Many books on self-development describe a method that, according to some, dates back to ancient thinkers, and according to others, was discovered more recently: mind mapping. A figurehead is certainly psychologist Tony Buzan. Mind mapping is actually drawing a kind of ‘map’ of things that happen in your head. A useful technique to organize thoughts or stimulate a creative process. Business or private, the possibilities are inexhaustible. A thought that can be very frustrating when you are working on a problem or looking for an idea, creative or otherwise: the solution is somewhere in your head, the thoughts are flying around freely in there, but they come up, whoa! One of the methods you can use to organize your thoughts in a playful way and possibly stimulate your mind to take new paths is mind mapping. A method that, according to some, was invented by a clever thinker from classical antiquity, but according to others (for example himself) more recently, by experts such as Tony Buzan, an English psychologist and writer.
What do you do with it?
What do you do with mind mapping techniques? A lot of. All kinds of mental and thought processes can be controlled with it. There are people who write entire books by first presenting the topics they come up with in a mind map. Others use the method to analyze a multitude of random information from outside, to present it schematically and thus create an overview and insight. And then you have the creative thinkers who create a mind map in which more and more sub-themes are randomly noted around a central theme. And that regardless of whether the subtheme that has arisen in your head is relevant or not. You can freely allow your mind to ’empty’ on paper and then cross out what is not interesting or useful.
Map your ‘mind’
The above already gives a good idea of what a mind map is. Or rather, can be. There are no fixed rules that state that this works and that does not work. There are plenty of books and even courses that can help you get started with mind mapping. But you can make the principle as simple as you want. You can get started with it now.
Example: a new job
Suppose you are thinking about looking for a new job. You just don’t know exactly what you want; all kinds of wishes and desires and practical demands and objections bounce through your head. Should you actually change jobs? What are the pros? What are the cons? Is it necessary? Duration? Annoying? This is where a possible mind mapping process begins. Place a square frame in the center of a large sheet of paper. Write the words new job in it. Now you will capture what is swirling around in your head and map it out to gain overview and completeness. Place demarcated groups of circles or balloons around the square, subdivided into groups of objections and advantages, for example. To help you, you can divide the paper into four segments using imaginary or non-imaginary lines, with each segment containing only a group of words of a certain type. The more objections or advantages you come up with, the more rounds you make.
Limit or expand
You can also make the process less free to improve the clarity of your mind map by determining that you can only mention five or ten of the main objections or advantages. Maybe you also make a series of balloons for the themes of wishes, requirements, or whatever else you find important. If it becomes confusing, simply start a new mind map with, for example, two of the four themes you tried to cover on the old one. Then keep only the central new job square of the old mind map with the other two groups of balloons, and treat the two mind maps and the problems and opportunities shown on them separately.
Mind mapping for meetings and reports
Preparing meetings or writing reports? Mind mapping can also help with this. First, place the main themes one below the other in squares, for example in a logical place such as the left side of the page. If necessary, also use this initial phase to cross out topics that on closer inspection are not so important. Once the main themes of your mind map have been determined, you can place subthemes per theme; so you go from level a to level b. Once you have finished that subgroup, you can determine whether there should be another subgroup at one or more of the levels. For example, you divide the main theme for a meeting, points introduced by the works council (level a) into insufficient coffee machines in the hallway, noisy copier and choice of new works council chairmen (all level b). For that last point of level b, you decide that there should be two sub-themes (level c), namely: proposed candidates and selection procedure. The other points at level b no longer require explanation, so you have finished mapping themes and subthemes.
Mind maps for creative purposes
Perhaps the nicest option of all: mind maps to come up with creative ideas and solutions. You can let yourself go completely with this part and only come to a more serious definition later. Advertisers and other creative people, among others, can enjoy and benefit from this. For example, as an advertiser you want to draw attention to a new type of washing powder, but what is still original? Your mind map may now consist of the craziest associations. For example, around the square of washing powder there will be circles with texts such as washes blacker than ever, washing powder washes better than licorice powder, washing powder, with-such-prices-you-will-have-some-left-in-greenhouse powder, and so on. Check the commercials, and you’ll see that quite a few of the finds seem to point to a similar fanciful procedure…
Mind mapping with the computer
Mind mapping can be done on paper, but also on the computer. You can reinvent the wheel yourself by creating models in Powerpoint, for example, but there is also software that conjures up the most ingenious mind mapping constructions. But whatever technique you choose, mind mapping is a method that helps you get out of your mind what is in it – and visualize it too.
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