Wise & Shine

Mind Mapping is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain. It was invented by Tony Buzan.

I heard about it a long time ago from a friend of mine who is a writer. He uses it to make up the plot for his books. He could also get a license for free from Tony as he was one of the first users!

Mind Mapping takes inspiration from our brain that looks like a walnut and it helps us to use both hemispheres to be more creative. Moreover, using it it’s fun and we do things better when we enjoy ourselves.

I attended a course recently, it has been a long time that I wanted to do it. Have a look at one of my first mind maps that explains you a bit what it is about:

Why do I call it a spider? Because it is recommended to have a maximum of 8 branches, that I called legs. As each leg generates a topic, you can add other subtopics linked to the first one. Actually, this is a danger, as you wouldn’t know when to stop!

Mind Mapping will enable you to plan personal development paths, make choices and let you know where you are, where you are going and where you have been. That’s why I have decided to start using it!

Main advantages of this method are:

• You can use colours to identify subjects: you will enjoy looking at it, read it over again and remember as it will catch and hold your eye;
• You can use your creativity without limits and you will be able to see new solutions to old problems;
• You can use images or draw yourself instead of writing: you will get a sense of fulfilment and reward;
• Radiant thinking, helicopter view. With Mind Mapping you will have an overview of a large subject and you can also deal with a large amount of data.

There are some free software available on the Internet, just google for it. However, while you will be able to present information in a more structured way, you won’t be able to express your creativity. They are good for presentations you may want to do in front of a client or an audience. But draw very personal Mind Maps for your own use, feel free to use your imagination!

Have you ever used this technique? What do you think about it?