Archive for mind map
PERSONAL BRANDING Mind Map/Infograph
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Personal Branding
Let’s start with this premise:
Everyone should consider themselves to be Self-Employed!
There are very few “Lifetime Jobs,” positions taken with a company when you graduate, and retire from thirty or forty years later.
Lifetime Jobs existed generations ago. Those days are gone, and unlikely to return. Today’s reality is we must consistently hone the skills we have, and add new ones to that inventory. The goal is to become, and be recognized, as an EXPERT!
• We like to work with EXPERTS.
• EXPERTS command more money for their products, services, and skills.
Hand-in-glove with being an EXPERT and Self-Employed means we need to promote ourselves.
Personal Branding is one of the main ingredients in this effort.
The above InfoGraph depicts the many ways Self-Promotion/Branding should, and can, be done. These are my Branding Efforts, and the template can be used for yours.
This Mind Map/Infograph, is explained on one of my other websites, HERE
Think you have Too Many Ideas?
You Actually have More!
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Too Many Ideas? Mind Map those Ideas!
Ever have so many things flying around in your brain that you feel over-whelmed and don’t know where to begin?
Ever start listing them and trying to prioritize the list so you do the most important thing first, next most important thing second, etc?
Try Mind Mapping those ideas. Literally and physically you can get them all on one page. Having the ‘view from the air’ will help you see relationships and prioritize all those things that were spinning around in your brain.
One way to work on all this ‘brain stuff’ is to start with ‘Ideas‘ in the middle of your computer screen. (I’m assuming you’re using Mind Mapping software for this, because it makes the process immensely easier.) Use your ‘rapid fire’ function and start ‘popping’ all those ideas onto your screen using the ‘Ideas’ Central Image as your starting point.
Once you’ve got, for the moment, those ideas radiating from the center, you can start prioritizing them. I start at 12:00 and Read More→
Outline vs. Mind Map
Posted by: | CommentsOutline vs. Mind Map
Question: What’s wrong with just doing an outline when working on a project?
Answer: The problem with outlines is that you’re trying to organize thoughts before you develop them.
Our brains don’t think that way.
Test this:
Take a piece of paper and write ‘Project’ at the top.
You pick the project – anything that requires thought and planning.
Examples: Trip, remodel, new product or way to distribute, marketing plan, etc.
Do this as you were taught in school; i.e. Roman Numbers, Capital Letters, Numbers, etc. (I, A, 1. a)
The odds are, that when you get somewhere around III c, you realize that item should be II b (or something like that).
Here, as stated above, we don’t think in linear fashion.
The beauty of Mind Mapping is that we map our main topic (project in this case) then radiating from the center, place all the things that need to be included in this project.
Those topics will have sub-topics, and they can start being mapped at this time.
Adding pictures, symbols and colors to the Mind Map will increase the ideas and solutions.
Only after you’ve put down as many topics and sub-topics as you can think of (and there willbe more!), do you go back and review, edit and prioritize your Mind Mapped project.
One of the nice features of most Mind Mapping software is that you can push a button and convert your map into a diagram (if that’s the way you prefer to use it.)
Some even let you export to Word where you can have the Mind Map and the outline.
I ‘See’ what you mean!
Posted by: | CommentsBecause many people are visual, a Mind Map is a perfect way to let prospects, clients, students and others ‘see’ what you are selling, educating and relating.
Literally and figuratively, people can get the Big ‘Picture’.
If all those you are communicating with are ‘on the same page and see the same thing’, the chances for miscommunication are dramatically lessened. This can save time, money and stress.
Even people who think they are not ‘visual’ learners will benefit from communication like this. (They actually ‘see’ more than they think they do!)
Consider using a Mind Map to show others your message!
I’m not a ‘visual’ person so why use graphics?
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Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a ‘visual’ person, a picture is still, as they say, ‘worth a 1000 words’.
The odds are you are more visual than you think.
For instance, if I say the word “Apple”, in your mind’s eye you don’t see, the letters a-p-p-l-e.
You see a round, reddish item, maybe with a stem coming out of the top.
If you thought about it further, other senses would probably kick in: you’d smell the apple as it were being cut or eaten, you’d feel it’s texture, you’d sense the difference between the skin and the meat and the core with its seeds.
You may even be lead to a childhood memory of smelling, then tasting a freshly baked apple pie!
We think by association. The more senses we can bring into our Mind Maps, the more ideas and solutions will result.
So even you linear thinking engineer types might benefit from placing a graphic or two in your Mind Maps!
Exporting – A Mind Mapping’s Software feature
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Each Mind Mapping software product has their own features and benefits.
One of the features I particularly like is the ability to Export to Word.
Click to Enlarge
I use Inspiration software and, by clicking a button, the graphic mind map and the diagrammed text is placed into a Word document.
Once the map and text is in Word, you can edit the content; adding verbiage and moving around text.
It’s great to be working with a client, and let them know, up front, that when you’re finished Mind Mapping their strategic plan, new product introduction, or any other brain activity, you’ll be able to send them a copy.
The mind map can also be emailed as a PDF and, if they have the same software program you’re using, it can be sent as a file.
Since most mind maps are somewhat organic and subject to change as real life challenges and opportunities are, this ability to constantly revisit and update is a very positive feature of Mind Mapping software.
Links in a Mind Map
Posted by: | CommentsLinks
One of the neat things about Mind Mapping software is that it gives the ability to have links in your map.
You can link:
- websites
- documents
- other mind maps
Develop your own style
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If you look at other people’s Mind Maps, some will make perfect sense and others will make you dizzy!
The hand drawn maps will probably make you more dizzy, but mapping on the computer, while usually more clear, can also be confusing to look at.
The point is this: Develop your own style!
The Mind Maps you make are usually for your use, and your use only.
Don’t spend a lot of time making it ‘neat’ if it’s only for you.
It’s true that revising, editing and ‘cleaning it up’ will reinforce the meaning for you, and make retention easier, but know when to stop.
If the Mind Map is to presented to others, it’s an entirely different story. I’ll discuss this in another blog.
