Improve your memory, learning skill and planning using mind maps.

Thomas — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 21:40:42 +0000

Mind map is a amazing tool I do use everyday to plan, learn or solve problems. They use the wonderful power of your brain to help you think.

How is related with 80/20 principle? Because few keywords, lines and drawings will make you remember or think about a huge amount of information. Let’s go further…

What is a mind map?

According to Wikipedia a mind map is:

A diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea.

photo credit: Richard Scott 33

Modern mind map concept was invented in the 70’s by Tony Buzan, a British psychologist specialized in memory, learning and brain. For him a mind mapis a visual representation of what is going on into our brain. Mind maps are created around a central word to which associated ideas are added. Indeed our brain uses mostly association and visualization.

Different elements make a mind map more ‘attractive’ for our brain. Tony Buzan recommends to use curved lines, colors and drawings to make associations and memorization easier.

Uses of mind map

Mind map are mostly use to organize ideas, structure our thinking, classify knowledge or simulate memory and creativity. It’s also helpful in learning, decision making or problem solving.

We can find a lot of practical applications daily: notes taking, planning, meeting or presentation preparation.

This following mind map summarizes main possible uses:

I’m gonna focus on one I’m familiar with: taking notes class. I was still a student two years ago and of course I needed to understand many concepts and assimilate a lot of information. I was not a huge fan of scribbling away dozen sheets of paper during one hour class. So mind map became an ideal tool for me:

First, mind map focus on keywords. Thus I spent less time writing and more listening to lecturers.
Then, reviewing my notes and adding ideas took less time than reading three sheets of paper.
Studying before a final exam for example took also less time. Indeed I didn’t need to review a bunch of sheets but only one mind map. At a glance I reminded course structure and main concepts.

Here is a mind map I did during a Software quality management class. You can see I don’t follow every mind map recommendations. In fact I didn’t have my color pencils with me.

Your brain is extraordinarily powerful (more than you think ). You just need to help it get started…this help is called mind mapping.

Mind map limitations

You cannot apply mind map principle with any domain. Hierarchic organization doesn’t fit every problem. You should know that and don’t believe mind map is THE magical solution.

Nevertheless even for situations mind map isn’t recommended you can use some mind map principles like using color to stimulate your brain.

Mind mapping computer software

Despite my technology fanaticism I’m pretty old-fashioned about mind map: I prefer handmade ones rather than use software. I believe it’s more lively and much more creative. Above all I can practice my great drawing skill. Yeah I swear ;).

However you will find a lot of software to draw your mind map on your computer. Here is a list:

Web application:

MindMeister The one I use
Bubbl.us
Mindomo

Free software :

Commercial software :

I didn’t test every software. Let me know if I forgot some and feel free to give your feedback if you use one of them.

Conclusion

This is a video of Tony Buzan who explains mind map concept, basic rules, memory… Nothing beats the master explanations.

I will publish soon another post with different examples of mind maps like planning mind map, meeting mind map, presentation mind map… See you then.

Unbalanced man » Mind