtime.com/