How To Use Mind Mapping

When you're researching a subject, note-taking sometimes gets out of hand. You can end up with pages of scribbles, which are often more confusing than helpful!

Making a Mind Map® instead is a great way to organize your thoughts more productively.

Mind Maps are also called spray diagrams, spider diagrams or spidograms, because of how they look.

The name comes from author and educational consultant Tony Buzan, who brought this tool into the mainstream. [1]

Because Mind Maps are two dimensional in structure, they show you the "shape" of the subject, the relative importance of each point, and how the facts relate to each other.

Being able to see all of this on just one sheet of paper helps you review information quickly and efficiently, remember it more effectively, and improve your creative problem solving. Once you've learned how to create Mind Maps, you'll wonder how you ever managed without them!

So how do you draw one? First, write the subject you're exploring in the center of the page, and draw a circle around it. When you think of a major subdivision of the topic, or an important related fact, draw a line out from the circle. Label these lines with subheadings.

As you explore each subdivision, you'll uncover new levels of information. Draw lines out to represent each new fact or topic.

Eventually, you'll have a diagram that shows ideas coming off subject "branches." Some of these may relate to each other. If they do, draw lines between them to show the connections.

To keep your Mind Map clear and easy to read, use single words and simple phrases. You may also find it useful to use colors, symbols or pictures to help you interpret your Map more effectively.

So, if you do any form of research or note-taking, try experimenting with Mind Maps. They'll help you understand how all the components of your topic fit together, and you may make some connections you wouldn't have thought of before.

For more information about Mind Mapping, see the article that accompanies this video.