|
From
TNPC issue #3.11...
Mind Maps - What Makes Them Tick
by Dan Butler
May 25, 2000
Last issue's article on Mind Maps was a resounding success. Many
of you wrote about how you use Mind Maps in your life. Several
TNPCers even shared with me existing Mind Maps that they had
created. It was exciting to see how many people find them useful,
and even more exciting to hear from those just discovering how
useful this method of note taking can be. In this article I'll
share some of my thoughts on Mind Maps in particular and
creativity in general. If you aren't familiar with Mind Maps
check the sample map I created with MindManager and converted to
HTML from last issue:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/311/tr.cgi?maps1
What Mind Maps give you is a visual representation of how you are
storing information on any given topic. Most of us are used to
taking notes of things in a way that represents the structure of
the original material. The traditional notes and outlines we are
all familiar with fall in this category. These notes are still
useful. A combination of both note types usually works best for
me. The real strength of the Mind Map approach comes when you
combine your notes from various sources into one map giving you
an overview of your accumulated knowledge in any topic.
Why did the MindManager software get me so excited? Because the
maps work the same either at the computer or on paper. The
computer-based Mind Map gives you more features and the ability
to dynamically alter the map, but the basic functionality remains
the same. Many of the benefits gained by PIMs (Personal
Information Managers) and the like are lost when you aren't at
your computer, forcing you to access your information in
different ways. This is very frustrating to me. The Mind Map
transcends this limitation and lets you focus on your data rather
than the technique. Each time you look something up on your Mind
Map all of the data is reinforced, increasing your retention.
Electronic organizers carry the promise of making our data
portable. Our esteemed colleague Al Gordon uses a Palm Pilot but
I just can't bring myself to haul around an electronic device
(the only exception being my Minidisk recorder). Besides there is
just something about seeing things in my own handwriting that
makes it personal. So I use handwritten Mind Maps for the most
part and use the MindManager software when I need to share things
with others or quickly convert my map to a Web page or outline
for further development.
Creating maps between different disciplines and exploring the
relationships I find has been very useful to me. For instance I
have many years experience in sleight-of-hand and by profession I
am a Webmaster. Combining thoughts between the two yielded many
parallels that weren't apparent before the exercise. Adding other
interests of mine to the mix has produced a unique body of
knowledge for me to draw upon in my day to day work.
MindManager Mind Mapping software:
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/311/tr.cgi?maps2
You can reach Dan Butler at:
mailto:danbutler@TheNakedPC.com
Copyright © 2000, PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. and Dan Butler.
All Rights Reserved.
The Naked PC is a trademark of PRIME Consulting Group, Inc.
ISSN: 1522-4422
You may reprint an article from TNPC as long as you show the
entire article and include the authors byline, excerpt and
subscription information as shown:
Mind Maps - What Makes Them Tick
by Dan Butler
(This article originally appeared in The Naked PC
newsletter #3.11, subscribe at http://www.TheNakedPC.com)
|
Return to Top