These last couple of months, I received many mindmaps from people. The interesting question I received from most people is how they could improve their mindmaps.
Usually, the mindmaps can be improved easily. You are talking about words and colors used, alignment of branches, images shown in the map… those kind of things.
Asking someone else to have a look at your own personal mindmap is often difficult. After all, we are talking about a personal piece of work. This is probably not something you want to share with others.
The biggest reason why I can assist people in creating more effective mindmaps is probably because I am not emotionally attached to the topic of the map.
Most people are too much connected to their topic they can’t see beyond the ‘obvious’. They are focused on creating the map, in stead of understanding what happens and finding a good solution.
Even if you are ‘only’ looking at the solution, you are not seeing what happens around you. Your focus is on the end result and you miss what happens next to you or even with you!
I’ve seen this for example with people who are preparing dinner. They are so focused on slicing their vegetables they don’t even notice, feel or see they cut their own finger! (I know, not a pretty picture).
It usually takes another person, or the end of the task, before they see they cut themselves.
Is there a way to deal with this? Of course there is!
There are only two short questions you have to ask yourself. Once you asked these, you will become better at slicing your vegetables, but you will also improve your mindmaps and the way you act in life. You become more productive. You will understand better what happens and how this affects you.
Here is the first question:
WHAT am I doing right now?
Ask yourself this question and give yourself an honest answer. What are you doing? You might even write it down.
Since I am doing a lot of my work online I installed a powerful computer tool that keeps track of the tools I use on my computer. It is amazing to see how often I use for instance MS Outlook, or when I am browsing the Internet, or when I am working on a training.
Especially the Outlook usage… Shocking!
But… by knowing this, I am able to reduce it and become more productive. In the beginning, I was probably using Outlook about 2.5 hours each day. Now, I brought that back to 30 minutes! And I am assisting more people in these 30 minutes than I was before.
The second question:
WHAT does my current action CONTRIBUTE to my goals?
This is important. You have to know what your current actions are doing for you and your future self. Remember, everything you do right now directly affects your future self.
If you want to graduate in 3 years and you are just browsing the Internet, or updating your Facebook/MySpace/Twitter page, you might not be moving forward.
There is a time to move forward, and there is a time to relax. Understand what you are doing. When you are studying, you are moving forward. If, during that time, you don’t study, you are probably standing still.
Ask yourself the second question over and over.
What is your time spend on your mindmap doing for you and your goals?
If the time spend working on the map is only to make it more pretty, and you are only moving items around to make it look better… stop doing that!
The moment the map is ready to be used, you should use it.
A perfect mindmap is a map that is never ready and will get you nowhere.
A good mindmap is a map that is used and creates results.
Don’t try to create a perfect mindmap, use the mindmap to create results. This means you simply have to use a good, average or perhaps below average mindmap. Ask yourself:
WHAT am I doing right now?
WHAT does my action CONTRIBUTE to my goals?
Every now and then during the day, you stop and ask yourself the 2 questions. I am certain your output will increase and you enjoy life more!
Tags: advice, focus, getting things done, mindmap, question, Reflection
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