I had a friend who, during lectures, drew her impression of the topics as a form of note-taking. It could be a single coherent scene, or several disjointed objects. While this may appear strange to some, it just illustrates that there are people who tend to recall ideas better visually, as opposed to plain text outlines. In between these two schools of thought is a method called mind mapping.

Wikipedia defines mind mapping as “a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks or other items linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea.” Many claim that this method is effective in enhancing memory, organizational skills, presentations, planning, and other thought-related activities. If you feel that you need a little help in putting your thoughts to paper, it may well be worth a try. Here are some tips should you choose to do so:

1. Materials. Having the proper tools is essential to achieve optimum results. It’s best to use a large sheet of white paper (about 8”x11”) set on landscape orientation. This provides you with ample horizontal space to write on. You can use as many sheets as you need, pasted together, should one prove insufficient. For easier recall, I suggest you use different colored pens for each branch. Most importantly, bring a relaxed and focused mind before you start.

2. Central idea. Every mind map begins with a core. This contains the central idea around which all other branches should evolve. Arrange these branches of thought in a radial manner to avoid hierarchy, as all ideas here are treated equally. To reinforce this radial nature of mind maps, use thick lines for the branches nearer to the core, and thinner ones as you move out.

3. Visualize. Use pictures whenever possible to associate each node with a strong impression. For example, in financial analysis, you can use graphs, and in planning the concept for your house, you can use icons for the different rooms. If you are going to use keywords, it’s best to summarize the idea into a single word. Write them legibly in print, not in script.

4. Think out-of-the-box. Do not censor yourself when writing down on the mind map. Put as much on paper as ideas flow from you. The editing, if any, can be done later, but don’t interrupt yourself while collecting your thoughts. This may only let valuable pieces of insight escape. Chances are you will be the only one to read it in its raw version, so there’s no reason to aim for perfection.

5. Time pressure. T.S. Eliot once said, “When forced to work within a strict framework the imagination is taxed to its utmost – and will produce its richest ideas.” Set a definite timeframe to finish your mind map. This ensures that you stay focused on the task at hand. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in a matter of minutes.

6. Develop your own style. Now, after you’ve used these techniques several times to create your mind maps, you may opt to keep them or discard them as you wish. Mind mapping is an extremely personal way of communicating with your self (although it can also be used for group brainstorming, with a few modifications). Eventually, you must learn to develop your own techniques which will depend on your needs and preferences. The important thing is not to follow any rules, but to make rules that will work for you.

If using paper seems a bit too old-fashioned, there are several mind mapping software available for you to test. Among these are Mindjet’s MindManager, FreeMind, Pimki, WikkaWiki, and VUE, which are either available as freeware or have a free trial option. Have you used any of these before? How was your experience?