How is your mind mapping skill doing? Can you already use mindmaps to your advantage?
As you know, I am not someone who only likes to create a mindmap. This is like getting a glass of ice water on a warm sunny day… and then only looking at it and not drinking it.
You should not stop after you created the map. You should use, or even better, unleash the mindmap!
During my training courses, I often receive the questions “who use mind mapping?” and “why should I use mind mapping?“.
The who question is rather difficult to answer. People who deal with lots of information or who want to capture ideas and thoughts are mind mapping. You can think of students, managers and project leaders. They can use mind mapping for themselves or within a group or team.
Of course everybody else can use mind mapping as well. The general idea is that you use the technique to overview or summarize a lot of information on just one sheet of paper.
In short, I believe everybody can use mindmaps to their advantage. Most people who used it once will use the technique later on or they use something that looks like it.
The second answer is easy.
If you are faced with lots of information, thoughts or ideas, you should use mindmaps. The mindmap offers a very simple system to capture, organize and utilize the information. You can transform the information you receive into knowledge (= structured information) which you can use.
I think it is also valid to ask a question back when you receive this question.
Can you afford to carry on using the old/traditional means of managing information?
Most people can’t. They are in need of more flexible and powerful methods. The mindmap offers this.
Once you’ve created your first mindmap, you never lose the skill of mind mapping ever again.
You see, mind mapping is a skill. And just as with any other skill, this is something you can learn and get better in.
Tony Buzan wrote that the first 100 mindmaps are practice maps. These are created to get a better feeling for mind mapping. I believe all maps can be perceived as maps to improve your skill. You will improve every time.
I hope this answers these two questions. Here are the answers again:
Who use mind mapping? –> Everybody who has to deal with a lot of information. Are you next?
Why should you use mind mapping? –> Because it will help you to get more spare time and you will accomplish more in less time.
Arjen
P.S.: When you are ready to get started with mind mapping… have a look here.
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