Mindmapping in 8 Easy Steps
Mindmapping is one of the simplest, yet most powerful, tools a person can have in her creativity toolbox. It is a non-linear way of organizing information and a technique that allows you to capture the natural flow of your ideas. Here''s a five minute workshop on how to use this flexible tool. Try it the next time you need to write a memo, prepare a meeting agenda or are trying to get a bird's eye view of a complex project
Step 1: Center First. Our linear, left-brain education system has taught us to start in the upper left-hand corner of a page. However, our mind focuses on the center ... so mindmapping begins with a word or image that symbolizes what you want to think about placed in the middle of the page
Step 2: Lighten Up! Let go of the idea of finding a cure for cancer, ending hunger, solving the problem or writing a report that your boss will love. Mindmapping is simply a brain dumping process that helps stimulate new ideas and connections. Start with an open, playful attitude ... you can always get serious later
Step 3: Free Associate. As ideas emerge, print one or two word descriptions of the ideas on lines branching from the central focus. Allow the ideas to expand outward into branches and sub-branches. Put down all ideas without judgment or evaluation.
Step 4: Think Fast. Your brain works best in 5-7 minute bursts so capture that explosion of ideas as rapidly as possible. Key words, symbols and images provide a mental short-hand to help you record ideas as quickly as possible
Step 5: Break Boundaries. Break through the "8 1/2x 11 mentality" that says you have to write on white, letter-size paper with black ink or pencil. Use ledger paper or easel paper or cover an entire wall with butcher paper ... the bigger the paper, the more ideas you'll have. Use wild colors, fat colored markers, crayons, or skinny felt tipped pens. You haven't lived until you've mindmapped a business report with hot pink and day-glo orange crayons
Step 6: Judge Not. Put everything down that comes to mind even if it is completely unrelated. If you're brainstorming ideas for a report on the status of carrots in Texas and you suddenly remember you need to pick-up your cleaning, put down "cleaning." Otherwise your mind will get stuck like a record in that "cleaning" groove and you'll never generate those great ideas
Step 7: Keep Moving. Keep your hand moving. If ideas slow down, draw empty lines, and watch your brain automatically find ideas to put on them. Or change colors to reenergize your mind. Stand up and mindmap on an easel pad to generate even more energy.
Step 8: Allow Organization. Sometimes you see relationships and connections immediately and you can add sub-branches to a main idea. Sometimes you don't, so you just connect the ideas to the central focus. Organization can always come later; the first requirement is to get the ideas out of your head and onto the paper
Wrapup:
Uses for Mindmapping: organizing information and ideas for reports, memos, letters, novels or poems, "to do" lists, presentations, meetings, brainstorming sessions, managing projects, grocery lists, vacation planning, journalling, note taking ... in other words for anything that deals with people, information or problems! Right now try Mindmapping your ideal vacation. Then, use Mindmapping daily for the next 30 days until it becomes part of your creative thinking tool kit. You'll be amazed at how it will open up your thinking patterns.
Software: There are two excellent mindmapping software packages:
Mindmanager -- www.mindmanager.com
Inspiration -- www.inspiration.com
粗糙译文：
脑图是供人使用的众多创造工具集里最简单有效的工具之一，它组织信息和技巧的非线性方式让你捕捉你的意识流。这里就花5分钟讲讲怎样使用这个复杂的工具。当你下次做备忘、准备会议安排或者对复杂项目进行鸟瞰时，试试它！
·第一步，首先聚中
我们的左脑、线性教育体系令我们习惯从每页的左上方开始。但我们的大脑却聚焦中心···脑图开始于一个词汇或者图画，这样在该页的中部标记你所想思考的。
·第二步，鼓舞
把发现治疗癌症的方法、终结饥饿、解决难题，或者写一个令老板开心的报告等这样的想法提出来。画脑图是一个帮助模拟新思想及其联系的大脑激荡过程。开始于一个开放、游戏的态度，你总能在不久就认真了.
第三步，自由分配
当念头闪现的时候，用一两个词汇写在从焦点引出的分支线上来描述思想。可以把思想扩张到支路和子支路。不用判断和评估的写下所有的思想。
第四步，快速思考
让大脑花5-7分钟尽力去捕捉那些尽可能快而爆发出来的想法，尽可能快的用关键词、标记、图示记录下来以提供心智快捷键
第五步，打破界限
突破你不得不用黑墨水笔和铅笔在书写纸和信纸上书写的“8.5x11智慧”。····用更大得多的纸张，你会拥有更多的点子。用丰富的色彩，多彩的标记···，只有你能用浓粉红色和亮橙色的蜡笔做一个事务报告的脑图了，才能活用它。
第六步，判断否定
写下所有脑子想到的甚至无关的，如果你正在对一个关于德州胡萝卜状况的报告进行头脑风暴，突然记得你应该清除它，写下“清除”字样，否则你的思路会卡死在“清除”的内容上而不能产生其他伟大的点子。
第七步，继续移动
让手移动，如果点子慢下来，画空线条，注意大脑自动和他们相连的点子，或者改换色彩去再激励你的脑子。坚持并在画板上画脑图以产生更多的能量。
第八步，容许组织
有时你能马上看到关系和联系，同时你能给一个主观点增加分支。有时，你不能，这时你仅仅是联系一些点子到中心焦点。总在不久就能组织化，首要的就是把你的思想写到纸上。
总结：
脑图的使用：为报告、备忘、小说、诗歌组织信息和观点，在列表、会议、头脑风暴、管理项目、货单、度假计划、日志、笔记等上“去做”，换句话说，就是处理人们的任何事情，信息或疑问！马上试试为你理想的假期做脑图，然后，用为之后30天做脑图，知道它已经时你的常用思维工具。你会对它展开你的思考模式觉得吃惊。
软件，以下时两个优秀的脑图软件包：
Mindmanager -- www.mindmanager.com
Inspiration -- www.inspiration.com
http://freemind.sf.net/testversions/
