|
Author: Maya Talisman Frost Article source: http://www.searcharticles.net/. Used with author's permission.
I don't take notes anymore. Instead, I create one wildly colorful, creative and inspiring page whenever I need to make a decision, prepare a presentation, or plan an event. That whole two-column plus and minus approach? Gone.
Bring on the Mind Maps!
I read Tony Buzan's first book on Mind Mapping back in the early eighties, but I was too caught up in the old-school world to see how it could be of use to me. I recently rediscovered Mind Mapping and it has become an integral part of the work I do with clients.
Tony Buzan created the Mind Map concept in the early seventies. Based on his brilliant observation that our brains do not process information in a linear way, Mind Mapping allows us to use words, images, and color in an effort to engage the right side of our brains in what is normally considered a left-brain task: organizing information.
We've already learned that one of the keys to maximizing our potential as humans is to forget that whole right-brain/left-brain divide. Instead of seeing ourselves as a logical person OR a creative person, we're both. We've simply chosen to put more energy into developing skills associated with the analytical left or the daydreaming right. We must recognize that there's a fine line separating analysis from daydreams and that in order to have a fully integrated brain, we need to do both.
We speak in a linear pattern. We can say only one word at a time, and we can hear only one word at a time. Similarly, we read in a linear pattern-words flow in lines across the page.
So when it came time to organize notes and teach the proper form for creating outlines, it's easy to see why we turned to the tried and true linear approach. You know the format: Roman numeral one (I) followed by A, B and C, followed by 1, 2 and 3. We look for things to slot into each line in order to make it fit properly.
In school, we spent hours preparing these outlines for book reports, speeches, and term papers. In our work as adults, we do the same thing with agendas, meeting minutes, and project plans. Orderly lines of information. Black ink on white pages. Empty spaces.
Boring, boring, boring--and not the best way to use our brains.
Along comes Buzan, who says that we would be much better off if we allowed our right brains to get in on the game. So, instead of creating typical linear outlines, Buzan insisted on becoming radiant. He developed the concept of putting your central idea right in the center of the page. Your main points then radiate outward from the center. Each one of these points sprouts its own branches and twigs. He referred to this star-like pattern of ideas as Radiant Thinking.
The beauty of this is that you can see everything on one page. No time wasted sorting through pages. No need to flip through your notes to see your next point or find your conclusion--it's all right there in front of you. No need for extra notes. No energy spent on rewrites.
He didn't stop there. Buzan understood that color is a strong factor in helping us remember, so he encourages us to use different colors for each of the radiant thoughts and sub-thoughts. Instead of using only words, incorporate little line drawings and images to make connections between thoughts.
This is the way our brains work naturally. We don't picture the word B-O-X when we picture a box. Instead, our brains conjure the image. We don't always go from thought A to thought B to thought C. We're just as likely to start with A, then head over to E, skip back to A and then saunter over to R. Our neural pathways look like webs, not straight lines. In fact, the more criss- crossed our connections, the more we're able to synthesize complex ideas and come up with new ways to use old information.
Mind Maps give us an excuse to play. They give us a reason to keep a whole set of colored pens right on our desk for everyone to see. Mind maps allow our thuggish left brains to make friends with our timid rights. For once, there's harmony on the playground!
Use a Mind Map for your next planning session, and watch the reaction. Raised eyebrows give way to smirks, which dissolve into delighted grins. Linear notes become circular masterpieces. Black and white becomes a rainbow. Words become pictures. Workers become creative. Work becomes the joyful collaborative experience it is meant to be.
Grab your markers and become radiant. Your brain is waiting to play! About The Author
Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 90 countries. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, visit http://massageyourmind.com
maya@massageyourmind.com
Tips For Buying A Treadmill
Tips for buying a treadmill start with taking a good hard look at yourself. Achieving your goal of fitness means tips for buying treadmills should begin with 'b...
Bill Gates: Why He is the Richest Man in the World
Small business is the wave of the future. Home office's are becoming second nature. Find out why and how you can achieve working from home success!
Next Day Flower Delivery
In some cases, you need flowers delivered on short notice but not necessarily the same day. Many companies offer next day flower delivery and are often happy to...
Wheres the Best Place to Put Google Adsense Ads?
Google's own AdSense experts say that that there is a direct correlation between the placement of the AdSense ads and the resulting clickthrough.
Where to Find the Best Price on an Elliptical?
If you are shopping for your own elliptical trainer, chances are your first question is "Where can I find the best price?" While you will certainly be able to ...
Setting Your Online Business Up for Success!
There is a common misconception that an "online business" requires no investment...that you can make money online without spending any...
SBIR - A Nice Add-on Business
Learn about the Small Business Innovative Research Program and how it can add revenue to your business and help fund your research or innovative technology.
Depression Series (Part 2): My Antidepressant Doesn’t Work - What Can My Psychiatrist Do?
Maria has been increasingly depressed for the past few years. She has tried at least four newer antidepressants but so far, she doesn't seem to respond. Unable ...
Is Online Dating Safe? 7 Safety Tips For Online and Offline Dating
Online dating usually makes people more cautious about who they choose to date and in this day and age that can't be a bad thing!
Finding Time To Exercise After Pregnancy
If exercise is so obviously the answer to losing weight after childbirth, then why aren't more women doing it? The answer isn't as tricky as you may think.
Calcium Supplement - The Importance of Taking One
It seems that few people realize how important calcium is to their body, but if you consider the fact that it's needed for healthy bones, that in itself is a st...
SEO Hints and Tips and Free SEO Tools
Here are some quick guidelines to increase your search engine position, to do search engine optimization, and some tools that are available for free download to...
How To Lose Weight Without Having To Starve Yourself
I am somebody who has had an ongoing battle with my weight for most of my life. I have to be very careful what I eat as I seem to gain weight very easily. I hav...
DC Lawyers; Have I Got a Case for You?
This is no time for the Black community to sue the CSX Railroad which is a conglomeration of merged companies and the Southern Pacific Railroad Co, which did re...
How to Get E-zine Subscribers From In-Person Events
While I run my business completely online, I really enjoy attending in-person events and seminars here in Los Angeles and around the country. I'm sure you find ...
A Guide to Baby Scales
When baby arrives early or has medical problems, health care providers turn to the Medela Baby Weigh Scale for measuring breast milk intake. The baby is weighed...
The TRUTH About How to Lose Weight
The huge companies stealing your money by promising impossible results if you just drink their shake, take their pill, or do 10 minutes of exercise on their wiz...
Frankie The French Fry Hatches A Plan
A humorous anecdote excerpted from an upcoming children's book on the plot by manufacturers to addict the general public to sugar, salt and fat. Funny, provoca...
How to Bond a Business Relationship
Bonding a business relationship does not mean the exchange of cash, it means trust, integrity, and honesty. This article discusses ways you can cement the busin...
Dining Out Guide for the Health Conscious Eater
Did you know the average restaurant meal has over 1,000 calories? That's enough to blow any healthy eating plan. Fortunately, by following a few simple guidelin...
Learning How to Play Poker Online
Poker is not entirely a game of luck, but rather a game of skill and how you can take the cards you are dealt and make them win. This requires knowledge of odds...
How To Keep Your Cat Healthy - Your Guide to Cat Diseases and Conditions, and How to Cure Them
Even with the best care, cats can become ill. Sometimes this means a simple "kitty cold," at other times the disease might have a more lasting or even fatal res...
Feng Shui Interprets Opposites and Extremes
The Tai Chi, or Yin-Yang Symbol, is well-known in popular culture to represents the law of opposites, starting with solar and lunar energies. In the Taoist phil...
Sabbatical from Work? Start Here!
Many people envy academics who take sabbaticals. What they don't realize is that sabbaticals are not designed as time on the beach. You are supposed to use your...
|
Print this page