How Much Time Do You Need To Spend On Your Mind Map?


by Arjen Ter Hoeve - Date: 2010-09-07 - Word Count: 621 Share This!

Most people encounter difficulties when making mind maps. Many first timers, often will be tempted to give up after only several days of trying this technique. When you are less patient and less persistent you will end up making excuses. These will be something like you do not need to sacrifice your time and energy on something with little relevance in your life...

Whenever you reach this point of desperation, I ask you to stop. Take a step back before doing anything radical. Ask yourself what you might have done wrong. You know that mind mapping can give you a fresh perspective on your information and life. It can truly change your life and make it better. So it is worth a lot to pursue it.

You do not need to rush yourself to perfect the way you map your information. As you can see it is your own personal journey and no one can dictate how much time you should spend on doing it. Make it your own and allow it to work for you.

Benefits of Practical Mind Mapping

The amount of time that should be spent on making a mind map varies from one person to another. Mind mapping is not a one-time deal and you will not master it overnight.

Once you familiarize yourself with the technique you will become more effective and efficient in this. That's when you will see the true beauty of visually mapping out your information. By helping you sort out all the information that flows in your mind, your map maps enables you to devise better ways to achieve your goals.

Do not aim to make a perfect mind map. The reason for this is simple: There is no perfect visual map! Your knowledge on how to efficiently use your map is most important. No need to focus too much on less essential aspects that may lead you astray. That is what I call practical mind mapping.

The Process of Practical Mind Mapping

With practical mind mapping methods you are guaranteed effective results that will truly lead you to success in all facets of your life.

Use the following simple steps:

Determine the purpose of your mind map. Identify what you want to map out and know what you are doing. When creating one, you should always have a clear goal in mind.
Create the basic structure of the map. A clear structure is needed to make full use of your information. An effective structure makes it easier to read and to add to your map. You might even say form follows function!
Organize the information by adding details to the mind map. Properly categorize all the information in your mind map. Indicate the keywords that spontaneously appear on your mind. Carefully relate them to other keywords that will be the basis of the activities you will undertake.
Decide what is important by determining the relationships between pieces of information. Draw lines between important pieces of information. Never hesitate to use colors in emphasizing the importance of these relationships.
Use and update the map as often as needed. Regularly review you map before starting your daily routine. Spend a minute or so to get your thoughts together and do some updating when you find it necessary.
The time you spend on your visual overview is all worth it. Remember this when you reap the success that you only dreamed of before. Mind maps are powerful thinking tools you should use in your daily life.

You can make use of it to plan your future and help you achieve your goals. With just a tiny bit of patience you will surely find, understand and use the essence of it all. You will discover that an effective mind map is the key to arranging your life and give it order.

Related Tags: mind mapping, practical mind mapping, visual overview

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