Mindmap Circles – part 3: Learning, Letting Go And Creating Your Own Style

Again, we return in these Mindmap Circle articles to our childhood. Besides the fact that ‘everything was better’ when we were young and time wasn’t going this fast as it is nowadays, there is something else important to learn from when we were young.

Who told you how to start drawing pictures and creating these stories you told yourself and others?

Did you have or need a lot of guidance in playing games with your friends?

I assume you didn’t need advice. Even more so… you probably didn’t even know why you did things and yet… it worked out fine (most of the time).

Then you had to learn how to follow the rules of the people who knew it all. You had to color in between the lines, you could not believe people can fly (this might be a good thing…) and your drawings had to be a clear representation of the ‘real’ world.

This is all wonderful advice. It allowed you to climb the proverbial ladder in life. Still… there comes a moment in time where you have to follow your own Path. Yes, I write path with a capital P. This Path is what you feel or know you have to do in Life. Some call this their Destiny, Kismet or Dream.

The wonderful thing is that the moment people identify this Path, they start to move in a different direction than the rest of the people (the flock or masses so to speak). One of the most striking things I see in people who are walking their own Path is that they are much more determined.

Sure, they don’t need to make a lot of money (although they may). They may not live in the most beautiful homes (although they may).

They are focused on what they believe they should do. They cast away the rules and limitations other people impose on them. They begin to follow their hearts and minds.

It is these people who enrich and inspire the lives and actions of many, many other people. What they believe is true may actually become the standard for thousands perhaps millions. The moment that happens you will see other, or even the same, people moving away from the masses again and start a whole new circle of development in thinking.

 

This does all of this relate to mind mapping

If there is one thing important in what I do, it is that I want to look at life in a practical manner. Sure, we can philosophize on these things called Visual Mapping and Visual Thinking. I love stretch my mind and look at the implications of what I do, feel and think just as much as the next guy.

Still… it has to contribute to what I do. No need to only study if you won’t apply your (new) knowledge.

That’s why I want you to understand the circle of learning and letting go.

Tony Buzan in his Mindmap Book wrote that the first 100 mindmaps you create are practice mindmaps. Sure, they can be of service to you. In the beginning you will probably spend (a lot of) energy on applying the mindmap ‘rules’. That’s great! You need to move through the stages of learning (incompetent competence, etc.).

When you know how to create a mindmap and when you can apply the technique in your own Personal, Academic and/or Business life you are ready to move forward.

You will let go of the technique itself and start to use the system – which is based on using visual maps. You go beyond the technique and integrate it into your life. Unfortunately, this is the step most people don’t make. They stay in between using and creating.

Even when you do take the decision to move forward, you are most likely using the mind mapping directions. That is great! You should however think about moving forward one more step. Don’t limit yourself by feeling comfortable at one place on the circle. Continue to develop yourself.

Only when you start to develop your own Personal Style to visual mapping, you will be able to move into uncharted territories. I can personally say that this step greatly improved the way I look at life, situations, people and information. This is the transition I like to call Moving From Visual Mapping To Visual Thinking.

 

The Circle is completed

By taking that final step, you closed the first circle. You are back at where you were in the beginning. You are a visual thinker again, just like you were when you were young.

 

What this information will do for you

By creating your own style, you will be able to unleash the maps you create into the real world. I am sure not all your current maps are created according to the mindmap ‘rules’. Sometimes you may feel limited by the way you ‘have to’ mindmap. Following the rules is no longer needed nor necessary. Unleash your mindmaps!

 

Learn how you can do this

You can do this right now by looking at your own maps. Identify what doesn’t appeal to your mind. What would you do differently? How can you improve your map to make it much more powerful?

The benefits of this are tremendous. You will be able to get more from your own mindmaps. They will inspire you and others to take action. You will create overviews which are more clear.

All because you created your own Personal Style and added this to your visual maps.

Start to apply this today and you will benefit. Most people will passively think about this. They will say: yes, I can do some things in a different manner. And that’s it. They don’t act.

I am sure you are different. You take this piece of information and apply it. You move forward and create better and more powerful overviews for yourself and others. You will grow.

Let me know what your experiences are. I look forward to hearing from you.

Arjen
(my maps work for me)

P.S.: If at first you don’t succeed… try and try and try again (or ask me and we will move forward together)

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Related posts:

1. Mindmap Circles – part 2: From Personal to Academic to Professional and back
2. Mind Mapping: Creating A 3 Star Dish
3. Mindmap Circles – part 1: From An Early Age To Right Now
4. A 4 Item Checklist To Unleash Your Mindmaps (To Accomplish More)
5. 10 Steps In Becoming A World Class Mindmapper

Tagged as: circles, everyday life, experience, focus, Growing, learning, mindmap, unleash, your life