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The Mind Mapping
Technique:
How to Create a Mind Map
The mind mapping technique provides a simple, intuitive, and powerful
way to tap into your creativity.
What is a mind map?
In essence, a mind
map is a diagram that allows you to represent your ideas and their
connection to each other graphically in a very intuitive way.
In fact, it's so intuitive, you may have created a mind map before and
not realized it.
When you've completed the mind mapping technique, you'll have an
interesting diagram in front of you that looks like a complex crawling
spider.
It may look complicated to anyone else, but if you've gone through the
mind mapping technique the ideas and their connection to each other
will make perfect sense to you.
There are many great resources on the internet on mind mapping
technique, and even some great free mind mapping software out there.
But, no need to make it so complex. At it's core, it's a pretty simple
exercise that anyone can master.
Here are the major steps to make the most of your the mind mapping
technique:
Step
1: Grab Your Supplies
Grab everything you'll need for your mind map. This includes:
- Pencils and pens
- Crayons or markers (if you'd like to use color)
- The largest sheet of paper you can find quickly
- A creative attitude
Step 2: Find the
Right Location
Choose somewhere you can remain uninterrupted for your designated
amount of time. (For your first mind map, allow at least 20-30
minutes.)
Also, choose somewhere you feel "creative." When doing creative
work, I prefer places that are clean, calm, and quiet.
Getting yourself in the right place to get into the zone will greatly
help with establishing good mind mapping technique.
Step 3: Use Music to Get in the Zone (optional)
On my Creativity
Exercises page, I discuss the benefits of music to help get the
creative juices flowing.
And for good mind mapping technique, you'll definitely want to have the
ideas flowing.
If possible, choose some music that's designed to bring your brainwaves
into the alpha level.
If you don't have that, choose some MUSIC
WITHOUT WORDS that will relax and inspire you.
Step 4: Choose
the Center of Your Mind Map
What topic do you want to create a mind map about?
It could be anything: ideas for a family vacation, considerations when
looking for a new job, a book you might write, the steps in a project.
. .and so on.
Literally, it could be anything for which you want to get your ideas
down, generate new ideas, and organize them in a way that makes sense
to you.
Once you have the subject, write it in the middle of the paper and draw
a circle around it. This forms the center of your mind map.
For example, if you wanted to make a map to record ideas you have for a
new website, it would look like this.
Step 5: Begin Building Branches
Once you have the center, the fun starts from
there. Essentially, you'll build branches, and sub branches, and
sub-sub-branches off your center circle.
To begin, identify the main topics contained in your subject.
To continue with our example of a website you want to build, list the
types of sites you'd like to consider build as branches off the
side. In our example, we've listed possible sites about cooking,
travel, fitness, careers, and pottery.
Feel free to start using colors as you build.
Which colors do you choose? Whichever make sense to you!
Step 6: Create More Branches, Sub-Branches, and Sub-Sub
Branches
After you have the center circle and the first level
of branches, you've reached the heart of the mind mapping
technique.
Let it flow! Try to generate as many ideas
as you can. Don't critique your ideas.
For, now just get them down on paper, no matter how silly or far out
they may seem. You can always come back to refine and edit later.
Step 7: Exhaust Your
Ideas
Be sure to exhaust all of your ideas. Once you
think you've finished, just sit there for another 10 minutes and look
at your mind map and see if anything else comes to mind. It
probably will!
Be sure to get all your ideas out. Once you're there, make any
final adjustments to this version, such as rewriting words you can't
read well because you wrote them in a creative flurry. . .
Step 8: Step Back and Look at Your Mind Map
As you finish and step back and look at your mind
map, adopt a mindset of curiosity and ask yourself these questions:
- What do I notice?
- Where are most of the ideas grouped?
- Which ideas came easily?
- Which were harder to generate?
- How excited am I about this mind map overall?
- How excited am I about specific parts of this mind
map?
By taking a look at your mind map with a curious mind to see what you
notice, you'll gain interesting info for when it comes to put your mind
map to action.
Step 8: Share Your
Mind Map With Someone (Optional)
While this step is not necessary, sharing your
mind map with someone can help you take your mind map technique to the
next level.
Choose someone, of course, who will be helpful, positive, and reinforce
what you're trying to do.
As you talk through it and share it with them, new ideas will surely
emerge.
Step 9: Translating Your Mind Map to Action
Once you've finished with this version
of your mind map, you're ready to harness all the creativity you've
generated.
You could:
- Create an action plan from your mind-map. To do
this, identify priority actions, and sub actions, and then assign
everything a date.
- Use your mind map to make a decision. Pay
particular attention you gained from noticing
your mind map with curiosity. Ask yourself the questions
in Step 7 to help guide your decision.
Or, if want to remain in the creative space a while longer you could:
- Create a new mind map, using one of your sub-branches
as the major theme and take it several levels deeper
Or, use your creativity to figure out next steps!!!
Congratulations. If you've followed all the steps in the mind
mapping technique, I bet you were able to generate a lot of creative
ideas for whatever you're undertaking.
Use mind maps frequently to refine your mind mapping technique. I
usually do my mind maps by hand, but if you want to get fancy check out some software to refine your mind mapping
technique.
Once you get the hang of it, you can use the mind mapping technique
very quickly for just about anything.
Good luck!
Return to Creativity
Exercises
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