Mind maps

These blogs are often about organising subjects and they tend to be rather more step-by-step than some of you may prefer to see, especially if you are more creative/visceral than technically inclined. There is indeed a difference between the ways a creative person would approach certain activities and those of a more organised nature.

When it comes to organising, the most common approach is to use a to-do list and organise as you go along. This approach starts from a list (usually sorted by date or order of activity) and gradually adds sub-categories and so on. If you are cringing at the sound of ‘categories’ and use thereof, you may have experienced problems with that approach in the past. Any old project could have gone wrong because this approach wasn’t the one that works for you.

If you are a creative spirit, use mind maps instead of lists: they correspond much better to the way your mind works. Mind maps are not lists! They are diagrams that gradually build around the central idea, building organically around your concept and then branching out as needed to incorporate ideas related to those concepts – and they sometimes even reconnect at a lower level when a keyword relates to several higher levels.

Mind maps do pretty much the same thing you would do with a list, but their nature makes them more flexible: if you have no more space to fill in more ideas, you simply expand sideways and keep the integrity of your thought process with the same old connecting lines you would otherwise be using in a drawing. The ‘artsy’ approach and general organic feel leads to random connections between items that would not be as likely in a list where things are organised by execution moment rather than general thought process.

Lists work well when it comes to organise HOW things are going to be done, where mind maps are better at finding out WHAT needs to be done and how things connect to each other. That thought highlights why they both have their usefulness: the more technical/structure-oriented person would probably go with a list as they are starting their thought process from the expected outcome, where a mind map is more useful where it comes to becoming aware of links and creating a thought flow that leads to better understanding of the matter at hand.

So how do you do a mind map? I have taken my approach from Wikipedia and it seems to work for me generally:

• Start in the centre with an image of the topic, using at least 3 colours.
• Use images, symbols, codes, and dimensions throughout your mind map.
• Select key words and print using upper or lower case letters.
• Each word/image is best alone and sitting on its own line.
• The lines should be connected, starting from the central image. The lines become thinner as they radiate out from the centre.
• Make the lines the same length as the word/image they support.
• Use multiple colours throughout the mind map, for visual stimulation and also for encoding or grouping.
• Develop your own personal style of mind mapping.
• Use emphasis and show associations in your mind map.
• Keep the mind map clear by using radial hierarchy or outlines to embrace your branches.

Next time you need to clear your mind and find your way through a maze of bits of information and things that need doing in connection with a particular project, give this a go and see how it works for you. You may just be better off using this method than the same old approach using a list. Or not.

If you have enjoyed reading this, you may find these other articles interesting:

• Separating work from free time
• Nurturing a mindset that focuses on yourself
• Decluttering is a frame of mind