Mind Map Your Way to Business Brilliance

One of the most important things you can do for your business is to think big. Spending time daydreaming, brainstorming, and mentally expanding your existing ideas is crucial to obtaining huge success.

But be sure to treat your precious thoughts with care by capturing and vitalizing them. Smart talented entrepreneurs are known for having flashes of brilliance that are here one minute and gone the next. The problem is, sometimes it’s difficult to record what you’re thinking in a linear format. Lists and paragraphs sometimes won’t cut it.

If you’re not familiar with something called mind mapping, you’re going to love me for this. According to Wikipedia, a mindmap is

“a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea.”

Basically, this means you draw out a big picture of the ideas that are swirling around in your head. By doing this, you not only record your brilliant thoughts, but also spark connections and generate new ways of perception. It’s a nice, controlled chaos way of seeing what would otherwise remain fleeting and disorganized.

Creative and right-brained types are drawn to mind mapping, as well as left brain types who are looking for new systematic ways to flesh out ideas. Mind maps are useful in summarizing complex concepts or organizing thoughts. They can also be used to visualize concepts, illustrate themes, solve problems, or carefully make decisions. A mind map can contribute to writing more clearly, laying out project plans, or better analyzing the big picture.

Mind maps are organized by colors and shapes. Each component is connected by spokes, with ideas radiating from a central main idea.

You can create your mind map old-fashioned way by drawing freehand with colorful pens on clean white paper, poster board, or a large white board. Or you can use mind-mapping software available online. Popular free options include FreeMind and Mindemeister.

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