Mind Mapping My Way Through Life
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I use mind maps to write, make art, and organize my life.
Freemind, Freeplane, Mindnode Pro, and Mythoughts for Mac are the mind mapping software I use to manage just about anything in my life.
Mind Maps Are Like Idea Banks
Mind maps don't require you to think in straight lines. They're flexible and omnidirectional and perfect for capturing creative but flighty ideas, and they are also perfect for sorting those ideas into categories so you can find them again.
Practical And Creative Mind Mapping
Here are a few ways that I use mind maps to create, organize, and keep track of what I do.
Mind Maps Are Like Idea Banks
Mind maps don't require you to think in straight lines. They're flexible and omnidirectional and perfect for capturing creative but flighty ideas, and they are also perfect for sorting those ideas into categories so you can find them again.
Practical And Creative Mind Mapping
Here are a few ways that I use mind maps to create, organize, and keep track of what I do.
- Writing, including keeping a journal.
- Remembering today's tasks.
- Balancing work and life.
- Planning projects.
- A step by step walk through of any project.
- Prioritizing tasks
- Keeping to-do lists.
- Creating mind map art.
- Keeping a Master Map to keep track of all my maps!
I use three mind mapping applications for writing and planning.
They are free or low cost.
Freemind - Mac, PC, and Linux - FreeFreeplane - Mac or PC - Free
Note: Freeplane is a more actively developed version of Freemind. Currently, they work about the same,but I think Freeplane is more intuitive to use. (But I'm kind of a nerd, so ymmv.) Until there is a huge difference between them, I'll refer to them as Freemind / Freeplane
MindNode Pro - Mac ony - Free version and a low cost Pro version. (If you're very visual and looks matter to you, Pro is totally worth the money.) These two applications are the best I've found for making curvy pretty mind map art.
One is low cost and one is crazy expensive.
MyThoughts For Mac - Mac only - Free trial and low cost versions. The branches are very flexible.This one is a lot of fun but it can't support very large maps. (I contacted the maker and he is going to fix this issue eventually.)
iMindMap - Mac or PC - Crazy Expensive, but there is a free limited time trial version. - This one can do just about anything you can think of.
Honestly, the number of options on this thing is amazing and it can handle fairly large maps too. Unfortunately the branches are difficult to maneuver into really shapely mind map art, and large maps have a tendency to shoot branches off into the wild blue yonder where you have to page up or down or sideways to find them again.
Make A Master Mind Map
Mind maps multiply quickly. Before you're overwhelmed, make a Master Map.
A Master Mind Map helps you keep track of all your maps. Here's how I make one:I start with the largest categories for the main nodes off the center and then branch them into smaller categories until it's down to a single file, then I make the final node into a link to that file.
In this example, the branch on the bottom right is fully extended and the final nodes have been linked to other mind maps. Just a click takes me to each one.
(All the mind map apps. I suggest on this page allow you to easily link to other files.)
Extra Visual Clues For Quick Scanning
You can see in the example above how I separate the categories visually by making the entire branch, including the children branches and text, the same color. (All the mind mappers here let you do that easily, except Freemind and Freeplane.)
To help the visual readability even more, I adjust the size of the text so that it gets smaller towards the end of the branch. That gives me a visual clue to where I am in the map.
I like to add pictures to the main categories too, so my eye can quickly find each by scanning for the associated image.
Finally, I give the map's background a slight tint for another visual clue about which map I'm looking at. This is helpful when there are a lot of open maps on the screen.
MindNode Pro
My favorite software for Master Mind Maps is MindNode Pro. It's a very fast program that can render large maps easily, and it provides a lot of control over how the elements look. MindNode's maps are easy to read and pretty too, which is important to me.
Notes
The only problem with Master Maps is keeping them up to date. Best practice is to add all your new maps after each session. They get out of hand quickly if you don't.
I don't know of any mind map software that creates a Master Map automatically. If I found one that had that feature, plus a full range of other visual options and rendered large maps quickly too, I'd be willing to pay a good price for it!
Writing With Mind Maps
Mind Map Apps. are fantastic for jotting down short thoughts that pop into your mind, and it's easy to rearrange the nodes for better organization too.
Freemind / Freeplane and MindNode Pro are excellent for writing because you can type several lines of text into one node. You can also paste text into the nodes. All of them allow you to set the maximum width for text boxes from the preferences menu, but MindNode Pro lets you re-size the text blocks on the screen and that helps keep the size and arrangement of the map in a workable configuration.
Freemind / Freeplane have a good built in note feature. This image shows Freeplane with the notes window open on the right side of the screen.
MindNode Pro does not have built in notes. The author is going to add that feature in the future, but until then I use text documents and link them to a node.
Freemind / Freeplane and MindNode Pro - why I love one of them but depend on the other.
What I'm writing determines which mind map program I use.
Here's a reason why I use more than one mind mapper app.: Copy and paste. To the right, you can see how Freemind / Freeplane creates a node for each paragraph of the pasted text.
To the left you can see how MindNode Pro handles the same text. It keeps the formatting but puts all the text into one node.
So, if I need to copy a lot of text for a writing project, I use Freemind / Freeplane.
While I love MindNode because it's so darned nice looking, I always find my way back to good 'ol plain but reliable Freemind / Freeplane.
Reminder: Freemind and Freeplane are the same software, but Freeplane has a few new features that Freemind does not.
The World Of Mind Mapping - Resource Links
Because you can't really have too many ways to mind map.
- Wikit
- Mind map wiki.
- Five New Mind Map Examples E-Books Launched | Mind Map Inspiration
- Volumes Four to Eight of the Mind Map Examples E-Book series.
- 6 Life Coaching IQ Matrix Mind Maps Released | IQ Matrix Blog
- Accelerating Your Human Potential
- Alltop - Top Mind Mapping News
- Mind mapping news and headlines from around the web.
- 30+ Mind Mapping Tools
- Here are 30+ mind mapping tools to help you organize your life visually.
- Learn how to draw Mind Maps
- A brief history of mind maps and the basics of how to create and use them.
- Achieve your goals in 2010 Mind Map
- Includes a free Mind Map for goal setting inspiration. (imindmap or pdf)
- List of free mind mapping software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- A good collection of both free and for purchase mind map application websites.
- Hive Five: Five Best Mind Mapping Applications | Lifehacker Australia
- Mind mapping is a great way to add structure to brainstorming sessions and visualise your ideas. Check out the applications your fellow readers use.
- Bookmarks about Mindmapping | Remember It
- Lots of bookmarked mind mapping blogs and websites.
- The Mindmap Blog
- Mind Mapping with MindJet.
- 11 Free Mind Mapping Applications & Web Services - Stepcase Lifehack
- Reviewed mind mapping software and where to find them.
- Mindmapping, concept mapping and information organisation software
- A huge collection of links and articles about mind mapping.
- IQ Matrix | Accelerating Your Human Potential
- Accelerated Learning Life Coaching Mind Maps for Academic, Business, Career, Sports and Life Success
- Mind Map Search
- Mind mapping authority websites by category, with a mind mapping search engine
- Mind mapping software as a lifecycle management tool
- Written by a non-mind mapping author about his distrust of what mind mapping advocates say mind maps can do for you. The replies are much more informative and entertaining than the article, so be sure to scroll down.
- Animate mindmap in powerpoint
- A slide show presentation of how to animate a mind map in PowerPoint. (They do the demonstration with iMindMap.)
- 28 Rich Data Visualization Tools | O'Reilly InsideRIA
- These are not mind maps or concept maps, but if you're visual and like to see information presented that way, this post is worth a look. Very pretty info maps!
- A comprehensive mind map of mind mapping software.
- A huge clickable mind map of commercially available mind mapping software divided into categories such as Mac, Windows, BlackBerry, and iPad.
- MindBerry
- Mind mapping software for Blackberry Smartphones.
- iMindMap Mobile Pro for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store
- This has to be the prettiest mind map mobile app around. The maps can be saved to categories, exported as PDFs, and emailed.
Are you crazy about mind mapping too? Or do you have a unique way of using mind maps that you want to share?
I'd love to hear from you.
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empathzone
Dec 30, 2010 @ 11:50 am | delete
- yes! I have been doing mindmaps for a long time now. It comes very handy. There is one application that apparently takes it to 3D, the brain, but haven´t plaid with it yet. I use freemind mostly. As you can also post it in your website and share the love.
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Mind Map Art
I create these images with mind mapping software.They are generated as I type associated strings of thought into a mind map and then curve, bend, scoot, and finagle the lines into new shapes.
The maps form around the feeling of the words, or the thought strings gather around an abstract shape that pops into my mind. And sometimes, I make the map lines into pretty shapes just because it's fun.
I started to make my mind map art when I felt an intense need to push past the edge of words. I decided to use software generated maps instead of hand drawing them because words come easier to me when I type.
These maps can't always be "read" in a clockwise direction like normal mind maps because they aren't always created from rational thought. When I do intend the words to be read in a certain way, I'll put a written version below the image. The best way to view the other maps is to take them in as a whole and then explore anything that catches your eye.
Creation Cycle
The ebb and flow of creativity as I experience it.
This mind map's shape follows how creativity surges, falls back, branches off, and surges again. The words on each branch tell you where you are in the process. To see a larger map, click on the image.
reflections from the edge
Text module
by crosinski
My name is Carol Rosinski and I'm an artist. I'm also 100% INFP. I share
this personality type, that is both a blessing and a curse, with only
about 1%...
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