Mindmaps Unleashed

Quick End Of January Update

Arjen — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:51:55 +0000

Are you also looking back already at your good intentions, instead of working on them? I created a small map that can assist you in making sure your good intentions don’t need to be intentions anymore (but really become good habits).

Have a look at it on: via this link

I look forward to seeing your results!

PS: Be sure you let me know how your mindmaps are working for you and what you are missing in working with them. I love to assist you in making your mindmaps work for you.

Do You Mindmap In Public?

Arjen — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:42:51 +0000

Have you ever used a mindmap during a sales pitch? Do you show people you meet for the first time your mindmap? Have you used mindmaps in meetings?

One of the first things people tell me when they learn about mindmaps and mind mapping is that this is something which can be valuable. Still, they would use it for themselves only and not in a group or during a meeting.

I can understand that. You may be a little uncomfortable because you do not completely master the mindmap method… yet.

Fast forward a few week, months or even years. I speak with my successful students and what do many of them tell me about mind mapping in a group? They don’t do it. They are often afraid of what the other person’s response or even thoughts might be.

There is fortunately a cure for this:

DON’T CARE ABOUT THAT!!!

Really… have a look around you. Most people try to do just enough not to step on the other person’s toes. As long as they are in line with everybody else they feel safe.

If there is one thing I learned, it must be that in order to reach your goals, you should not feel bad to step on some toes (as long as you make sure you don’t step on the toes of the people you need ).

When you do that, you will become more successful, guaranteed.

Now back to public mind mapping.

The moment you create a mindmap during a conversation or meeting, people may look at you and don’t understand what you are doing.

I love these moments when I first meet someone and we are talking about working on a project. My mindmap is the ice-breaker in the conversation. It allows me to explain what I do (amongst other things) and give value to the other person at the same time.

A lesson I got from this: sales meetings and sales pitches don’t stay pitches anymore. They become conversations where we create a mindmap together!

What you need to do to make this work: PREPARE. You need to create a mindmap in advance with the outline of the pitch/conversation.

Afterward, you can send the mindmap to the other person (even take a picture with your phone camera) and both of you are up to date.

Take a chance. Mindmap in a public place. You never know how much you benefit!

Enjoy These Last Days Of The Year!

Arjen — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 12:38:59 +0000

Just read this quote on His Holiness the Dalai Lama his twitter page (how cool is that )

You have to start giving first and expect absolutely nothing

I wish you and your loved ones the best holidays and a good ending of the year.

Maybe I write something this week on the website, maybe I won’t. I most likely spend my time doing other things. I hope you enjoy these last days of the year and start the new year the best way possible.

Remember the quote above and practice it this last week and all throughout 2010. I can promise you when you do that, your life will improve a lot, you reduce negativity in and around you, and you become an even better YOU!

Take care and remember to visualize your thoughts, believe me… you will benefit!

What If…

Arjen — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:27:52 +0000

Today I want to write something different you can do with your mind or visual map. Can you do this exercise in a normal linear format (to do list style)? Sure you can! The only difference is that by using a map you will be able to have a neat and clear overview on one sheet that helps your entire brain.

Again, this is not just talking about mapping information. Today we talk about transforming part of yourself.

Many people don’t realize it, most of the time, but they are the ones talking to themselves in a very negative manner.

What if this goes wrong…
What if I lose…
What if I can’t do…
What if I am not able to…

Most people talk and think a lot in negative scenarios.

I would like you to take that graphical format of for example the mindmap and create a WHAT IF… map. This map includes all the good, amazing, inspiring and above all positive things happening to you in 2010.

You could for instance think of these:

What if… My wife can quit her job because I earn enough?
What if… I can go on holiday with my loved ones?
What if… I am able to spend every dinner with my family?
What if… My child wins a trophy in baseball?
What if… I am able to learn Spanish?
What if… I find my dream job?
What if… I can run a marathon?

This list of What Ifs will be shown in the first layer of your overview.

The next thing you do is you write down how realizing this would make you feel. This is done in the second level, next to the What If.

Next you describe what YOU need to do to make that happen. What contributions can you make to achieve that (level 1) situation? For instance, what can you GIVE to others so they may in turn help you?

We live in a very individualistic society. After years of taking, and making ourselves number one, make 2010 a year where you GIVE. Doesn’t the scripture say that you need to give before you can receive? You have to plant before you can harvest.

Think beyond giving and receiving money. Give your time, attention and love to people around you. I am confident you will be able to achieve most, if not all, of the What If… situations you wrote in your map.

I believe creating this map will help you to move forward in 2010.

If you want to see the impact of a map like this, you are of course free to create a map from a negative perspective as well.

What if… I lose my job
What if… We have to sell our house
What if… My car brakes down
What if… Our child gets ill
What if… I have no more money
What if… My computer crashes

Again, write down how that makes you feel in the second level and describe what you can do to prevent this. Also write in your map what you need to do when the situation does occur. What are the most important steps you have to take to respond in that situation?

As you will see, the prevention usually has to do with you taking action and giving to others.

Give at least your best!

When you created these two maps, which one are you most attracted to? What map do you want to start working on, right now?

Most people I met want to work on the positive map.

You should prepare for the worst. However, make sure you prepare once and don’t spend too much time thinking about what can happening. People who worry usually see that over 99% of things they spend energy on for worrying won’t happen.

Start by identifying the worst case scenarios and understand what you can do to prevent and what your role in it may/can/will be.

Once you did that, take that map and put it away.

You only have a limited time every day to move towards your positive What If situations. By making that map you made sure you know what to do when problems occur. Now move forward!

Enjoy this important exercise.

And as always (if you want to move forward):

Don’t just read this and know what it can do for you. Do it and be sure!

Stop Trying Too Hard!

Arjen — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:11:26 +0000

Do you know the 2 things that stop most people from creating and using mindmaps, most of the time? Here they are:

1. Stop trying too hard not to mindmap!
Mind mapping is different from my normal routines and I don’t have the time to change this right now. People are just too busy managing their information. They are overwhelmed already and can’t seem to find a little bit of time to start mind mapping.

I think this is a big catch 22. You don’t have time and mind mapping will be able to give you more time… but you can’t start mind mapping because of lack of time.

Solution: Sometimes you need to have faith and just jump. Millions of people all around the world are mind mapping right now and they enjoy the benefits. They know it works. You probably need to start using the Chinese principle of Wu Wei – effortless action. Things will go much easier when you don’t fight against everything but move in line with them.

You learned about mind mapping because of a reason. Your mind focused on it for a reason. Your mind and unconscious believe this is something that will help you. Why are you fighting it?

2. Stop trying too hard to mindmap!
This is issue number two that people who learned about mind mapping run into. They start to mindmap all of their information, all the time…

This may be a little bit exaggerated… but it isn’t that much, believe me. People start to create that many mindmaps that they are overwhelmed by them! They create many mindmaps each day and lose overview on them. All these mindmaps become small islands of information. The information however is not connected and is not really absorbed into the big picture. Information remains information and is not turned into practical knowledge.

Another thing happening with these mindmaps is that they often are too detailed (many, many sub levels) or just too empty (only one sub level). Both of them are not that useful. The first one should probably be broken into multiple maps. The second map is simply a to-do list and should be used that way.

Solution: Start mind mapping by making only 1 mindmap per day or week. This could be a mindmap that gives you an overview of that period. Add, edit and remove information.

Just see how that helps you. Of course you can also create just one mindmap per area of your life (home, business, study) or big topic (a course in school or a project). My point is: keep it simple. Make one or if you have to a few mindmaps a week. Don’t overdo!

For now: create a map for the upcoming week. What will you do, accomplish, work on and take care of? Put all of that in a map and let your map start to work for you!

Enjoy your weekend!

What Is The Essence?

Arjen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:04:23 +0000

Some people, when they start to create mindmaps, are making mindmaps they may even use later on. Their main activity is usually creating mindmaps.

Do you really think Mr. Tony Buzan had that in mind when he wrote about mind mapping?

I think that is what his books want you to do, create mindmaps. There is no one who can show you how to do this better than Mr. Buzan. He is the creator and driving force behind mind mapping.

For me, mind mapping is a powerful tool for remembering and creativity. This works best when you… well, when you create traditional mindmaps.

However, most people who mindmap are not creating traditional maps. Their maps don’t resemble the maps shown in the books of Mr. Buzan. This could be because they feel awkward using colors, they think they can’t draw (little) pictures, or they just don’t have the time to create maps that overwhelming.

Still, the visual maps (usually not true mindmaps) are working for them. These maps help them to move forward. Why is that?

The maps help them to achieve overview

We all have many thoughts, ideas and lots of other information floating around us and in our head.

The visual map is a tool that helps us to organize this information. It creates clarity. And all of this is done not for the sake of creating a map but to move forward.

That is what we all want. We want to reduce or even eliminate the mental chatter we experience. A mindmap can do that. A visual map will do that and it does that much faster!

A couple of times people asked me to include more mindmaps.

I think mindmaps may clarify the things I write about, but the mindmap is not the essence of this website. You and I are (most likely) not in the business of creating mindmaps – even you people who train others in mind mapping! Let me explain what I mean with this by some examples:

Suppose you are a cab driver. Are you in the business of driving or are you in the business of making sure people reach their destination in time?

Suppose you are a doctor (MD). Are you in the business of wearing a white coat and talking about health or do you help people to become and stay healthy?

Suppose you are a mind mapper. Are you in the business of creating mindmaps or do you use your mindmaps to help you (and others) move forward?

The activity may be the same, the intention is completely different!

The essence of mind mapping is not just following the mindmap rules to create a map, that is merely the activity.

The essence of mind mapping is creating the one overview which creates clarity and helps you move forward. The map could include traditional mindmap features but you should not be limited by those rules.

This website does not focus on the activity of mind mapping or even the mindmap itself. This website is here to make you aware (again) of your visual thinking skills. My interest lies in triggering you to use your visual thinking abilities (by using the mindmap, concept map, summap, idea map, etc.).

The essence of this website is to make you stop with what you are doing for a couple of minutes and to make you think about what you are doing and experiencing. Are you still on track? Did you get lost in the activity? Did you lose focus because of mind and mental chatter? Visual thinking helps you to get back on track.

Mind mapping and visual mapping are the angle. It is my goal to help you move forward using visual thinking.

Today, I would like you to stop a few times and ask yourself this question:

Are you lost in the activity or are you moving forward by what you are doing?

Live a more conscious life (and unleash your maps)!

Show You Are A True Mind Mapper – Review!

Arjen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:18:07 +0000

YES! It is December already. That means it is International Visual Mapping Month.

To give it a good start I would like to ask you somethings first and then give you something.

The Questions
Since you are probably using a mindmap tool, I wonder… how did you know this was the right tool for you?

I had to figure many things out the hard way – downloading, testing, removing (making a mess of my registry…), finding a new tool, etc.

And you know what the ‘best’ thing was? Everybody I asked had their own experiences and best tool… and they were all different…

I couldn’t go to the publishers of the software either. They only had these amazing results on their websites. If I had to believe them, all tools were all super tools (strange, right?).

The one advantage of this quest was that I learned a lot about many tools. I could share my thoughts on them. But… I became one of the people who told others which tool was the best from my perspective.

This could not be right. How could I advise people when I often didn’t really know the person who asked me the question? This could be a problem.

Here is what I did:

The Result
So I waited for someone to create a website dedicated to real reviews, real experiences and real advise on mindmap software tools. I don’t mean a website that gives reviews and lets people respond!

No, I was waiting for someone to create a website that gave other people (like you and me) to respond and share our thoughts on tools, not on reviews. A site where people who are searching for the right tool could find honest reviews.

I waited…

… and waited

The Solution
I got tired of waiting and thought: I can create something dedicated to mind mapping!

I simply open up a part of my website where people can share their opinions in a constructive manner.

And that solution is ready for you.

You can share your real life experiences with other people on mind mapping software, books, training courses and website.

The best thing is: If you feel a product or service needs to be added… let me know and I add it to the website!

You Benefit
First of all, you can learn what other real people think of the products and services listed on the website.

It also shows your fellow mind mappers that you are an experienced mind mapper.

The website is created for mind mapping enthusiasts and filled with thoughts of mind mapping enthusiasts. You share your knowledge on tools and services and everybody benefits.

HINT: The confident creator of a mindmap tool wants to give his future clients a real life perspective on their tool and links to this website

What’s Next
Because of this brand new section to the website, I would like to ask you to review your favorite tool(s). Share your thoughts on software, books and training and spread the word.

The more people share their thoughts the better this resource will be for people in our mind mapping world.