What I find most interesting about mapping out your information is that it usually is done on only one piece of paper. This gives you the advantage of viewing all your material at once. You don’t need to flip through your sheets.
Yesterday you created an overview of yourself.
How did that go? Was it difficult? Did it tell you something you might not have seen if you didn’t do that little experiment?
I think you know a little bit more about yourself because of what you did.
Remember, it is not about knowing you can do these experiments. It is all about doing them. Most people know so many things! They know how they can be extremely successful in what they do. But are they? Probably not. The number one reason for that is because the ‘know’ in stead of ‘do’ or apply. Most people want to see the exciting and new stuff, in stead of the proven and familiar they just don’t use 
.
Let’s go back to the experiment. Today we continue with this ‘mapping out ourself’.
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A few weeks ago I listened to Tony Robbins when he did a video blog post. He said he is working on a reality show where he will coach people. I really look forward to watching that show!
Tony Robbins is probably best known for his fire walks. He inspires people to do their best and I know he did that for me many times before. One of the great things he says is:
Live With Passion!
How are you living your life? Do you feel PASSION for what you do?
I have a very straightforward exercise for you that tells a lot about you.
Tomorrow and Friday we discuss the exercise. Today you just have to do it. It takes a few minutes and it will help you instantly (isn’t that nice ).
Here’s what I want you to do:
Create a mindmap of yourself.
What do you do?
Who are you?
That’s it. Even if you did this before, I urge you to do it again, right now. The map you created before is no longer valid since you changed!
Tomorrow and Friday we continue to work with this overview of you. I think you will be interested in the outcome of this little experiment.
Oh… when you read this and the other messages are already on the website… do the exercise first before you continue reading.
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Most people look at mindmaps as being a nice picture of some information. They see the art of the map. The end result is an image. The end result is art.
Business people look at mindmaps as a cold/logical approach to visualizing all this information they have to deal with. They create the map using the rules and directions of mind mapping, or more in general visual mapping, and they simply create the map: Just follow the steps and you are fine…
The end result is an overview of the information. Sometimes it looks like a real image, often is it just a diagram of schematic overview.
I truly believe mind mapping is more than following the rules of mind mapping that Mr. Tony Buzan writes about in his books.
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Lately I’ve been reading many books on how people perceive their information and their environment. You and I can find a great deal of wisdom in a perhaps surprising book. I will not yet ‘reveal’ the title of the book. That’s something or later.
Here are some thoughts you and I should be looking at when we create our next overview of information.
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Many people are, and have been talking about when and if Mind Mapping will go mainstream soon. After further investigation, I want to give you my thoughts on it (again).
Some of things I hear when my students and I talk about mindmaps are this:
- This is a personal tool!
- Wow, this looks a lot like the way I make notes already
- This method is not clear, I can’t use this. People won’t take me serious!!!
- Can I really use this with my team members?
Different people, different opinions. Some love mindmaps, others get frustrated and really hate them.
Now combine this with things very mainstream like coffee and Windows computers:
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As you know, I train many people in mind mapping. But, this is not something I teach them to use as a tool on its own. They have to use it with for instance (speed) reading and note taking.
A mindmap is only a tool. Yes, a powerful tool, but only a tool.
A mindmap must be used together with other techniques. Just by mind mapping, you will not save time. After all, you use the mindmap to create a planning or to gain overview (for example). The mindmap is a tool that allows you to create time.
For others, the mindmap is a tool to summarize huge amounts of information on a single sheet of paper. They save time and increase their knowledge.
Other people create a mindmap to reduce the (mental, physical or emotional) pressure in their lives. The mindmap is a means to create clarity and understand what bothers them.
And of course there are people who simply like to clear their minds by creating a mindmap. They may do this to relax or to get that one idea that helps them move forward and solve their problems.
So many people… so many ways mindmaps are used.
I am sure that you are already using your mindmap as a tool in a longer line of tools that help you move forward. If not… stop and think about the reasons you started mind mapping. What was it that made you stop and learn about this method of information management?
You know I don’t really like the term information management. Still, the mindmap does just that:
- The mindmap helps you to capture information
- It then allows you to give structure to your information
- Because of this structure you increase your overview
- That overview makes you see new options
- These options are evaluated and result in actions
- The actions you take help you move forward
- This will change the content and probably the structure of you mindmap
And there you have it…
The mindmap is a tool that is part of the whole. It is part of your personal formula to make you more successful.
I believe that if you can define your own personal success formula, you can move forward faster in life and enjoy life more.
BUT… it all starts with the way you use your mindmaps.
How do you use your mindmap most of the time?
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