Mind Mapping

I use mind maps to organize my thoughts and ideas. A mind map is just a way of arranging items with branches off to related items.

I use a spinal bound notebook with blank pages so I can draw them by hand. The problem is once they are written down, I can not re-arrange the branches if a part of the paper gets too crowded. So the solution is to use a software program to electronically re-arrange the branches as the ideas grow. I find that using an application for mind mapping is more flexible and easier to manipulate so I can create and change mind maps as fast as I think.

There are many software options out there; just type “free mind map software” into Google and get 49 million hits…. The tool that I have opted to use is Mind Manager from Mindjet. It’s bit pricey, but highly recomendable. Many users claim that it is the best tool in the market at this time. I am one of them! I’ll be blogging more about Mind Manager and why it is such a great tool.

There is a freeware open source alternative out there which is supposed to be very good: Freemind. I haven’t really tested it, but I’ve recommended it to friends and collegues who wants to see if mind mapping is something to use as a tool before shelling out the bucks, and none of them has complained!