1. Mind Map Knowledge from Jack
Mind Map Knowledge from Jack
My passion is drawing a mind map. It could be yours too!
I want to talk about a few topics with you:
Why I think drawing a mind map is good for you?
Our knowledge about our brain actually started to grow about 50 years ago.
********
Hold your horses for a moment. We are talking about 60 years of real research!.
That is really nothing. And that is exactly what we basically know about our brain. That is why it
still is for many is a huge labyrinth. I am one of them!.
But I do realize that by nature we are actually eager to learn. From a Darwin perspective point of
view; it was our way of survival. “Knowledge is power”, is a sentence my parents always told
me.
The reality is that school is actually an environment (for most of us), where creativity wasn’t
really challenged. Quite the opposite, actually, …..for me at least.
I cannot blame the schoolsystem, as they didn’t realize the power of creativity yet as research
had just begun (1970?s).
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2. They simply didn’t know anything yet.
Now, we know a little more about our brain, but still many resist.
Let’s continue….
******end ***********
At the same time we are literally overwhelmed with the amount of info we have to deal with on a
daily basis. It is hard to keep track of all that knowledge combined with all the briljant ideas we
get while walking our way of life.
The most valuable aspect of our life is actually the time we have left in our life. And time is
getting scarcer every day we live. So why waste time with old fashioned ways of dealing with
avalanches of information.
I am sure that your way of recording information will be sufficient in your case. But did you ever
question yourself: Is it really working for you?
After all, you noted it as you wanted to recall that important information. But the fact is that you
need that note in order to retain the trivial information. I bet, you simply forget it, as you know
you’ve noted it somewhere!.
Let’s face the facts with your system. How often do you pick up the old notes? I am sure you
are getting busy, looking for the notes, in order to find the info, use it and than you completely
forget about it again. And have you noticed that remembering the notes is actually difficult?
The only thing I am trying to say: The system I was using was effective, somewhat efficient, in
its roots not logical and certainly not creative.
I am telling you that there is a system that will help you too in order to enhance your brainpower
and creativity!.
****** hold your horses again please******
About 10 years ago I noticed that I was getting hungry for information again. I wanted to
challenge my brain again and obtain more knowledge (haha, my conviction behind it: “more
power, ofcourse”. But that is another story. )
I started to dive into mind mapping and learned a lot about what we actually know about our
brain. It still isn’t really much. For example, we now tell the world that
Source: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Tony_Buzan
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3. Well, I am not convinced about that. But I do know that this man, Tony Buzan, knows a lot more
about the way my brain performs at its best, than I do.
I BETTER LISTEN!
******end *******
There is a good way to avoid these problems. It is very easy to master, it will not consume a lot
of time in order to learn to apply it or to take the notes themselves. And one of the biggest
advantages, it is a system that will enhance your creativity and it is fun to do, once you catch
the drift of it.
It’s name is Mind Mapping. Probably not a new word for you, but can you apply this knowledge
already? I guess not. I hope that this site will convince you to give it a try.
Why do you want to learn how to Mind Map?
Linear notes will not do in most circumstances. Think about it, you probably are thinking that
your old-fashioned way of notetaking is doing its job as you are writing on the lines, so it must
be good. But how many times did it occur to you that once you come back to your notes, you
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4. are completely lost with them?
This is where the power of a mind map comes in.
With a mind map you have a huge toolbox that will sort and saves the information in such a way
that they are ready for usage the moment you need them. It is a system that will aid you in order
to record and retain your information quickly and swiftly.
With a mind map you are taking notes the way you are used to take notes. At the same time
you are able to create lots of different relationships between various items, you can emphasize
topics in various ways, like using color, coding and images.
Another advantage is the fact that a mind map is made out of a summary of keywords. This will
have a dramatic impact on the amount of words you need in order to take the notes. Due to the
hierarchy within a mind map and the way these keywords are aligned within the mind map, you
need only 10% of the amount of words you would use with normal note taking. At the same time
your insights will increase dramatically as the mind map will provide you with an helicopterview.
Bottom line: You write less, while you remember loads more.
As I am convinced by the power of Mind Mapping, back in 2001 I went to England in order to
become a licensed Buzan (originator of this theory) Instructor so that this powerful graphic
technique belongs to my general knowledge so that I am able to unlock the ultimate potential of
my brain.
There are basically two ways you can mind map; on paper or on the computer. Either way, it
doesn’t matter how you do this as they both share the same core idea of starting your topic of
interest from the center and break it down into sub-categories when you use branches, lots of
colors and other visual aids.
The advantage of paper based mind maps is that they can be created very rapidly. At the same
time you do not need a computer or internet access. You will also find that it is a piece of a cake
to insert your own visuals swiftly.
The advantage of using software is that you will be able to save the files easily and savely. At
the same time you will be able to export every mind map to pdf, usb-stick, file, etc. This enables
you to share your files easily as well.
Well, I cannot imagine that you don’t want these advantages in your daily life! That’s why I am
convinced that this technique will help you in many and various ways.
Is Mind Mapping something for you?
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5. Here are some ways to apply the power of mind mapping:
1. While planning projects it is very important to be able to show your team whatever your idea
is towards the entire project.
2. When dealing with employees it is an excellent way of providing information about different
job roles and responsibilities to your excisting workers and for new workers in the future.
3. It is an excellent way of having an helicopterview when you are dealing with a very busy
schedule.
4. Do you want to boost your memory for exams or study purposes? Mind Maps will do the job
for you (provided that you rehearse enough).
5. Planning an event or party? At those moments you want to be able to manage every aspect
into the details. And the beauty of a Mind Map is that it will not overwhelm you in any way
anymore as you are in control, while you maintain overview.
6. The same applies to writing a marketing or business plan.
7. Need to explore new boundaries? Your mind map will be ideal to gather all the necessary
info, while putting them instantly on the right branches/categories.
8. Want to create an original story, article, screen play or joke? Your Mind Map will help you with
this.
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6. 9. Want to use the power of the wisdom of the crowds; start collaborate with your team on
different places and time.
10. Your kid needs a tool to plan for school? A Mind Map will do the job, while it will also
enhance the learning capabilities of your kid.
These are just a couple of examples how you can benefit from using mind maps as your way of
taking notes.
Why You Need To Mind Map?
1. Most importantly: Work can be fun with a Mind map!. Fun while being very efficient in an
interactive, flexible, easy, overview based, visually driven and very practical way.
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7. 2. Interactive as you can collaborate with your staff and collegues while planning. It doesn’t
matter whether it is a business project nor a private wedding project; you want the input of every
important key player within the project. Every key person can have his/her own ‘branche’.
3. Flexible as a mind map can be used in limitless ways. You can always add new branches
whenever you want and always be able to put the new information at the right location. Even if
you cannot read, the mind map will be clear for that person, as one can use images rather than
words, which will make the mind map ‘readable’ and ‘interpretable’.
4. Overiew (helicopterview) as the focus of the mind map will be always displayed in a very
clear way in the center of the mind map. Distraction is virtually impossible as it will always be
clear what the aim of the mind map is. It will provide you with a clear overview of a topic and will
trigger your mind to think further about new insights through its sub-categories and the
keywords used on them.
5. Visually as the nature of a mind map will give you a way to present your knowledge in a
different way. In stead of telling them, you can show them your ideas; distinct categories
(branches) will help your viewers to understand.
6. Practical as every mind map is like a photograph of your thoughts. Your thoughts are not in
black and white, so isn’t your mind map. Lots of colors, symbols, codes and keywords. Exactly
the way we think. We don’t think in sentences, we think in ideas. This is exactly the way a mind
map should be made. This will put your point across clearly and properly.
7. Fresh and new way of looking at projects and information. This will enhance
‘thinking-out-of-the-box’, which will result into new insights.
8. You always have the details (within the sub-branches) while maintaining the helicopterview
while you know that each mind map allows for vast amounts of info to be stored in a very
compact manner.
9. Mind Mapping is easy; 10 rules that will take you 30 minutes to learn and you are ready to go
in order to enjoy the advantages of Mind Mapping; it’s easy to do and very intuitive.
10. Long term memory will become like a photographic memory if you review your mind map on
a regular basis.
11. The information within the mind map is always organized in a hierarchal structure,
categorized in a clean and easy way. This will result in easy orientation within a very detailed
and information rich environment.
12. Potential flaws witin the idea will be discovered rapidly and easily.
13. When using Mind Map software, you are capable of moving whole branches of info in a
second. At the same time you are able to export the whole map into a picture, a pdf, text or a
presentation and bring it along on a USB-stick.
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8. What you will need to overcome?
1. While the theory of mind mapping is easy and very natural, chances are that you were never
taught to think in a creative way. This will challenge your mind in various ways. Your mind will
tell you that this ‘new’ way of working will be hard to learn and that it will feel very unnatural.
This attitude will be the hardest to overcome in order to reach the full potential of mind mapping.
You will need to produce at least 20 mind maps in order to get a feel of what this theory can do
for you.
2. A mind map is not meant to store a massive block of text. You will need to discover a way to
do it, as it is possible.
You need proof?
Well, I am not going to persuade you to integrate mind mapping into your life. Here is a
conclusion of one study: Mind maps provide an effective study technique when applied to
written material. However before mind maps are generally adopted as a study technique,
consideration has to be given towards ways of improving motivation amongst users.
Pasted from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12028392
My conclusion:
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9. Mind Map software makes many tasks of note taking and recalling info a piece of cake. Due to
this fact, mind maps will speed up and enhance your understanding of whatever case you are
working on. It will provide you with an easy tool in order to gather lots of detailed info, analyze
the collected info and to communicate about the info gathered. At the same time your memory
in regards to all the details will improve considerably and at the same time the mind map will
provide you with the power to communicate your idea clearly without losing track at any moment
of the presentation and you will be amazed how this map will convice the decision-makers that
is entitled to prevail. For me, at this moment it is the best tool that can boost my brain and
creativity.
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10. With this thought in mind, I started this blog: I want to give you all I know and learn about mind
map software. And if this blog proofs that you like it, I am sure I have lots more that might
interest you.
I hope you like it.
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