How Spending Less Time Mind Mapping Results In More Effective Mindmaps

Mind Mapping… for some people it is a method for getting in their creative state of mind.

Most other people simply want to create overviews of information.

What I’ve seen is that many people try to create a really good picture. It has to be stimulating for their brain. After all, isn’t that what a mindmap should do: Create a picture of information which is easy for your brain to work with

For me, that is probably the last things a mindmap has to do. Here’s why…

In 99% of the cases, I only create a mindmap to give me an overview. Today, I want to talk with you about why you should spend less time mind mapping to create more effective mindmaps.

Sounds strange, right? Spend less time on creating your mindmaps to get ‘better’ mindmaps.

When you think about it, you will see that you MUST commit to mind mapping less. You will benefit because it will:

save you time
increase the clarity of your overview (or mindmap)
improve your mind mapping experience

Less Mind Mapping Saves You Time

When you spend lots of time creating mindmaps, you are probably doing just that: you are working on creating mindmaps. I don’t think this is what Tony Buzan wants us to do (I need to ask him this question – and see if I get an answer on this).

I believe he wants us to benefit from the mindmap. It is my understanding that a mindmap has to help

me move forward. The moment you are really getting in the process of improving your mindmap and making it more a picture by being an artist, you are missing the point.

Most of the time, you can create a good mindmap in a few minutes, on any topic! All the time you spend on ‘decorating’ the mindmap is nice but not needed.

When you remove this artistic process, your mindmap may not be too brain friendly. It will however be highly effective. You spend less time mind mapping and you save time.

Easy, right?

Less Mind Mapping Improves Clarity

This point is linked to the first one. When you create mindmaps with a few images (if any) and you only use a few colors, you create a map which is very clear.

Using colors and images is tricky. The way most people use them messes up the mindmap overview. Sure, the picture is great, the map is less clear.

When you create a map that uses one color for content and you use one or two additional colors for adding accents or highlights, you are done. Remove the ‘noise’ from your maps.

Clarity Is King!
Mind Mapping is a valued and trustworthy servant

Less Mind Mapping Improves Your Mapping Experience

Face it, we are not in the position to create an endless stream of mindmaps. And even if we could, we probably would be bored. Creating a good looking mindmap once in a while is a nice exercise and experience. Normally, we only want to get that structure or overview in our information and move forward.

When we do something we like for a long time and we do that many times a day… we tend to get bored. This is perfectly understandable. The reason why something is fun to do is because it is special. The more time we mindmap, the less special it becomes .

Mindmap when you have to. Don’t do it to escape from reality. Don’t use it as the perfect procrastination tool. Mindmap when you need clarity or overview.

I guarantee you that your mindmap experience becomes a good experience again when you limit your time doing it.

How To DO This Right Now

Get a timer.

I mean it. Just get a timer and limit the your time mind mapping. Give yourself a few minutes to create a mindmap. Something amazing will happen. Your mindmap will be finished in time and you can use it to move forward, AND save time!

This is something completely different than before! In the past you had to create good looking mindmaps, now they only have to be practical and work for you.

Ah… why isn’t life this beautiful every moment of every day .

Enjoy your new mindmap approach!

Let me know what you did and experienced. I look forward to hearing from you.

Arjen

P.S.: The first time you use a timer, just set it at 30% or your normal ‘mind mapping’ time. Save 70% of your time and have just as much overview.

Here is a link to the map from the top of this article:

click to view the task sheet for more effective mind mapping (opens in new window)

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