Mind Mapping For Success 09 Final

Mind Mapping for Success
Save Time, Make Money and Become More Creative & Successful Using Mind Maps
Paul Urban
Copyright 2008 Paul Urban, Mind Mapping For Success. All Rights Reserved. This document may not be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher. Publisher: Copyright 2009 Paul Urban, for Mind Mapping For Success. Contact: http://www.Mind Mappingforsuccess.com
Mind Mapping For Success TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................ 5 WHAT IS A MIND MAP?............................................................................................................ 8 HOW TO USE THIS EBOOK ....................................................................................................... 11 1. MIND MAPS: TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR TIME AND YOUR WORK ............................... 12 MIND MAPPING BY HAND .................................................................................................. 12 MIND MAPPING ON A COMPUTER ............................................................................... 12 GETTING STARTED: DRAW YOUR FIRST MIND MAP FAST ........................................................... 13 EXERCISE 1 .......................................................................................................................... 15 MIND MAPS ON YOUR COMPUTER: FAST AND EASY .................................................................. 16 EXERCISE 2 .......................................................................................................................... 16 RESOURCES ......................................................................................................................... 18 2. LEARNING WITH MIND MAPS: SAVE STUDY TIME AND MEMORIZE FASTER ............ 19 MIND MAPPING MAKES LEARNING FUN AND YOU'RE MORE CREATIVE ..................................... 19 TECHNIQUE : CHAINING YOUR MIND MAPS WITH HYPERLINKS ........................................... 20 EXERCISE 3 .......................................................................................................................... 21 HOW TO MAKE MIND MAPPING YOUR ENGINE ROOM................................................................ 22 EXERCISE 4 .......................................................................................................................... 29 USE PRESENTATION MODE FOR FAST TEACHING AND LEARNING .............................................. 29 EXERCISE 5 .......................................................................................................................... 30 TEACHING MIND MAPPING TO CHILDREN ................................................................................. 30 3. THINKING AND BRAINSTORMING WITH MIND MAPS: GET MORE AND BETTER IDEAS ................................................................................................................................................. 31 GOT A QUESTION OR A CHALLENGE? CREATE A MIND MAP ..................................................... 31 GENERAL QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 31
Mind Mapping For Success SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 31 NEED FAST ANSWERS? BRAINSTORM WITH MIND MAPPING ..................................................... 31 USING "SCRATCH" MAPS ....................................................................................................... 32 CREATE A MIND MAP AT THE START OF EACH PROJECT ........................................................... 33 EXERCISE 6 .......................................................................................................................... 33 A MIND MAPPING BRAINSTORM MAP STEP-BY-STEP ......................................................... 33 4. MAP MAPPING YOUR DAY: GET MORE DONE IN LESS TIME ...................................... 35 END PROCRASTINATION WITH MIND MAPPING.......................................................................... 35 PLANNING YOUR LIFE WITH MIND MAPS .................................................................................. 38 PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH MIND MAPS.............................................................................. 39 EXERCISE 7 ........................................................................................................................... 40 EXERCISE 8 ........................................................................................................................... 44 EXERCISE 9 ........................................................................................................................... 45 USE IMAGES TO STIMULATE IDEAS ................................................................................ 45 EXERCISE 11 ......................................................................................................................... 48 EXERCISE 12 ......................................................................................................................... 48 RUNNING MEETINGS WITH MIND MAPS .................................................................................... 49 5. MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUES ENHANCE YOUR PERSONAL PRODUCTIVITY........... 57 THE BENEFITS OF USING MIND MAPPING ................................................................................. 57 FROM MIND MAP TO COMPLETE PROJECT ........................................................................ 57 ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE WITH MIND MAPPING ...................................................................... 57 MIND MAPPING TECHNIQUES .................................................................................................. 58 ADD GRAPHICS TO YOUR MIND MAPS ............................................................................... 58 EXERCISE 13 ......................................................................................................................... 59
Mind Mapping For Success PRINT YOUR MAPS ........................................................................................................... 59 DEVELOP A COMPLETE WEBSITE WITH MIND MAPPING ..................................................... 59 EXERCISE 14 ......................................................................................................................... 61 USE MIND MAPPING HYPERLINKS TO GET AN INSTANT OVERVIEW OF ANY PROJECT ......... 61 6. TEN TOP MIND MAPPING TIPS AND TECHNIQUES: BUILD YOUR MIND MAPPING SKILLS ..................................................................................................................................... 63 MIND MAPPING FOR EVERYONE THE BEST MIND MAPPING TIPS ............................................. 63 1. USE MIND MAPS FOR EVERYTHING ............................................................................... 63 2. USE COLOUR AND IMAGES IN YOUR MIND MAPS ...................................................... 63 3. GET YOUR IDEAS ONTO THE MAP ........................................................................... 63 4. USE MIND MAPPING TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING ................................................. 63 5. A PROJECT NOT WORKING ? MIND MAP IT ............................................................... 64 6. MIND MAP CHALLENGES AND HELP DESK QUESTIONS .............................................. 64 7. CREATE MIND MAPS BEFORE WRITING DOCUMENTS ................................................ 65 8. MIND MAP PROCEDURES MANUALS ........................................................................ 65 9. MIND MAP YOUR COMPANY MISSION STATEMENT (THE REAL ONE ) ............................. 65 10. MIND MAP YOUR GOALS...................................................................................... 65 11. (BONUS) MIND MAP YOUR DAY ............................................................................ 65 Exercise 15 ............................................................................................................... 65 USING MIND MAPPING TO DEVELOP GOALS ...................................................................... 66 7. USING MIND MAPPING IN NICHE MARKETING .............................................................. 68 GET STARTED MIND MAPPING TODAY............................................................................... 74
Mind Mapping For Success
Introduction
Mind Maps help you to use more of your brain We're all overwhelmed with information every day. So, how do we make sense of that neverending avalanche of material? Quite simply: with a little technique called Mind Mapping. Mind Maps have become popular because they help us to organize the data that overwhelms us each day, and turn that data into actionable knowledge. Keen Mind Mappers can be found everywhere: you'll find students Mind Mapping their notes, business people Mind Mapping projects and meetings, and Web developers Mind Mapping development projects and Web sites.
If you're aware of Mind Maps, but don't yet use them, chances are that it's because you think they're complex to learn, and you're too busy to bother investing the time. Whatever system you're using now to get your work done works (although it could be more effective) what will Mind Mapping do for you to repay the time you invested in learning?
Mind Mapping For Success Mind Mapping can assist you in every area of your life and work. It can: Make you more efficient you'll get your work done more quickly; Help you to think and solve challenges every day and everywhere; Help you to find solutions (because the answer is always in the problem); Help you to remember and make you more creative.
Big promises? Yes, and Mind Mapping will more than fulfil them. Once you've learned a few simple techniques, you'll use Mind Maps like a pro. Try to use Mind Mapping in your daily routine for the next week using the information below and if, for any reason, you find that your productivity has not increased by at least 30%, we will be happy to refund your money for this book! Essentially, a Mind Map is a diagram, which helps you to think. It displays your ideas in a visual form, usually around a central word, phrase or image. Although used for centuries, Mind Maps were popularized by authors like Tony Buzan around 30 years ago, and are now widely used in business and in education. The major benefit of using a Mind Map, rather than a list or an outline, is that using both graphics and images involves both sides of your brain; when you use a Mind Map, its not only easier to remember information, but it's also easier to make connections between disparate ideas and develop fresh concepts.
Mind Mapping For Success In this book, we'll focus on using hand drawn and computer-generated Mind Maps. When you Mind Map on a computer, you can change your Mind Map at will, print out dozens of copies, and use them for: Creating presentations Developing Web sites Demonstrating your ideas
Of course, you can Mind Map anywhere, and with little more than paper and a pen, as in the example below.
Above: A Hand-drawn Mind Map in a student's notebook.
Mind Mapping For Success What is a Mind Map? Mind Maps are tools that help us think clearly, recall information, creatively solve problems and take action. The Mind Map encourages creativity and flexibility, and you need these to make your resolutions happen! Mind Maps help you think outside the box. If you've already made your list, try turning it into a Mind Map. If you haven't made your list yet, try this strategy. WHY MIND MAPS WORK They help you avoid thinking linearly - not all ideas organize themselves tidily into an outline format, and linear thinking is limiting. They open you up to creativity and new ways of thinking. They're more realistic, because most problems and ideas aren't orderly to begin with. They help you get the big picture. They naturally hook into your right brain, where creativity and intuition can help you.
HOW TO DO A MIND MAP 1. Use an unlined piece of paper, and work quickly. Dont pause, judge or edit; if you do, you're encouraging linear thinking and analysis-paralysis, and the idea that things have to be perfect before you can begin. The idea behind the Mind Map is to think creatively, in a nonlinear fashion. Turn your piece of paper landscape style, or sideways, so that the long side is on the bottom. This gives you the maximum amount of room to work with. Leave lots of space so you can go back and add to the map. 2. Start your Map with your resolution, the central idea, in the middle. Write it down in the center, and then think up new ideas, action points and strategies that relate to it, and can make it happen. 3. Let the other ideas and strategies radiate out from the central idea. Focus on the key ideas, using your own words, and then look for branches. Once you've got the central idea down in the middle, use lines, colours, arrows, or branches to complete the idea. You'll see how freeing it is not to have to worry about the "order" they're in. You may want to highlight something, or add information or questions later on.
Mind Mapping For Success Using this visual method helps you understand and recall information, be open to possibilities, and avoid the restrictions of an outline or list format. Later on you can modify the information, but first just get every possibility into the Mind Map. After all, when you're working on a resolution, you'll most likely be working on several things at the same time. The Mind Map helps you avoid that paralyzing thought of where to begin. Begin anywhere; the point is to begin.
EXAMPLE: You can start with a central idea such as "Personal Development." Radiating out from this circle in the center could be "Hire a Coach," "Take a College Course," "Learn Neuro-linguistic Programming," and "Study Great Art." Then you can take another piece of paper, put one of these peripheral ideas as the central point, and make another Mind Map. Radiating out from "Learn Neuro-linguistic Programming," for instance, might be "Hire a coach," "Visit Websites," "Read Books," and "Actively Practice." See how it works? And "see" is the operative word. Create your Mind Map using illustrations or pictures for maximum impact. For instance, if your want to increase your profits by 15% this year, illustrate your Map with a graph that is showing a 15% increase. If you want to return to your ideal weight, put in a picture of you when you were at your ideal weight, or some other inspiring, positive and motivational picture. Mind Maps mimic the way you think: you're more intelligent using Mind Maps. Your brain is constructed as a conglomeration of millions upon millions of infinitesimal Mind Maps. At the centre of each of these Mind Maps is an individual brain cell, and each tiny brain cell has tens of thousands of connections called dendrites, which are like the branches of a tree, and one main dendrite, called an axon, which is believed to be the main transmitter of information for that cell. As electrical impulses travel through your brain, along the connections of millions of Mind Maps, they move and create chemicals which help you to think.
Mind Mapping For Success Your thought processes are also similar to Mind Maps, because thinking is associative. If you think "dog" not only does your brain form images of dogs, but it also triggers emotions and sensations, and this leads to other thoughts. You think: dog dog food my dog oh no! I forgot to put Fido's dog food out for him this morning phone call next door neighbour and ask her to feed Fido, and so on. Each thought leads to another thought. Mind Maps help you to think because they show the connections between ideas.
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Mind Mapping For Success How to use this eBook Mind Mapping for Success is organized into chapters which focus on using Mind Mapping no theory, just ideas that you can use right away. Each chapter includes an exercise. You can try these by either creating Mind Maps by hand, or using your current Mind Mapping software. 1. Simply use paper and some coloured pens and draw your own Mind Map at the end of this page. You can also download this Mind Map template to help get you started: http://www.MindMappingforsuccess.com/MindMap template.pdf 2. Make a computer Mind Map: need Mind Mapping software? Download free, full evaluations of the best Mind Mapping Software available from Essential Mind Mapping. You'll be amazed, and thrilled with the results, as you organize your thoughts and concepts, and watch your life get a whole lot easier. http://www.EssentialMindMapping.com Download your free trial right now. The programs are easy to install and to use. You'll be creating your first Mind Map within a few minutes and best of all, you can follow along with all the exercises in this book.
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1. Mind Maps: Take control of your time and your work You can use Mind Mapping throughout your day. In this chapter, we'll look at Mind Mapping styles: using hand-drawn Mind Maps versus computer Mind Mapping software, and the pros and cons of each method. Mind Maps don't need to be complex. You can use them anywhere. When you get into the habit, you'll find yourself jotting effective Mind Maps on anything from sticky notes to the back of invoices. However, although you can Mind Map successfully using pens and paper, it is much easier on a computer. Let's look at the pros and cons. Mind Mapping By hand Pros: Cons: It becomes messy as you arrange and rearrange items It takes more time than Mind Mapping on a computer You need a photocopier or a scanner to make copies It's fast You can Mind Map anywhere you have a pen and paper If you're artistic, your Mind Maps can be works of art Some people think better using a pen and paper than using a computer
Mind Mapping on a computer Pros: It's fast You can save Maps like meeting agendas to use again and again You can rearrange items on a Map by dragging, dropping and deleting You can link Maps together You can print out unlimited copies You can share Maps on the Web, over your network, or by sending them via email You can use Mind Maps to develop projects like Web sites and presentations, cutting down on the amount of work you have to do You can use Mind Maps as the focus for all your projects, linking Mind Maps together
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Mind Mapping For Success Cons: You need to have a computer, PDA or other electronic tool available to you
Getting started: draw your first Mind Map fast It's time to draw your first Mind Map. Grab a piece of paper, or a sticky note. Write the topic of your Mind Map in the centre of the page, and circle it. Now radiate some lines outward from the centre. You can write on a line immediately after you've drawn it, or draw a collection of lines and then write on them. Here's a Mind Map of shopping reMinders on a sticky note. "Shop" is the centre. "Today" was drawn as a heading on the Map.
Above: Ultra-fast reMinder Mind Map on a sticky note. The benefit of short, quick Mind Maps is in their memory-enhancing qualities. Let's say you drew the above Mind Map on a sticky note and stuck it on your computer monitor. Even if you forget to take the sticky with you at the end of the day, you'll remember the shape of the Mind Map, and you'll remember the errands that you have to run easily. A complete Mind Map may have main topic lines radiating in all directions from the centre. Sub-topics and facts will branch off these, like branches and twigs from the trunk of a tree. The method you use to produce your Mind Map doesnt matter, because it will change and evolve as you create more of them.
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When you understand how to make notes in a Mind Map format, go on to develop your own ideas and take them to the next level. Try some of the following: Use single words or small phrases for information. Most words, in normal writing, are non-linear. They convey facts in the correct context, and in a way that makes them easy to read. When you create a Mind Map, single stand-out words and simple phrases provide the same meaning, in a more succinct fashion. If you use too many words or phrases on your Mind Map, it will be disorganized, and difficult to read. Print words: If you are like me, and have bad hand writing, it can be difficult to go back and read your own Map. Print words clearly so that it will be easy to understand later. Use colour to separate different ideas. This will help you to separate ideas where necessary, making your Mind Map easier to remember. Using colour can also help show the organization of the subject. Use symbols and images. Where a symbol or picture means something to you, use it. Pictures can help you to remember information more effectively than words. Use cross-linkages. Information in one part of the Mind Map may relate to something in another part. In this case, you can draw in lines to show the cross-linkages. This helps you to see how one part of the subject connects with another.
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Mind Mapping For Success Exercise 1: On a blank piece of paper, try to create a simple Mind Map. 1. In the centre of the page, draw a square. Inside the square, write the name of this book. 2. Draw a line from the box to a circle in the upper right hand corner. 3. Repeat step two until you have four lines and a circle in each corner. 4. 5. In each circle right one thing you hope to accomplish with reading this book. Examples are: organization, time management, complete projects quicker. You have now created your first MindMap. Refer back to it as you read this book to make sure you are accomplishing these goals.
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Mind Mapping For Success Mind Maps on your computer: fast and easy Hand-drawn Maps have limited applicability in a professional setting for work, you need PC software, because Mind Mapping with computer software is faster, and the Mind Maps are easier to duplicate and easier to change. You can also create template Mind Maps on your computer. Templates are Mind Maps that you can use over and over again design your favourite kind of Mind Map once, and not only can you reuse it as a template, you can also share it with colleagues and others in your work group. For example, if you create a Mind Map to schedule your week, you can save a copy of the Mind Map, make it Read Only on your computer, and can then create many Mind Maps based on the original.
Template Mind Maps: Create a template once, use it forever When you've created a Mind Map that's useful, like a meeting agenda Mind Map, or a To Do list Mind Map, and you know that you'll be creating many Mind Maps like this, turn your Mind Map into a template. Or check out Smart Draw - they provide many Mind Maps, Process and Concept Map templates already created: http://www.EssentialMindMapping.com
You can also use the Mind Maps you create within projects, or re-purpose them entirely, by changing your Mind Map into a Web site, for example, or turning it into an outline. Exercise 2: Create a Mind Map on a PC FAST Mind Mapping software makes it easy to create Mind Maps. Here's how to create your first Mind Map using a PC; you can use any Mind Mapping software for this, as nearly all offer the same user functions and layout. For your FREE evaluation of the best Mind Mapping software available go to: http://www.EssentialMindMapping.com - The Home of Mind Mapping!
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Mind Mapping For Success A PC Mind Map, step-by-step 1. Click the New Map icon on the toolbar, or choose New from the File menu.
2. A new Map opens, with "Title" as the central topic. Double-click the box to access Edit mode, select the text, and type a new topic for your Map. You'll see that when you doubleclick, your mouse pointer will turn into a text pointer, ready for you to type text.
3. Type your topic: "To Do Today". Press Enter. Type: "Work", press ENTER. Select the new topic "Work". Type: "MacDavis Report" and press ENTER. Notice that your topic "Work" remains selected? This means that you can add additional topics to "Work". Type "Calls" and press Enter.
4. You can annotate your Map too. Choose Floating Topic on the Insert Menu, click on the Map, and type: "3pm Flight".
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When you're finished adding topics to your Map, save it. Thats all there is to it! Resources Essential Mind Mapping, home of MindMapper software: http://www.essentialMind Mapping.com/
Essential Mind Mapping Provides The Leading Mind Mapping Software On The Market At The Best Prices!: http://www.essentialmindmapping.com
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Mind Mapping For Success 2. Learning with Mind Maps: save study time and memorize faster Mind Maps help you to retain information. They are essential tools not only for students, but also for anyone who needs to study and memorize information quickly. In this chapter, we'll look at ways in which you can use Mind Mapping to make learning fun.
Mind Mapping makes learning fun and you're more creative Even if you're not currently involved in formal study, education is on-going, and it can be stressful. Want to take the stress and effort out of studying, and make learning fun? Use Mind Maps in conferences, lectures and meetings. Instead of taking notes, create a Mind Map. Lets look at a few examples of various people using Mind Mapping. Example 1: Don recently learned Mind Mapping, and he's surprised at how much the process helped him. Don's a marketer, but according to his company, he's also a SME a Subject Matter Expert, and as such, he was handed the job of developing the Marketing section of the company Web site. He therefore attended a one-day training in how to use Macromedia Dreamweaver, a popular graphic Web development tool, which he would have to learn and master. Although Don hates technology (he considered quitting when he heard about his new responsibility) he sailed through the training day. He says: "I Mind Mapped everything I drew ten Maps on a lecture pad. That night I copied the Maps into Mind Mapper and printed them out for my colleagues. I can't believe it, but the training day was fun. I'm using Mind Maps to develop my ideas for my area on the Web site: when I'm done, I'll just export the Maps to HTML. It was so easy!" Example 2: Jillian is getting an advanced education degree, and teaching during the day. With her heavy teaching load, she was slipping behind in her reading and study. She discovered Mind Maps just in time. "When you're studying at night, what you read can slide off you like water off a pane of glass because you're tired.
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Mind Mapping For Success I started Mind Mapping the required reading creating Mind Maps kept me awake, because I got interested in what I was reading. The Mind Maps made writing essays easier, because I Mind Mapped my ideas first." Technique: Chaining your Mind Maps with hyperlinks When you're studying, you'll want to create many individual Maps on your computer, but it's difficult to remember what each Map contained when you're looking at a folder of file names. You can chain your Mind Maps together with hyperlinks.
Above: Linking Mind Maps with hyperlinks in MindMapper or other Mind Mapping software you can link to any file on your computer, not just Mind Maps. In MindMapper (or your chosen Mind Mapping software), choose Hyperlinks from the Insert menu. You can add a link to a local file, which can be another Mind Map or any other file a URL, perhaps, or an email message.
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Above: Linking a topic to a local file on your PC. You can add links to any file on your computer, your network, or on the Internet.
Exercise 3: In this exercise you will try to add hyperlinks. Let us use the simple Mind Map in the last exercise.
1. Click on the MacDavis Report and add a hyperlink to a document you have on your computer to it. Try different documents on your computer. 2. Now click on Calls. You will now connect it to www.google.com. When you are done, try the link by clicking on calls, and see if it opens your browser and takes you to Google.
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Mind Mapping For Success How to make Mind Mapping your Engine Room Mind Mapping is so versatile that it can be used as a dashboard for your entire day. You can create a daily Mind Map, either at the end of the day, for the next day, or as an activity you do each morning. In fact, it can be used to plot your day from the moment the alarm clock rings.
If you want to get beyond getting up in the morning, a Mind Map to plot out your entire day can be an invaluable tool. It helps organize your day. You may currently be using a calendar. A daily calendar can tell you when things are supposed to occur but they are limited. Can a calendar bring up an email address of a recipient of an important email? Can it link you to the documents that you need for a meeting, so that with a single mouse click you are ready to go? Using a Mind Map can be like having a personal assistant. They can prepare you for every task throughout the day. A Mind Map can connect you to Internet sites you need, and open Word documents, but it can do so much more. It can take you, step by step, through completing a project, and will have the necessary links at each stage of the process. The hyperlinking function of Mind Maps can link you to virtually anything on your computer or the Internet. You can even link it to other programs, such as spreadsheet programs.
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You can even convert your Mind Map into an MS Word document, an MS PowerPoint presentation or even an MS Project document. Here are some Mind Maps about how to do these conversions.
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As you can see, the importing and exporting of Mind Maps to other programs is a simple process. It also helps others on your team to work together, as you can include a daily schedule, and each team member can see what the other team member is doing. This helps team members gain an understanding of how important their role is in completing a given project, as they see how their part links to others. Without those connections, the project could be doomed to fail, or at least be delayed. Your daily Mind Map can be linked via hyperlinks to other Mind Maps. Consider this simple daily schedule.
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When you click on the Direct Mail Project the following Mind Map opens.
Each part of this Mind Map can be attached to other Mind Maps or documents. So as you go through your daily schedule, you can open a Mind Map. It saves time and effort in getting organized. You have already done the work, now you can concentrate on the task. Look back at the daily schedule Mind Map. You will see a sales meeting. If you need help organizing the meeting, you might have a Mind Map that looks like this.
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Have you considered how much clutter you will remove? Everything you need is at the click of a button. The hyperlinks bring up any documents or websites you may need for any task. No more stacks of folders, paper and sticky notes. Mind Maps are something you can share with everyone. You can send the necessary Mind Maps before a meeting; that way, everyone is looking at the same material. It helps keep everyone focused and on task. Suppose that, during the meeting found in the daily schedule, you needed to discuss an upcoming sales report. Just a click away from your daily schedule is the following Mind Map.
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Mind Mapping For Success Each of these branches can be attached to a different document. No more printing out large reams of paper for everyone. As you progress through your meeting you can use your Mind Map as a dynamic recording device. You can make decisions, attach hyperlinks, and make adjustments to the Mind Map. When the meeting is complete, you can instantly send out the edited Mind Map. It helps people remember what was discussed, and what the plan is. It is all laid out in the new Mind Map. You can use MS Outlook, and attach Mind Maps throughout your day. As a meeting or other scheduled event approaches, it can bring your Mind Map to you. Here is how you can do it. Open up your MS Outlook calendar.
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Mind Mapping For Success Click on a particular hour and you will open a window like this.
Notice the paperclip symbol. This attaches files to a scheduled event.
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Mind Mapping For Success Now when this event occurs you will have your Mind Map ready to go. Your Mind Maps are your engine room. They can drive everything you do in a day. You can also add things like where you intend to go to dinner, and add reMinders to call and make reservations, or pick up laundry from the cleaners. The more you use Mind Maps, the easier it will get to create and utilize them. Once you are in the habit of using them, you will wonder how you ever got along without them.
Exercise 4: In this exercise you will create an event in MS Outlook, to which you add a Mind Map. 1. Open up Outlook, as demonstrated above. Pick a time, about 30 minutes from the time you are starting this exercise, and open up an appointment. 2. On the appointment, write Today. 3. Now attach the simple Mind Map you have been working on in the previous exercises. 4. Save and Close the appointment. 5. Wait until it opens up at the scheduled time. Click on the Mind Map to see if it opens. You can even go a step further and open the hyperlink you created.
Use Presentation Mode for fast teaching and learning Just as Mind Maps make studying easier, they also make it easier to teach others. Mind Mapping software has a simple "scenario" presentation mode, which converts your Mind Map into a slideshow, useful for both teaching and learning. To create a lesson for your students, just create the Mind Map of the class plan, choose View Scenario and Default Scenario from the Presentation menu. MindMapper creates individual slides of your topics and sub-topics instantly. You can run the presentation by choosing Run Presentation from the Presentation menu.
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Above: Super-fast presentations using MindMapper. You can use the Scenario mode to study a subject too create a Mind Map of the information you need to learn, create the presentation, and then use Run Presentation to test yourself on the information the rest of the Mind Map is hidden, only the topics are shown. You can customize your Mind Mapping software to make it easier to create your own tests. Exercise 5: In this exercise you will create a presentation. 1. Open your To Do Mind Map. 2. Click Presentation 3. Click Default Scenario. You should see two slides in a side box. 4. Click Presentation at the top again. 5. Click Run Presentation. It will then put each slide on the screen full size. You can click anywhere on the screen to advance the slides. You can press the Esc key at any time to exit.
Teaching Mind Mapping to children Children love Mind Maps. Show your children how to create a Mind Map with lots of images in large sketch books: display the Mind Maps proudly. For very young children, provide stamps, paints, gold foil and other material so they can decorate their Mind Maps. Children under ten love finding clip art on the computer with which to decorate their Mind Maps. Children older than ten can use Mind Mapping software like MindMapper to create projects for classes. MindMapper is great for students check out the Junior and Academic versions from Essential Mind Mapping: http://www.essentialMind Mapping.com
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3. Thinking and brainstorming with Mind Maps: get more and better ideas When you need a solution to a challenge create a Mind Map. You can use Mind Mapping in many ways to not only help you to think, but also to become more creative. In this chapter we'll look at ways in which you can use Mind Mapping to think, to solve challenges, and to brainstorm.
Got a question or a challenge? Create a Mind Map Many challenges are easier to solve than you think. Just create a Mind Map with a question. Your questions can be general, or they can be specific.
General questions Let's look at general questions for business. (You can, of course, use Mind Mapping for anything, not just for business.) What should I do to market my business this month? How can I learn more about my target audience? What's the next best step in this project?
Specific questions Again, these are business questions but remember you can Mind Map any questions. What terms should I add to the Company X contract? How can I cut the inputs on Project N? What should I ask the applicants for the position of CFO?
After you've created a "question" Mind Map, then print it out, and let the question gestate. (See the Resources section for a link on the gestation of ideas, which is also known as the Incubation period of the creative process.) Gestation is important, because it allows your whole mind, including your subconscious, to work on the question. Leave the print-out on your desk, or pin it to a corkboard where it's in your field of vision.
Need fast answers? Brainstorm with Mind Mapping Sometimes you don't have the time to allow a question to gestate. You need answers NOW. The Mind Mapping software is a great tool for brainstorming, because you can add topics just by typing: simply select the centre of the Mind Map, or the topic you want as the parent of the new topic, and type. This makes it easy to get all the thoughts in your head out onto the Map. When you're brainstorming with a group, one person can act as the recorder, entering all the ideas into the Mind Map.
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Mind Mapping For Success Here are some tips for brainstorming: Enter everything that comes into your head. If you're brainstorming in a group, enter all the suggestions. Often you get the answer to a problem, or develop a great new idea, by combining topics. Place a time limit on your brainstorming sessions. Ten minutes is ample. Then have a break. Have a cup of coffee. When you return, you can continue working on the same Map, or use a topic from that Map to develop another Map. Make a note of the concepts generated after one or two brainstorming sessions. After you've been brainstorming for a period, you'll find that your ideas cluster into areas: write down the areas. In this way, you're going from the specific to the general.
Using "Scratch" Maps Many new Mind Map users are intimidated by the colourful Mind Maps they see in books or online, but most of your Mind Maps won't require this amount of effort. Your Mind Maps don't need to be works of art. In fact, 99% of your Maps will be Scratch Maps Maps you've created to do something quickly, or to develop your ideas. MindMapper lets you "think" on a Mind Map as fast as you can type, so feel free to create Mind Maps that you delete, or that you never bother to save at all these Mind Maps are simply tools.
Above: A Scratch Map gives you a fast start in organizing a document. When you've finished outlining the report, you can print copies of the Mind Map to give to team members.
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Mind Mapping For Success Create a Mind Map at the start of each project Make it a practice to create a Mind Map at the start of every project. This gives you a head start on the project; you can see the resources you need and the time frame you have to work in, and you can send the Mind Map to other people in your work group for their input.
Exercise 6 Create a brainstorming Mind Map. The topic is How YOU can use Mind Maps in your work and in other areas of your life. Yes, you can use Mind Maps for all projects. Buying a house? Create a Mind Map. Planning an event? Create a Mind Map. A Mind Mapping brainstorm Map step-by-step 1. Create a new Mind Map by choosing New from the File menu in your Mind Mapping software. By using this option to begin your Mind Map, you can choose a design for your new Map that best suits your project. Of course, you can change the design later. Go to next page to continue.
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Mind Mapping For Success 2. Choose your style, and click OK. Select "Title" and type: "What should I do to market my business this month?" Press ENTER. Now simply start brainstorming ideas, pressing ENTER each time. As long as the focus stays on the centre topic, you can simply keep typing ideas, pressing ENTER after each one.
3. When you've finished adding ideas, you can add notes. Select the item to which you want to add a note, and choose Note from the Insert menu.
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4. Mind Mapping your day: get more done in less time Mind Maps make terrific planning tools, especially for managing your time. If time management is a challenge for you, use Mind Maps for a few days. Mind Mapping helps you to feel more in control of your time, which leads to reduced stress. With the weight of stress lifted from you, you'll be amazed at how much more you achieve. End procrastination with Mind Mapping Do you procrastinate? We all do. One way to help eliminate this productivity-sapping nuisance from your life is to Mind Map. Mind Mapping Helps You Get Creative and Get More Done! One of the specific aspects of creative thinking is the DO IT technique. This is an efficient method for defining problems, and finding effective and creative solutions. This method helps you to draw the best out of the creativity techniques. DO IT is essentially an acronym for: D - Define Problem; O - Opening your Mind and applying creative techniques; I - Identifying best possible solutions; T - Transforming them into concrete actions .
D- To define the problem accurately, you will have look at the problem in its entirety. You have to get at the root of the problem so you know that you are dealing with the causative factors, and not with the symptoms. If the problem is large or complex, you could break it into smaller and more, meaningful components so the problem assumes greater clarity, and widest dimension. Include the constraints contained in each aspect of the problem, so you cover the problems in their fullest range. Summarizing the problem will help in getting at the crux of the problem clearly.
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O - Once the problems areas are identified, you could begin finding solutions by looking at them from all angles. Brainstorming is invariably an effective method for coming up with solutions to problems. Ideally, you could use group brainstorming, where effective thinkers and implementers could be included to present their solutions to the problem. It is important that even the most ridiculous and weird ideas are given full expression, and accepted without any criticism or questioning. Often, the most abnormal and wildest of ideas will lead to the most creative solutions. So, suppressing them or negating them will deny scope from creative inputs. I - Identifying the best solutions for the problem or problems on hand is the next step. Often, the best solution may turn out to be costly, or may have limitations not immediately apparent to you. You have to go all the way, and explore the solutions in-depth, to weigh how far they could be effective. You could see whether the solutions fall within your overall goals, or those of your organization. This will determine the extent to which you would be willing to attempt implementing the solution. T - This is the final stage, of transforming the creative solution into a reality. It involves not just the creation of products or services, but also taking care of the marketing and business aspects of the creative plan. This is one area where many creative thinkers falter, because they fail to ensure the commercial and economic viability of a plan. It is crucial that an Action Plan is set, for transformation of the creative solution which includes business and marketing plans. You have to sincerely try all avenues, unMindful of hurdles or rejections that you may encounter, to actualize them. As always, perseverance pays.
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Mind Mapping For Success The common and conventional method for using the DO IT technique is the usual linear method of listing. If you were to use Mind Maps instead, you would realize that you have an excellent tool on hand. Mind Mapping allows you to record all of the problems and solutions easily and concisely, and renders the whole exercise meaningful and simple. When a complete Mind Map is formed using the DO IT technique, you gain a full picture, which provides the necessary associations and links between different elements of your creative process and solution. These are completely absent in the regular listing type method. By using Mind Maps, you can register all the brainstorming ideas as quickly as they arise, and analyze how they can be connected to alleviating the problems. Because the big picture of the entire creative process is Mapped out, it becomes easy to assess and gauge its full impact, to come up with the most creative and effective solutions. Association and concepts are crucial elements to creativity, and Mind Maps provide a scope that is not available with any other technique hence the superiority of the Mind Mapping method. Mind Maps make for a simple, yet powerful, technique. As with everything else, you have to try the Mind Mapping technique to understand its significance and dynamism.
The Do It Creative Solution was provided by Dr. Vj Mariaraj who is a Mind Map enthusiast and has been using Mind Maps for the past twelve years. He has created over 5650 Mind Maps.
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Planning your life with Mind Maps

Mind Maps can keep you on schedule during each day, and during your life. Let's see how this works. The Mind Map below is a Mind Map of a trip.
Above: Using a Mind Map to create a visual outline of an upcoming trip.
The Mind Map gives a fast overview of the trip, with airline bookings, and includes a smaller Map of important factors. As you can see, using Mind Maps as personal information managers is more effective than using notebooks or calendars, because you can see a vast amount of information at a glance. Your brain makes easier connections between items, and it's easier to remember the important points. You can use this same format, of a rightward process tree, for creating a weekly calendar Mind Map. Type in each day as a topic, and then enter your tasks and appointments under each day. You can create links to URLs and to files on your computer. For a daily task list, try a list format, radiating to the right. This style of Map lets you cover everything that's important for your day all of your tasks and scheduled items. You can include notes for each item by clicking the Note Window icon and typing in notes.
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Project Management with Mind Maps If you're working on a large project, you know how difficult it is to keep the project on track. You've got a million details that you need to remember and organize. You also need to follow up with other people. Without a clear sense of direction, many projects just die; this is much less likely to occur when you use Mind Maps. One the problems that people often face is the getting ready to get ready syndrome. This is due to a lack of organization. The Mind will be chattering about many different things all at once. This causes a lack of focus, and nothing ever gets done. Having a plan ahead of time turns reaction into action. This means you know what to do, when to do it, and what your goal for that segment of the project is. You do not have to think about or worry about other parts of the project because you already have it all Mapped out. One part leads to the next in an orderly, sequential progression. When faced with a large project, it can sometimes be overwhelming. When you can break it down into bite size pieces, however, it is much easier to handle. We often react to a large project with panic, and a feeling of hopelessness. You might even think of other things to do instead of dealing with the large project; you might choose other, smaller projects because they are not so overwhelming. The beauty of Mind Mapping is that you are creating these smaller projects by spending the time to create the Map in the beginning. This can not be done. It is too large. You would not eat an ice cream cone in one bite; you take small bites until youre finished. In much the same way, Mind Mapping breaks large projects into multiple mini-projects that are much easier to manage. You have turned reaction into action. Mind Maps can help at every phase of a project. In the Mind Map below, you can see how a single Mind Map can give you a clear overview of a project
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Above: A sample project management Mind Map. Each of the topics in the Project Management Map could generate a new Map, and as each phase of the project is complete, you could delete it from the Map. Mind Maps are used as project management tools by government departments, large corporations, and businesses at every level for project management, because they cut down on the explanation time needed. Just by looking at a Mind Map, you can see exactly how much work has been done, and how much remains to be done.
Exercise 7 Let us begin from the beginning, and create a knockout Mind Map that can be used with a large project. You must first consider how long the project will take. As I go along, you can either create the Map using the Mind Mapping software, or draw it out by hand. Imagine that you have one week to complete the project. You need to organize your week within in the framework of what needs to be done to complete it.
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Here is an example of creating a Mind Map of the schedule of the project. As you can see, each part of the project has been broken down into smaller, bite-size pieces. These are easy to navigate, and each part has its own time schedule that needs to be adhered to. Each of these can be put into a calendar-like Mind Map for the week. A simple week-long flow Map might look like this.
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Mind Mapping For Success Create the Map above. The next logical step is that you would add subcategories for each day of the week. These will be smaller tasks that need to be completed each day.
You can add more than one subcategory if you wish; I only included one, for demonstration purposes. Next, you can begin to make lists of things to do for each subcategory. You should put them in order of completion, if possible. Each subcategory can have a subcategory.
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Mind Mapping For Success If you want, you can assign a time schedule for each component, such as from 9:00-10:00 AM you will have a production meeting. You can also add colours to help separate the levels of subcategories or the importance of each part of the project. This helps you stay on track and helps keep you focused. You can do this by right clicking on Begin Production. Click Format, then click on Boundary.
You can pick the shape and colour of the space around the subcategories. Try to create one like the one below. Make sure that you hit apply when you are done choosing.
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Once you have created your schedule for the week, you have already begun to break the large project down into smaller, more manageable components; also, you have done so via a method that your entire team can utilize. When you have a Mind Map to work from, it helps increase communication and understanding between the people collaborating on the project. Everyone knows what their part of the project is, and what their timeline is for completion.
Exercise 8 You can either use a Mind Map program, or pencil and paper. Try this exercise out, and see what your results are. 1. Create a weekly Mind Map of brushing your teeth. 2. In the Mind Map, make sure you have times, and subcategories of what you need to brush your teeth. Include running out of tooth paste and replacing your tooth brush in your Mind Map. 3. Add pictures or even photos if you like to your Mind Map. 4. Answer this question: Brushing ones teeth is an activity that many people occasionally miss, because of other activities. Do you think that creating a Mind Map will help make sure you develop the habit of brushing everyday? Why or why not?
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Mind Mapping For Success Exercise 9 Get attention by adding images and colour to your Mind Maps. Use clip art and your own images to create impact and stimulate ideas 1. Create a new Mind Map, using your Mind Mapping software. You can add clip art easily into Mind Mapping software, or draw pictures to branches on your sketch pad.
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Mind Mapping For Success 2. Place the image into Mind Mapping software at any spot on the Map.
Exercise 10 Sometimes a symbol can help create a more unified subject and focus. Symbols can take many different forms, and be creative as you like. Suppose the Mind Map you were creating related to the fishing industry.
This shape helps a person keep the idea of fish while creating their Mind Map. Suppose you are an author working on a paper about Helen Keller. You could add shapes and symbols that help keep the central idea that her story was about learning through struggle on a farm. Look at this Mind Map and see if that clearly invokes that image. This Mind Map creates an outline from which a writer can complete their writing will using their whole brain. Visual outlines are particularly helpful for right-hemisphere dominant thinkers, because they help the writer visualize the spatial relationships between ideas.
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Mind Maps can also use icons and colour coding to help organize and prioritize information. This helps the eyes and the Mind to focus on certain areas of a Mind Map. As the writer is constructing their piece, they are able to use these icons and colours to help them progress and move in a certain direction. Certain shapes will make the Mind flow in a particular direction. Utilizing these shapes can help ideas flow in a positive direction, while heading toward a particular goal. In this example, pay close attention to how the shapes of the subcategories actually move your eyes along.
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Exercise 11 Here is a simple exercise to get you to think about creating symbolic Mind Maps. Suppose you were in charge of a Church Newsletter. The symbol of the church is a chalice. 1. What shapes could you use to form a Mind Map for this project? 2. What colours would you use? Would there be different colours used for different categories or sub categories? What influenced your decision? 3. Would you add graphics to your Mind Map? What would the graphics be? Where would you place them? Exercise 12 Are your ideas like floating clouds? Are they just hovering independently, with no connection to one another? When trying to complete projects, this kind of scattered thought pattern produces scattered results; its important to organize your thoughts before attempting to move forward on something. In the centre of a piece of paper, write a hobby that you like. Place empty clouds in a pattern around this central theme. DO NOT CONNECT THEM. What pattern did you put the clouds in? Try a different pattern that is more in line with your theme. If you like, you can repeat this, changing the pattern a few times. You can add larger categories, and smaller subcategories in patterns around them. Be creative, and experiment with different ways of organizing your Mind Map. Choose one of these patterns you have created. In the clouds, write words or phrases that correspond with your hobby. They can be explanations of how to do a particular activity,
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Mind Mapping For Success materials you need, or a combination of different things. Use lines to start making connections between the clouds. Do you notice how these lines completely change the look and feel of your Mind Map? These lines are very powerful tools. They can organize, direct and focus your ideas, and network ideas and themes. You can go back and try this same exercise with the other patterns you have created. See how ideas and themes are connected. You make these connections when you create a Mind Map, so it is important that you think about the flow, and the networks you create with lines. Mind Mapping allows the researcher to visualize and manage complex information, see interrelationships between sources, and navigate between details and the big picture. Running meetings with Mind Maps Although business meetings are necessary, they can also be huge time sinks. This is especially true when a meeting is run without an agenda. You can cut down on the number of meetings in your department by using Mind Maps. For example, if you usually have a Monday morning meeting to set the goals and targets for the upcoming week, why not just create a Mind Map and distribute it to the group? You can display the targets met for the previous week, plus the targets for the coming week. If a meeting is still necessary, create a Mind Map as a meeting agenda and distribute it to the attendees. Your meeting Mind Map can provide links to documents and files on the server and company intranet, which means there's no need to create printouts. Mind Mapping software provides a Mind Map called How To Run A Successful Meeting, which covers the basics of efficient meetings: setting a purpose, keeping the meeting on track with the agenda, and gathering all materials. You can use this meeting-guide to create an agenda for the meeting, with all the attendees' names, and assign tasks right within the meeting.
Researching and Writing With Mind Mapping When researching and writing, the author must integrate complex information from a large number of sources into a single linear document, such as an article, brief, or report. The research and writing process may take place over weeks or months, during which time the author is subjected to many distractions. Mind Maps can help a writer stay focused on the big picture, while retrieving and organizing large amounts of information into a coherent document.
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Mind Mapping For Success Although note cards or a word-processing document can help keep track of research, they have their limitations in terms of the amount of information they can efficiently handle. Even an outline of fewer than ten pages can become unwieldy as the author struggles to keep an eye on the big picture, and to make connections between different parts of the outline. Mind Maps can help with three parts of the writing process in particular: outlining and organizing, researching and taking notes, and analysing and writing. Visual outlining tools, such as Mind Maps, diagrams, and flowcharts, can help writers organize their ideas and establish the analytical framework for a complex document.
Information Overload When you begin a vacation or a journey, you usually have some things planned out ahead of time. Imagine, for a moment, jumping into a car with your family. The kids are in the back, the keys are in the ignition. You announce that you are taking a trip for two weeks. Nothing is packed, a destination has not been chosen and no one is prepared. In reality, you would probably pick a destination and then find it on a map. You would then determine the best way to get there, and plot out the journey. Included in this plotting are itineraries, and a schedule of what you were going to do, and when. Mind Mapping is a similar process. You determine what your goals are first, and then create a road Map, or Mind Map, to get there. Trying to organize materials for a project can be quite a daunting task. There can be loads of information that you need to go through and organize. Sometimes, this can be an overwhelmingly large task. The Internet has created such a vast amount of information, that it can be tough to locate what you want, and use your time efficiently. Once you have gathered those materials, you then have the task of going through them and finding the information that you need. Mind Mapping can really help you organize your thoughts, time and tasks. Mind Mapping helps you organize your thoughts without the use of cumbersome outlines. You will be able to draw information out of documents in a directed way. In a Mind Map, you can reduce the information into smaller pieces that are easier to understand stand and read. You can then use this information later when you are bringing your project together. The amount of time and effort you will save will be phenomenal. On the next page is an example of a project in which materials were gathered and the information was placed into a Mind Map. It represents a one page proposal for a project. It shows the project from conception until the end. It clearly is a road Map of the one page
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Mind Mapping For Success proposal that is easily readable, organizes the writers thoughts, and creates a flow of tasks. It Maps out clearly the starting point and the ending point.
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Mind Mapping For Success Lets look the second column more closely. This column deals with the documents you have gathered for the proposal. In an outline, you would just have a run down of facts and summaries; a Mind Map does something different. It gives you goals for the documents. It pulls out goals for the documents. It is a guide to what materials you need to accomplish the goal of the project. It is a guide to extracting the right materials in the right formats. So, the research for the proposal begins here.
As you can see, it begins with gathering all of the necessary documents. As you are sifting through these documents, you are looking for materials that are relevant to your topic. On the next line are some suggestions of where you intend to look for this information. Once you have gathered your materials, you will then catalogue them. In this sample, the materials are breaking them into two groups items you know well, and those you do not know well. Finally, the purpose of the date is to flawlessly understand your business, which will help you process the material even more.
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Mind Mapping For Success Some may argue that Mind Mapping takes time and takes away from the time you can dedicate to your project. The opposite is true. By spending the time to organize, youll significantly reduce the time it takes to complete a project. It is amazing how much time is lost when a project is not well organized. Projects can suffer from regression; because you did not plan ahead, youll be taking periodic steps backward because you missed something. An example of regression is putting together an entertainment centre you just bought from the store. You may look at it and decide it will be easy to complete, and in fact, the words easy assembly are embossed on the side of the box. You begin putting it together as you see fit, without paying close attention to the directions. You then hit a spot where the entertainment centre is completed, but you have a shelf and some odd parts left over. You look at the directions more closely NOW, and see that the shelf should have been installed at step 3. The project has 45 steps. You must now dismantle the entire project to get the shelf installed properly. If you had paid attention to the directions closely, and followed the plan that had been set out for you, this would not have occurred. A two hour project now became a 4 hour project. Mind Maps are that set of directions. The Map takes you from one step to another in a logical sequence, and lets you know when a certain task needs to occur, and why. Without this Map, project completion can be slow and cumbersome.
The next level examines the person who will be viewing your proposal. This helps you decide what information that you have gathered will be important and relevant. This helps shape your project, and tailor it to the target audience.
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This next level is still carving and shaping the material and your project. This narrows down the target audience to specific people. This is an active and necessary step for the creator of the proposal. As you see, at this point, nothing has been written or read. It is just a process of elimination. It has saved a lot of time sifting through papers, with no real idea of what you need. In this example, the writer is creating a one page document. He started out with thousands of pages of documents, but now he has an idea of what he needs, and has therefore reduced his workload, just through the creation of the Mind Map.
In this section, the importance of having done the proper research is spelled out. This section ensures that, when the research is being considered, it covers important details that will help alleviate some of the criticism that will inevitably arise from potential customers.
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Mind Mapping For Success In this section is a reminder that the data must be verifiable. There are certain sites and materials on the internet that may not be reliable or verifiable. This is another way to filter your information. At this point in the process, the relevant material should almost jump out at you. A Mind Map takes minutes to create, but just imagine the hours it can save by doing the work of organizing relevant materials for you.
In this example, the writer is reminding himself to have supporting documents and materials prepared, for answering questions. The creator will look more professional if he has materials he can refer to instantly. They can even organize those supporting materials with another Mind Map!
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5. Mind Mapping techniques enhance your personal productivity In this chapter we'll look at how you can benefit from Mind Mapping with a computer program. The benefits of using Mind Mapping When you use Mind Mapping software to create your Mind Maps, the primary benefit is simplicity. Not only can you create template Mind Maps that you can use over and over again, but you can change your Mind Maps at will. Your Mind Maps can be huge they can be wall-size, if you wish. Or, you can create simple Mind Maps, with little more than a single topic and sub-topic. You can go from Mind Map to complete project easily The biggest benefit of using Mind Mapping is that it can automatically format your Map for you, and send it to other programs. You can export Mind Maps to Microsoft Word as outlines, to Microsoft PowerPoint as slides, to Microsoft Project as plans, and to Microsoft Outlook as a list of tasks. Most Mind Mapping software allows you to do this and reverse the processes you can import documents from Microsoft Office to use Mind Maps. If someone sends you a Word document, you can add level headings with Styles, and import the document. Want to export a Mind Map to the Web? Mind Mapping software makes it easy to transform a Mind Map into a collection of Web documents. You can even create a complete site using Mind Mapping. You can organize your life with Mind Mapping When you're working on a project, whether you're working alone or with a group of people, its often difficult to keep track of all the files and tasks associated with the project. Using Mind Mapping, not only can you create hyperlinks to files and URLs, you can also import and send tasks to Microsoft Outlook.
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Mind Mapping For Success Mind Mapping techniques Add graphics to your Mind Maps Because your right brain thinks in images, adding images to your Mind Maps does much more than provide decoration. When you add images to a Mind Map, it's easier to remember aspects of the Map, and it's also easier to make associations. A Mind Map with images makes you, and your team, much more creative. Mind Mapping applications let you add images at will, from the program itself, or from your computer, network, or the Web. You can add images in popular formats like BMP, PNG, and TIF. You can add images to a topic's background or to floating text, and images can be moved and resized within your Maps.
Above: Adding photos to Mind Maps. You can add photos from your digital camera, or a scanner. When you add photos to your Mind Maps, they're exported to other applications with the Mind Map, so you can get a head start on your presentations or other documents.
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Exercise 13 1. Open you To Do Mind Map. 2. Click Insert/Picture/ClipArt
3. Click on Search, and type in Telephone. Left click and pull a picture onto your board. You did it you just added a picture to your Mind Map. Its that simple.
Print your Maps Mind Mapper, and other Mind Mapping software, has many options to help you to print your Maps in the sizes and the styles you want. You can even print a Map to a file, creating a PRN file, which you can print on another computer this feature is very handy if you're creating Mind Maps on a notebook computer, and want to print them later on your primary desktop machine. Develop a complete Web site with Mind Mapping While creating a Web site is relatively easy, keeping control of the site is difficult. For small businesses, as your business changes and grows, you'll want to add sections and pages to your Web site.
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For large businesses, maintaining control of the company site is even more difficult; you have teams working on site sections, trying to keep each other updated on progress, and trying to maintain cohesion on the site; before too long, the site degenerates into chaos. Mind Mapping to the rescue! You can turn any Mind Mapping Map into a series of LINKED Web pages. The operative word here is "linked". This is a huge benefit, because site structure is hard to maintain. Broken links proliferate like garden weeds after rain. Mind Mapping lets you maintain control. The graphic below shows a Web site page created by a company called Kerika this is an actual page on their site.
Above: A Mind Map as an explanatory navigation page, a Kerika page at http://www.kerika.com/ What's interesting about this page is that it looks just like a Mind Map that you could create, with a view to turning the page into a Web site, or a section of a site.
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Mind Mapping For Success Try it: Create a Map and turn it into linked pages Create a Mind Map for a Web site. Each topic will be a page on the site. When you save the Map as HTML pages, the index.html page shows a list of the topics, each of which is hyperlinked to its own page. If you have sub-topics, these are linked off their topics. Notes that you've created for a topic or sub-topic become the content for the relevant page. When you've completed the Map, choose Save As Web Pages from the File menu. The Save As Web Pages dialogue box will open. Choose a folder for your Map navigate to an existing folder, or create a new one. Fill in details for the Company section, the Images (locate them on your computer or network), and the colours you want for the Web page backgrounds. Then click OK, and your site is created. Navigate to the folder in which the HTML pages were created, and double-click the index.html file. The pages will open, hyperlinked and ready for you to send to your Web server, or to edit in an HTML program like Macromedia DreamWeaver or Microsofts FrontPage.
Exercise 14 Do you have a series of files on your computer that you regularly open? Mind Mapping can help keep those files organized. Create a new Mind Map, with topics for all the files. Then select a topic, choose Hyperlinks from the Insert menu, click Local File, and navigate to the file. Click OK. Use Mind Mapping hyperlinks to corral all documents, and to get an instant overview of any project 1. Start a new Mind Map, or use an existing Mind Map. Add a hyperlink to a local file on your computer, or on your network, by choosing Hyperlink from the Insert menu.
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2. As work on the project progresses, you can open any document from the Mind Map the Mind Map also shows you which documents have been completed, and who is working on them. 3. If you use Microsoft Outlook, you can export scheduled tasks to Outlook. Select a task on your Mind Map, and press Ctrl+D to create a scheduled task. The Planner window will open, and you can choose a date and time for your task.
4. Choose the Export to Outlook Tasks icon on the toolbar, and Microsoft Outlook will open. Choose Tasks, and you will see that your scheduled task has been added to the Tasks folder.
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Mind Mapping For Success 6. Top Ten Mind Mapping tips and techniques: build your Mind Mapping skills The more Mind Mapping skills you develop, the more time and energy you'll save in all your tasks. In this chapter, we'll look at ways in which you can enhance your Mind Mapping skills. Mind Mapping for everyone the best Mind Mapping tips 1. Use Mind Maps for everything Mind Mapping is a skill, and like any skill, you get better at it with experience and practice. New Mind Mappers tend to learn how to create a Mind Map for a special event, like business presentation, or to create a Mind Map of a topic to study for an examination, and once the event is over, forget about Mind Maps. This is a waste, because Mind Maps can be used for just about anything, so try creating Mind Maps for everything both hand-drawn Maps, and Maps on your computer. Within a week, you will be amazed at your increased effectiveness. You'll find that, with a Mind Map, events you used to dread, like writing a paper, or giving a speech, become effortless. Your Mind Maps help you to integrate both sides of your brain, so that you're using more of your abilities. 2. Use colour and images in your Mind Maps Colour and images aren't just decoration they stimulate your brain as you're creating the Map, and they also help anyone who sees the Map to absorb and retain the information. 3. Get your ideas onto the Map When you begin a Map, just start typing. Just enter your ideas into the Map. Add a note to a topic. More ideas will emerge as you work on the Map.
4. Use Mind Mapping to enhance understanding Mind Maps are excellent tools for helping you to see holes in arguments, missing elements in a project, or understanding the big picture.
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Just create a Mind Map for the project, or the document. Mind Maps are also useful when you're delegating work. Creating a quick Mind Map can explain exactly what needs to be done. It gives a quick overview of a task or a project, and eliminates misunderstanding.
Above: Need to explain a project to a colleague? A Mind Map prevents misunderstanding. 5. A project not working? Mind Map it Mind Maps are useful when something isn't working. Got a project that's stuck? or a document that's missing something but you don't know what? Create a Mind Map. A Mind Map graphic lets you combine, eliminate, add and review. 6. Mind Map challenges and Help desk questions Got a problem that no one's got around to fixing? If you have Help desk, or a customer service department, you know that there are customer problems that are common and could easily be resolved, if the engineers created a fix.
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Mind Mapping For Success Mind Map the problem, and hand it to the department which can create a fix. Seeing the problem clearly displayed on a Mind Map saves hours of explanation. 7. Create Mind Maps before writing documents Do you procrastinate when it's time to write a report, a newsletter or a speech? If you create a Mind Map before you begin, you'll find it easier to complete your writing task. Start by entering your Map's topic: the title of your project. Then add these sub-topics: who, what, when, where, why and how . 8. Mind Map procedures manuals Procedures manuals save time. Many companies put off developing them because the development itself takes time. However, the result of putting off the creation of the manuals is that even more time and energy is wasted in an organization, because preventable errors are made. Mind Maps can streamline the development of procedures and processes. 9. Mind Map your company mission statement (the real one) What does your business do? What are the business's real goals? Most company mission statements are waffle and spin. Create a Mind Map of your business's mission, and display it prominently. 10. Mind Map your goals It's easy to lose sight of our goals. If you Mind Map your goals, you're much more likely to remember them, and to gain insights which will help you to achieve them more quickly. Create a Mind Map for your goals for this month, this year, and the next five years. 11. (Bonus) Mind Map your day Take a couple of minutes at the start of each day to Mind Map your tasks and appointments. You'll be amazed at how much more you get done each day. Exercise 15 Create a Mind Map of your goals for this year, with a path for achievement.
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Mind Mapping For Success Use Mind Mapping to develop a goals Mind Map: get a quick overview of your goals in all areas of your life 1. Start a new Mind Map by choosing New from the File menu, and then choose a rightward tree Map.
2. Type "Goals". Add the areas of your life in which you want to set goals business, health, finances whatever areas matter most to you.
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3. Add goals to each area. Set time limits on your goals. For example, if you want to lose five kilos to improve your health, create a schedule. MindMapper lets you develop schedules right in the program, and then send the scheduled tasks and appointments to Outlook this saves you time, because you can go from the general to the specific in an instant.
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7. Using Mind Mapping In Niche Marketing Developing a niche marketing plan Another great way to use the MindMapper software for Mind Mapping is to use it for niche marketing on the Internet. Niche marketing has exploded across the net, and can be very lucrative. Narrowing down a niche You have to begin with a niche topic. You cant just expect to choose something that youre interested in, and expect everyone else to be interested in it as well. You have to find the demand for a product or service. The way to do this is to jot down several ideas that you think may be in demand, and start your research. One thing that cant be stressed enough: thorough research is KEY to your success. Dont rush the research or skimp on it. It can mean the difference between wasted time and effort, or money and success. Once you have your ideas jotted on your paper, its time to begin the research. You do that by going to http://www.wordtracker.com (a free tool to use). Type in your ideas, one at a time, and look at the results. Here is an example below. I will use the keyword phrase coffee shop as my idea to research.
Press ENTER after typing coffee shop in the keyword box. Your results will appear as seen below.
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Bars
Notice that there are 4,080 searches for the phrase coffee shop (these are monthly searches). Now lets choose starting a coffee shop. Although it indicated that there are only 47 monthly searches for it, you have to take this number with a grain of salt because Word Tracker numbers are not 100% accurate. The best way to determine the accuracy of this number and see approximately how many visitors you would get on a DAILY basis to a site you created around this keyword is to use Google G-Trends tool, which is also free. Click here to download: Wordtrackers GTrends tool. This is a combination Word Tracker and G-Trends tool, all in one; it will save you time and effort. Look at the bars at the end of each line in the results above. This is the G-Trends tool. Lets click on the bars on the line of starting a coffee shop. Here is your result.
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Now let me explain these results, which are more accurate than Word Tracker alone. The numbers you need to pay attention to here are the Google competition and the actual visitors/day. These numbers should be less than 30,000 for competition, and greater than 100 actual visitors per day, in order to be potentially profitable. Once you find a keyword (idea) that matches these criteria, it is safe to assume that you have a demand for a product in this market. You want low competition and high visitors. Now, even though this has low competition and low visitors per day, it doesnt mean that there is not money to be made in this market; it just means it may take longer, because statistics in the Internet marketing world say that it takes 200 visitors to your site to make 1 sale. Its true! Only one in 200 will buy your product, and that goes for even the big marketing gurus. So, it is important to get as many visitors per day with low competition as well. The low competition means that the market is not yet saturated. Now, lets do a final check to see if people are spending money on your idea, in this case starting a coffee shop. The way that we do this is to go to Google and see if there are ads for real products, from people selling to real enthusiasts. Go to www.google.com.
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Type in your keyword phrase starting a coffee shop and press ENTER. Here are your results.
What you need to pay attention to here is the ads on the right (only a partial listing). The info on the left are free listings, and do not give any indication of a paying market for your product or service. Now look at each ad on the right; you are looking for people selling digital information, such as an E-book, video, or audio book.
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The third ad down is most likely an E-book; the rest are offering franchises, business plans etc. So, it is pretty likely that the market for a product in this area is good as it is not saturated with ads for digital products. Remember that you have to consider Word Tracker and G-Trends results on number of searches in order to help you decide to go with your idea, or move to the next. Also, nothing is guaranteed. I have seen good numbers, and when the product was developed and put on a site to be sold, it did pitifully (not because of the numbers, necessarily, but the sales copy). But the one thing I did learn is that this research exercise saved me a lot of time and trouble in following after losing ideas. So, once you think you may have a winning idea, its time to Mind Map. Start MindMapper and choose a chart layout. One similar to this one might do the trick.
Put your keyword idea in the centre, and begin listing all the tasks it will take to create a product for your idea, and a website to sell your product. Some of the tasks for product creation may be: Write an eBook, or hire a writer Create an audio-book Create a video demonstration
Some tasks for creating your website to sell the product may be: Write your sales copy Get testimonials for the sales page Determine your price point
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Mind Mapping For Success Create a book cover or CD cover Get a domain name Get an Internet host provider for your sales page Create the Thank you page Create the download page Create bonus offers Create back-end offers
Just keep listing out all the tasks it will take to get a product, and a sales page website to sell it on, completed. You can save your Mind Map, or print it out to use as a blue print to develop your niche product and niche marketing site. Simple and easy!
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Mind Mapping For Success Get started Mind Mapping today We hope you've enjoyed our description of the many benefits of Mind Mapping, and that you, your colleagues, employees and your family will join the many hundreds of thousands of Mind Mapping users around the globe. If you haven't yet downloaded your completely free trial version of any of our recommended Mind Mapping Software or Resources, please do so now! I hope you have seen the many ways that you can use Mind Mapping in your every day life and especially how Mind Mapping software can make the task so much easier for you. Happy Mind Mapping! Paul Urban CEO Mind Mapping For Success Email: PaulUrban@Mind Mappingforsuccess.com Tel: 61 2 90189305 Web: www.Mind MappingForSuccess.com "Explode Your Productivity & Profits Through Smarter Planning!"
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About The Author: Paul Urban.
After spending numerous years in the Project and Time Management Arena with Mobipro International, Urban changed fields slightly, and began working in Mind Mapping and Business Planning. Urban was appointed the Australian Distributor of Mind Mapper, and CEO of Essential Mind Mapping; he is part of the company that has grown into one of the major Mind Mapping software providers in the market today. Urban has been invited all over Australia, and the world, to talk about Mind Mapping, Brainstorming and how one can achieve better productivity on goals, tasks and projects. As proof of the simplicity and power of Mind Mapping, Urban released Mind Mapping for Success. www.MindMappingforsuccess.com - The Ultimate Mind Mapping guide!
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Mind Mapping for Success

Mind Mapping For Success

Above: A Hand-drawn Mind Map in a student's notebook.

Mind Mapping For Success

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Mind Mapping For Success

Notice the paperclip symbol. This attaches files to a scheduled event.

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Planning your life with Mind Maps

Above: Using a Mind Map to create a visual outline of an upcoming trip.

Mind Mapping For Success

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Mind Mapping For Success

Exercise 13 1. Open you To Do Mind Map. 2. Click Insert/Picture/ClipArt

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About The Author: Paul Urban.

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