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Does the graph below look familiar?Ī mind map is a visual diagram that connects ideas and information around a main topic or subject.
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It was a picture outside my head of what was inside my head-‘Mind Map’ is the language my brain spoke.” What is Mind MappingĮven if you’re not sure what a mind map is, you’ve probably seen one before. Then to bring in connections, I drew arrows and put in images and codes. “I used to take formal notes in lines of blue, and underline the key words in red, and I needed only the key words and the idea. An educational consultant and author of The Mind Map Book, Buzan commented:
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Mind maps more accurately reflect how the brain works-jumping around between thoughts, ideas, and concepts, instead of thinking linearly from point A to point B.Īlthough the use of visual diagrams to display information dates back centuries, the late Tony Buzan is credited with popularizing Mind Maps, starting in the 1970s. In this article, you’ll learn what mind maps are, when to use them instead of linear notes, how to make one, and whether to go with digital or paper/whiteboard mind mapping to generate ideas and solve problems. It’s what most analytical and rational thinkers use to capture ideas, summarize key points, and outline action steps.īut mind mapping is a more effective note-taking method to connect ideas around a central topic, recall and retain information, activate creative thinking, and see the big picture. Linear note-taking is common in meetings, conferences, lectures, and brainstorming sessions. But making connections in a purely linear way is hard, because the human brain processes information more intuitively and randomly. In standard outlines, you have a main point that is followed by a sub-point and related sub-points. In law practice, it is common to start with linear note-taking or list-making before you move to project implementation and delivery. When doing creative work, you need a reliable system to capture, organize, develop, and connect ideas.
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