Building your First Mind Map

Building that first Mind Map can be both a daunting as well as an exciting experience.  Let me try and assist you build your first Mind Map.

I use Buzan's iMindmap as the software tool to help build Mind Maps. These are the closest I have come to, for an application, that follows the Buzan Techniques.  Click on the tab below to load it into your system and if possible buy it.

The starting point of a Mind Map is the Central Idea.  This is the most important element of the Mind Map.

In this example I am building a Mindmap on, say, buying a Computer. This is the central image and I have used the software to pull out the central image.

The next step is to identify the key areas that you will look at, while planning a purchase of a computer. These are some of the elements that I think of -

• Features - the things that I want in my computer (Hardware features, Laptop or Desktop, 1GB or 4 GB of Memory etc.
• Brands - what are the brands I want to consider
• Financial's - What is the amount I will pay for this? How much can I afford
• Applications - What are the applications I need in my machine
• Where will I buy it? - Dealers, online

This is not an exhaustive list- and you might be able to think of a few more.

Similarly build more and more connections to the mindmap by following the rules of Mindmapping -

• Plain background (A4 paper in landscape if you use paper)
• Lines (connected)
• Colours
• 1 Keyword per line
• Pictures (I have not included anything on this at present)-as I am on a brainstorming mode

 

Happy Mindmapping. Feel free to drop me a mail at hajas_99@hotmail.com if you need any clarifications.

Again, my recommendations for the software is the iMindmap Software. Click on the link below if you would like to use it.

 

5 Minute Guide to a Super Memory for Numbers

There used to be a time, when I would need to look at my business card to tell people my mobile number. Especially when I had a new number.  Forget about trying to remember someone else's number. It used to be frustrating! Seeing those TV ads where you had supermen who could rattle numbers off by just looking at them once, made me feel truly inadequate at times. 

Realization then dawned upon me that there was no short cut to this. That started me on the quest to find the best way to address this.

Here is a 5 minute guide for you to use- to move up the ladder in all walks of life. Numbers are the most critical element of success.

So, how do we remember numbers... 

By converting the numbers to words that we can create ASSOCIATIONS with. (More on that in a separate post).  Remember my earlier article/post where I had mentioned that it was important to create a Story, that was colourful, and the brain would remember it better than anything else?  Using the same logic, create stories by converting numbers to words- and then build a story around it.

Step 1: Remember the following phonetic sounds for each number

1 - t, d, th 
2 - n
3 - m
4 - r
5 - L
6 - j
7 - k,g,c-Kite, girl, cat
8 - Ph, f, v
9 - P, b
0 - Z

It is worth the effort to remember these phonetics for each of the numbers.

E.g you had to remember a number 9997

Break it into 99, 97

99 is a word that has 2 P's or b's.  Think if a PUB. p=9, b=9
97 is a word that has p (9) and K(7). Think of PEAK p=9, k=7

Build a story around it - imagine your PUB on the PEAK of the world.

PUB PEAK = 99 97

This can be used in many innovative ways to become more and more stronger at remembering numbers. 

Improve your life! Remember numbers.

This is yet another example of Tony Buzan's tricks to use your brain power better.

I strongly recommend reading the books highlighted here- and join the people who Mind Map - the best way to build your memory. More on that later.

Tony Buzan Books- Collection of the best Buzan books online

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had feedback that people are keen to understand which are some of the best books on Mind Maps. I for one am a ardent fan of Tony Buzan- and I found the best way to do it- a link to Amazon- that lists out the best books on Mindmaps. I have read most of them- and I absolutely think this is the best collection of books you can read through. Click on the link below to get a better view of these books. 

Enjoy.

 

5 Simple Steps to a SUPER MEMORY using Mindmaps

 

"Yes, John- Let me call up .... uh, I can't remember his name"... !

" My wife asked me to pick up some items at the super market- but for the world of me, I can't remember what she said!".

Sounds common? It is. Most of us go through this situation day in and day out.  And most of us, don't do anything about it.  Why?

That is because we have been brought up this way.  Memorize stuff!  Dull, boring stuff. The brain cannot keep it in because it is - yeah- boring!!! 

The brain & the studies being done around it- has led to one simple conclusion- and there is not debate about that.  The Brain is COMPLEX.  And to be successful, we have to keep it in a super working condition.  How?

This confounded a lot of people till Tony Buzan came up in the world scene.  And based on his studies, the hypothesis was simple.  So simple, that most people don't even think it is possible!

The Brain is made up of 2 parts - the Left which is your Logical Portion- which takes care of Numbers, sequence, logic, words, lines, lists, analysis etc.  The Right side of the brain is the more creative portion- which accounts for Rhythm, colour, shapes, imagination etc. 

Right from school, our teachers, our parents teach us 1 thing - Stop dreaming and start doing!!  We are forced to use the left more and more!  As a result we end up without a balance.

Step 1: Use Both sides of your brain - All geniuses, who have created new things, written poems, have all been people who use both sides of the brain!  This is the first step towards improving your memory! Start forcing yourself to think in Non sequential manner!  How? more on that later.

Step 2: Start thinking colour (or color for our American friends).  Do you remember things from your past - very happy occassions where you can visualize the dress you wore, you can "see" things in its original colours!  The brain remembers Colour. Leverage that power! 

Step 3 - Start thinking Pictures - Create pictures - colourful ones, ridiculous in their logic, things that you would not dare tell anyone else- but so completely delightful, that your brain enjoys itself. 

Step 4: Start creating "Links" or chains!  Do you have these birthday game where a number of items are dropped off a box for you to look at and then covered again.  You are expected to write down what you remember.  Most people dont remember more than 5-6 things!  By linking things up- using a Story for example- can help people connect things together!  Use both sides of your brain- and create completely absurd, illogical, colourful stories with pictures - and try to play this game again!  You will be surprised! 

Step 5: Learn the basics of Mindmapping - Mindmap is a tool that Buzan introduced- on how the brain works & stores information.  It is a way of working the way the brain works and create a mindmap that uses, colours, links, pictures etc..  It will change the way you will look at the world- the way you work, the way you read, the way you remember!  It has been proved time and again- and I want to introduce these 2 elements for you to consider.

Read this book- which is by far the best book to introduce the concept of Mindmaps.

If you are Computer user like me- then please use this link to check on this site - and buy the best mindmap software that is approved by the Guru himself.

Buzan Mindmap Memory
"Buzan Mindmap Memory"
[Buzan Mindmap Memory]