Mind mapping is one of the most effective ways to capture your thoughts and bring them to life in visual form. It’s not just note-making, but beyond that. Mind maps can make you more creative, enhance your memory and help you solve problems more effectively.
What are Mind Maps?
A mind map is a diagram that connects information around a central subject. It’s like a branched structure, something like a tree. There is a main idea at the centre and the branches are subtopics or related ideas. Greater levels of detail branch out from there and branches can be linked together.
Get Started: Mind Mapping Guidelines
- Write the title of the subject you’re exploring in the center of the page, and draw a circle around it.
- As you come across major subdivisions or subheadings of the topic (or important facts that relate to the subject) draw lines out from this circle. Label these lines with these subdivisions or subheadings.
- As you “burrow” into the subject and uncover another level of information (further subheadings, or individual facts) belonging to the subheadings, draw these as lines linked to the subheading lines.
- Then, for individual facts or ideas, draw lines out from the appropriate heading line and label them.
- As you come across new information, link it in to the Mind Map appropriately.
Drawing impactful Mind Maps
Single Words or Simple Phrases are useful– In Mind Maps, single strong words and short, meaningful phrases can convey the same meaning more potently. Excess words just cause confusion in a Mind Map.
Print Words – Joined up or clouded writing is more difficult to read.
Using Colors to Separate Different Ideas – This will help you to separate ideas where necessary and develop an organized structure. It also helps you to visualize the Mind Map for recall.
Use Symbols and Images – Pictures can help you to remember information more effectively than words.
Using Cross-Linkages – Cross-linkages can help you to see how one part of the subject affects another.
There are many Mind Map Trainers in India who can teach you the skills for drawing effective Mind Maps you need for a happy and successful life.