• The purists of this tool follow Tony Buzan, the originator of Mind Mapping.
  • He layed down very specifc rules about how it should be done.
• Since Mind Mapping is usually a very personal thing and often used only by the person doing the Mind Mapping, I suggest modifying the rules to meet your own specific needs.  This is what I have done.

• Lots of things!
  • Problem Solving • Decision Making • Strategic Planning • Process Development • Writing a Speech/Book/Article • Delivering a Speech • Planning a Trip • Making a Sales Template

• Good Question!
  • It originated in the 1970s in England and is very prevalent in other countries.
  • Good News!  It is being taught in many elementary schools in the U.S. now!
    • More companies and individuals are being introduced to the benefits Mind Mapping offers through seminar and practitioners like me.

• Nothing is wrong with doing it that way.
• One of the nice things about using software is that editing and updating are always easy to do.
  The maps can be linked to URLs, documents and other Mind Maps.
• This can be an extremely helpful feature for discovering and documenting the subject being Mind Mapped.
• Mind Maps can go ‘layers deep’ and can hide notes not needed in the ‘big picture’, but helpful for a more detailed explanation.
• Maps, and the diagrams they also produce, can be converted to Word or PDFs and emailed to others.
• Graphics, which add to the value of a map, are part of many Mind Mapping software programs.  Additionally, custom graphics can be imported.
• There are also a number of software Mind Mapping programs that are web based.  This can make collaboration and project management easier.

Why use software do you recommend?

• I use a Mac, so when I started Mind Mapping my choices were limited.  Luckily, I found Inspiration, a software program that is cross platform and has many features that fit my needs.
• My suggestion for software is to Google ‘Mind Mapping Software’.  Most vendors provide a 30 day free trial.  during that period you can evaluate the different features and benefits each offer.
• Chuck Frey’s Mind Mapping Software Blog provides reviews and links to all major products.  His reviews are very helpful, plus he has authored several e-books on the subject of Mind Mapping.
• You might want to take advantage of his newsletter, also.