The Mind Map™ Method - Michael Jetter
Overview
Mind Mapping™ is a method to gain information, structure and present
it in an easily understandable context.
The available information gets linked with the help of graphical
elements to structure and visualize the coherence of the separate
topics.
The graphical presentation enables you to recognize coherence
immediately and to draw your conclusions. Creativity as well as
productivity are promoted with it.
The Mind Map method was developed by Tony Buzan in the 1970s.
Mind Mapping - the creativity technique *)
Mind Mapping basically is a flexible and creative working technique
which is well fitted to the functions of your brain. You can quickly
recognize the main facts of a case and their cohesion. You posses a
brain of course, but with Mind Mapping you learn to use it the right way
(Vera Birkenbihl). Through this technique you learn to work with both
halves of the brain and support the associative working method of your
mind.
To see clearly, a change of the direction is often enough. (A.
Saint-Exupéry)
Mind Maps offer you the use of oblong format. On the one hand this
responds to the normal lining up of your eyes, on the other hand you
release your mind of old methods and therefore you gain a key to more
creativity.
Words are the most mightiest drug mankind uses. (R. Kipling)
In a standard text 90% of the words are not necessary for recollection.
This means a waste of time while writing, reading and of course during
the search for keywords. The temporal and spatial separation of the
keywords interrupts the link to your mind. Mind Mapping uses the high
associative ability of the brain, because only keywords are taken down.
The keywords should be nouns and written in capital letters, so that you
can recognize them at first glance.
Roam the woods instead of books. (B. von Clairveaux)
A Mind Map responds to the sectional drawing of a tree. The main part is
the trunk and additional to it are several branches. These branches
represent the links in your brain, starting from your main topic, the
main points follow and then the connected thoughts are shown. It is
important to draw the branches coherently and to put the keywords on the
branches. This means that you can understand the whole structure more
easily. The structure keeps your ideas together like a security net.
Grey, dear friend, is all known theory, yet green is life`s golden tree.
(Goethe)
The use of colors stimulates the right half of the brain. You can
structure and enliven Mind Maps through the use of colors in various
ways, e.g. emphasize a hierarchy or different topics or symbols
(red-important-to do...)
Let pictures speak. (China)
Pictures and symbols are the first to be recognized by the brain and
they have the greatest influence on the stimulation of the right brain
half. Therefore you can accumulate and remember the contents of a Mind
Map much better. Pictures and colors are kept much longer in your mind
than simple text and so the ability to create associations is increased.
All learning is simply remembering. (Plato)
Mind Mapping supports your train of thought, which often is not linear
and leaves room for creativity and spontaneous ideas. You don’t have to
structure your ideas in a chronological and logical way, you can use the
open form of notation. So you are free to go on any time you wish at any
point you wish.
You can't teach man. You can only help them to find it in themselves.
(Galileo Galilei)
While working on new topics you either wish to teach or to learn, the
Mind Mapping technique heightens the rate of recollection enormously.
You create your own structure, note down the keywords and show the
connections using the connecting lines. This way you can have all
information from articles or books ready even after quite a long time.
There are but two sins: to wish without acting and to act without
aiming. (A. Rand)
A well structured organization helps you to set a clear aim and to reach
it. You can extend your Mind Map further and depending on how detailed
your project becomes, you can organize subprojects with new Mind Maps.
While using Mind Maps either for your business or your private
organization you have fun and you needn’t work alone - Mind Maps promote
teamwork.
Nothing is more hazardous as an idea, if it’s the only idea you have.
(E. Charier)
Finding and Composing of ideas is easier with the use of the Mind
Mapping technique. It combines the creative chaos of brainstorming with
structured presentation. You are free to jump from one topic to another
and create simultaneously the cohesion with your central topic.
The brain is a fabulous thing. It works from the moment you are born
until the moment you get up to hold a speech. (M. Twain)
Using a Mind Map as a manuscript for a speech you have the most
important points of your speech at first glance. Therefore you are
flexible in your performance, you can hold your speech and if you get
interrupted, you can resume at any part of your performance. Further on
Mind Maps offer a successful and time-saving help of visualization for
your presentation.
MindManager and Mind Mapping are the perfect combination: The proved method of Mind Mapping is linked with state-of-the-art technology.
MindManager supports Mind Mapping on your PC with all the advantages of a
software comparable to using a word processing software and writing a
letter with you own hand. The letter is personal and unique, but the
word processing software supports you with a lot of useful and important
details which make working simpler and more efficient.
And the most important thing: Using MindManager you have your thoughts well
structured and decently presented on a sheet of paper (standard size).
Moreover MindManager offers some useful features like creating an outline
for your documents, a task list or an HTML-page (as a basis for your
website) from just one MindMap.
*) This part is taken from the book ‘Mind Mapping - the creative Working
Technique …’ 1997 © by Margit Hertlein, published by Rowohlt. Mind Maps™
is a registered trademark of the Buzan Organisation Ltd.
Mind Mapping™ is a registered German trademark by Maria Beyer.
