I was once a committed outliner. I had an outline for everything. That’s how I survived law school. I thought that was the way my brain worked.
Over the past few years, however, I’ve increasingly gravitated to mind mapping software. Last week, as I do many weeks, I mapped out the plan for a week of posts to this blog.
It is, for me, a perfect tool for brainstorming. I’ve used it with a projector at meetings to put down the notes of a brainstorming session. Some people use it for their to-do list. plan their week, draft an article or brief, or to plan a strategy for a case. You could do a mind map on how to use mind maps.
You can use it alone, with others on your team or with a client.
It’s a great way to get the stuff in you brain out where you and others can see it and build on it.
When I start seeing my ideas on page it stimulates me. I can brainstorm with myself and really flesh out my ideas (some have said that a light drizzle is the closest I’ve come to a brain “storm”).
Personally, I’ve been using Mindjet MindManager for several years and I know the commands so I’ll probably stick with it for awhile. If you’re new to mind mapping or willing to check it out, there are some new, free tools that you use over the web. Explore mindmeister and bubbl.us. They both look good and will give you a quick feel for how mind mapping might help you.
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