Mind Maps: The Ultimate Visual Thinking Tool for Goal-Setting and Achievement
Mind map for an online course
I am a lover of lists. Always have been. Always will. But often, this is a secondary step to my real love of mind maps.
So, what is a mind map exactly?
Mind maps are a graphical way to get creative and play with ideas and concepts before you get to that list level of detail. It's a visual thinking tool that helps structure information. It helps you better analyse, comprehend, synthesise, recall and generate new ideas. When you really need some clarity on all those ideas in your head, this is a great way to get focused and also a great way to see how everything fits together (or not!) Its power lies in its simplicity.
The start of my 2020 Online Courses
Getting started
When starting out, I normally use graph or dot-ruled paper. I like the structure of the paper, it allows me to be free inside of it. I tend to work in larger sizes when mind mapping, at least A4... but larger sizes are best (A3 or 11x17) as they don't restrict your thought process when you first begin.
List of supplies:
Rhodia graph or dot pads in A4 (8.5 x 11) or A3 (11 x 17). (I love the dot grid notebooks.)
My pen of choice is the Uni-ball roller pen which comes in varied colours so I can have a little fun in the creative process.
If you really want to get creative, then maybe some paints or metallic markers!
Mindmap structure
How does it work?
The simple structure begins with a main idea. Off of each main idea, you may have many sub ideas. Off a sub idea are the details.
I keep these main ideas inside of circles (or any shape really), as they are still quite high level. As you drill down, the finer details will fall off of a sub idea with no shape around them. They are the details that need to happen for that sub idea to come to life and could then take the shape of a to-do list.
Look at the following example of how I started to structure the content for my online course. Brand You! sits in the middle as the main idea, off of that are some important ideas to cover: foundation, vision, healthy you. I keep these ideas in bubbles and decorate them if they feel important or need to stand out in some way. I also connect things together. Sometimes it's one way, sometimes it's both ways.
When sketching out mind maps, a good coffee and a nice morning bun always helps! Allow yourself some time and space to do this exercise. Block out a couple of hours if you can.
What can I use mind maps for?
I use mind maps whenever I create new content, whether it’s setting goals for my business, creating a new class, a course, a workshop, even writing a blog. It’s such an easy and visual way to play with ideas and to see how they connect to each other.
After I’ve got a few ideas down, I then break them down on a micro-scale so I can begin to see what pieces are going to take a long time and which are simple tasks to complete, so I can see real progress.
Then, I begin to schedule them out in my calendar. For example, if I’m teaching a workshop in 2 months, I work backwards to see all the tasks I have to do such as creating a lesson plan, creating an image for social media, writing some copy, etc. I might also want to write a blog post to go along with it, record a video, or I might create some worksheets to go along with the class. When I start to see all of the elements I need to consider to make that workshop a success, then it’s easier to break down into manageable chunks and get them into the diary as tasks to complete and how long the might take.
Watch me blaze through my mind map goals for 2021!
Next time you want to set some goals or create some content, then give mind maps a go. You’ll be surprise how quick and easy it is and how much fun you can have. Try it yourself and let me know in the comments how you got on!
Explore more…
If you enjoyed this post on creative planning, then you’ll love my post on The Art of Bullet Journalling. If you’ve been wanting more clarity, motivation, focus and growth in your life, then a bullet journal is a beautifully creative way to explore personal development. It’s where mindfulness, journalling and wellbeing meet.
