The best programs for creating mind maps. Coggle - service for creating mind maps online Mind map business project

Bekhterev S. An excerpt from the book "Mind Management: Solving Business Problems Using Mind Maps"
Publishing house "Alpina Publishers"

Tony Buzan remembered Newton, Einstein, who at school were interrupted from two to three, and asked important questions: “Do we know how to study? Are we using our brain correctly? Having applied his method in practice, the author decided that it can be effectively used in any intellectual activity, and especially in business. After all, what is business, if not the ability to quickly collect from different sources and analyze information (about competitors, customer needs, suppliers, market, prices, trends, forecasts, etc.), to take on its basis a quick and the right decision and then ensure its implementation? Thus, the book "Work with your head" was born. In it, Buzan popularly described the mind map method. He based it on the basic principles of the human brain, explained that we use our biological computer called "brain" inefficiently, and suggested a way to increase this efficiency.

Mind maps have been successfully used in many areas of intellectual work. With the spread of computers, the first programs for their construction began to appear. in electronic format, which opened up additional opportunities for corporate applications and solving business problems. The creative abilities of people who used this method began to open up more strongly, which inevitably increased their effectiveness. Mind maps have become the main tool for completing tasks for many workers intellectual labor, including now in Russia.

Rules for building mind maps

The most convenient way to explain the rules for constructing mind maps is with the help of ... the mind map itself (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Rules for constructing mind maps

Let us comment on the presented rules in more detail.

1. The main thing!

1.1. Start from the center. In the center is the main idea, the purpose of building a mind map. Start with main idea- and you will have new ideas how to supplement it.

1.2. Read clockwise, starting from the top right corner. Information is read in a circle, starting from the center of the map and continuing from the upper right corner and then clockwise. This rule is accepted for reading all mind maps. If you specify a different sequence, indicate the order of reading in ordinal numbers.

1.3. Use different colors! The colors we choose always make more sense than they might seem. We perceive color instantly, but it takes time to perceive text. Different colors can be perceived differently and have different meanings in different cultures and for different people. More on this below.

1.4. Experiment always! During his practice, the author has seen many mind maps. And each of these cards had its own unique individual style. Since the thinking of each person is unique, the map as a result of thinking also turns out to be unique and unrepeatable. Do not be afraid to experiment, try, search and find the best ways of presenting information that are most suitable for you.

2. Central image

One of the key concepts in the creation of mind maps, without which it is impossible to create key associations from which the mind map will be built. The central image should be the brightest object for you, because it will be your center of attention, the main goal of creating a mind map. To do this, set the task as clearly as possible, use the most “catchy” colors and drawings that inspire you at the moment when creating the central image.

3. Decorate!

Draw! If you are in doubt whether to draw or not, then the choice is obvious - draw! The visual image is remembered for a long time, perceived with maximum speed, forms great amount associations. Our brain is designed in such a way that we almost instantly have a visual association with any word. Here is the first association and draw. As a rule, then, in order to perceive information from the mind map, you will not even need to read what is written there - it will be enough to go over the drawings, and the necessary information will immediately pop up in your head.

Color in! Each color has its own meaning, and often it is very individual for each person. The meaning of a particular color for an individual depends on factors such as personal preferences, previous experience, cultural influences. In different cultures, the same color can have completely different designations. For example, in Russia black is considered the color of mourning, while in Japan it is white. Depending on the value attached to the color, it is possible to significantly simplify and speed up the perception of information. It takes a moment to understand the prohibitory color of a traffic light. In the same way, you can read information from a mind map if you understand the meanings of the colors that are used in it. You can come up with your own designations or use the author's interpretation below.

Use keywords! There should be few of them so that they do not add up to a complete sentence. As you will see below, information presented in the form of keywords that are visually related to each other makes the brain work as quickly as possible. When you read only keywords, you get a feeling of incompleteness, which causes many new associations that continue the mind map.

If you are mapping by hand, use block letters, as handwritten text takes much longer to digest than normal typed text.

Refer all emerging new associations to further branches of the map or enter them in comments around map objects (topics), which, when written on paper, are convenient to do on stickers.

Link thoughts! The use of connecting branches helps our brain with maximum speed structure information and create a holistic image.

Use no more than 7 ± 2 branches from each object, and preferably no more than 5-7, since even a tired person can easily perceive such a card.

Color	Meaning	Perception speed
Red color	The fastest perceived color. Focuses maximum attention. Informs about danger, problems that may arise if you do not pay attention to it
Blue colour	Strict, business color. Adjusts for efficient continuous operation. Well received by most people
Green color	The color of freedom. Relaxing, soothing color. Positively perceived by most people. But its meaning is highly dependent on the shades (“energetic emerald” of the eye or “green melancholy” in Soviet-type hospitals)
Yellow	The color of energy, the color of leadership. A very annoying color, which is impossible not to pay attention to.
Brown color	The color of the earth, the warmest color. The color of reliability, strength, stability, confidence
Orange color	Very bright, provocative color. The color of enthusiasm, innovation, excitement, energy, dynamics. Great for attracting attention
Blue	The color of tenderness, the color of romance. Great background color. In English, there is no separate word for this color (blue is understood as both blue and cyan). In Russia, this color usually means freedom of movement: to the sea, to the sky, to a dream.
Black color	Strict, limiting color. Ideal for writing text, creating borders

Show the connections of the main topic using a line, thickening it at the base and gradually narrowing it at the subordinate topic.

If topics from neighboring branches are related to each other, connect them with arrows.

Use grouping to indicate single-meaning groups.

Sometimes you will feel that you need to add two more branches, for example, but you will not be able to formulate their name. In this case, it is recommended to draw branches and leave them empty. At this point, you will have an incomplete action, and the brain will become over-motivated to fill in these branches and come up with the necessary ideas.

Try building your first mind map by completing the first lesson.

When the technology of mind maps was created, convenient personal computers were not yet in mass use, and the first maps were built manually using plain paper, colored pencils and felt-tip pens.

The author of this book has repeatedly met people who generally do not recognize the creation of mind maps using computer programs and build all their maps on paper. And the author himself, although the laptop has long become a part of the body for him, also sometimes rolls up his sleeves with pleasure, takes large sheets of paper, pencils, felt-tip pens, stickers, adhesive tape and begins to draw.

Because this method has its wonderful advantages (as well as disadvantages).

The drawn mind maps are characterized by a reformulated Murphy's law: "A mind map always takes exactly as much space as it is given, and a little more." The author was convinced more than once of the validity of this law when sheets of A1 and even A0 format were completely filled out.

Therefore, you will need:

• clean white sheets, preferably at least A3 format. The A4 format may simply not be enough for the rampage of your associations;
• colored felt-tip pens, colored pencils are better, as they can be erased with an eraser, so you can correct and see the train of thought. The more colors the better;
• eraser;
• stickers, preferably in different colors and sizes;
• scotch. If one sheet of paper is not enough for you, you can attach another one to it.

It is best to place the sheet horizontally. If the sheet is large, you can immediately attach it to the wall with adhesive tape.

Below is an example of building a mind map “Great summer vacation for the whole family”, where you can see how such an urgent task was solved.

Alexey Bashkeev, Head of Analytics, Incore Media

After I got acquainted with the method of mind maps at the training, I began to apply it in all areas of my life. Below is an example of a map drawn by our family to solve such an important task as a great summer vacation for the whole family.

First we drew the central image. Then each of us wrote down 10 recreation options on stickers, one for each sticker. After that, we placed them on the map, connected them to each other, and we got the result shown below (see Fig. 2).

Surprisingly, all the options received seem quite obvious, but the decision is easier to make when you see them arranged in a clear structure.

We hung this card in our kitchen and over the summer tried the best of the listed options. Now we have compiled a similar mind map for winter holidays!

Rice. 1.2. The results of the family brainstorming “Great summer vacation for the whole family?”

As you can see, drawings are very important in hand-drawn mind maps. This greatly simplifies the memorization and perception of information, since the drawings are remembered for a long time.

Often at trainings we are told: “But we can’t draw!” You have to constantly prove that this is not true. What did you do in your life before: drew a little man or wrote the first number? Painted the sun or wrote a word? Fortunately, learning to draw is much easier than learning to write. We can draw! It's just that over time we stop using this great opportunity to record information. Let's remember and learn again!

You will have a visual association for each word almost immediately. Draw exactly this association! Because then, remembering the visual symbol, your consciousness will easily get the word associated with it from the unconscious.

Mind maps have gained popularity in many developed countries. But why does this technology work this way? Why is this way of presenting information so effective? On what principles of the human brain is this technology based? It is based on two principles of the human brain.

Principle one. Left and right hemisphere thinking

The technology of mind maps was originally based on the principle that the right hemisphere perceives information according to different laws than the left. The difference in the work of the hemispheres is shown in Fig. 3.

At one time, Tony Buzan rightly noted that most of the information is presented in the form of numbers and letters, convenient for perception by the left hemisphere (it is enough to recall the linear representation of information Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, Lotus Notes are office applications that most office workers work with).

Rice. 3. Hemispheres of the brain and the "division" of labor between them 1

The mind map method allows you to present information in such a way that it can be simultaneously perceived by both the left and right hemispheres.

Thanks to the use of colors, patterns and spatial relationships, any information begins to be perceived, analyzed and memorized much faster and more efficiently than with its usual linear representation in the form of numbers and letters. Thus, humanity was able to use to the maximum the huge reserves of the right hemisphere.

Do we use the creative possibilities of the right hemisphere in our ordinary life? Yes. Of course yes. And all without exception.

Imagine the following situation. You are trying to explain to your interlocutor something rather complex or information-intensive (the concept of a new project, launching a product on the market, the strategy of a new direction, the structure of a new book or article, the current state of business processes, etc.), and this cannot be done in any way on words, and next to it is a pen and a sheet of paper. What will you do? 100% of those to whom the author asked this question answered unequivocally: "Let's start drawing." And often without even imagining what will be drawn in the end, we just start drawing. Why? Because in many situations, this step allows you to find a common language much faster and convey the right thoughts. For example, often the result of such an explanation is circuits like the one shown in Fig. four.

Or here's another question: what do you do when you are talking on the phone on some unpleasant or difficult topic, and next to you is the same pen with a sheet of paper? Most answer: "Well, we draw something." But why? After all, the one with whom we are talking does not see us. The answer is simple. We draw in order to connect the creative zones of the right hemisphere of the brain to thinking through the best answer options and thereby involve a larger volume of the cerebral cortex, which will increase the number of options responses and increase their originality.

How many exact postal addresses can you remember where you have ever been, for example, st. Profsoyuznaya, 33, apt. 147? None of the participants in our trainings could name more than 10 addresses. And how many addresses can you remember visually, where you have ever been in order to get there if necessary (for example, turn left here behind the temple, then right at the fork and in the courtyard there is a third entrance, a polished black door)? The number of such addresses is impossible to count, and once most people find themselves in a place where they have once been, they will immediately remember how and where to get out of there. This example also shows how the left hemisphere (physical memory of addresses) and the right hemisphere (spatial memory) work.

Around us there are a huge number of examples in which the cerebral cortex of our right hemisphere works.

Rice. 4. A typical diagram obtained during spontaneous drawing to explain complex information-intensive questions 1

1. Traffic light

Perhaps this is one of the most striking examples of visualization. Do you know why red is chosen as a prohibitive color? Because our brain perceives it faster than any other. And the green color is perceived longer than other colors, which is very important before crossing the road: there will be time to think carefully and look around. That is why we, being in nature among green trees, relax. Green color "slows down" our attention. A modern innovation in traffic lights has been the use of special signs showing that you need to go or stand.

By the way, imagine if the traffic lights had simple inscriptions instead of flowers:

And all these inscriptions would be lit in one color, for example, blue. How would you navigate? The majority answered this question - in order of order: the upper signal is on - stop, the lower one is on - go. You see, even here we are bringing the faster right brain into play.

2.Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is a favorite mail organizer for many users, including due to its advanced visualization capabilities, which are significantly less in its closest competitors: Lotus Notes, The Bat, Thunderbird, etc.

For example, it takes a few seconds for an employee of a company to view the consolidated calendars of consultants to understand who is doing what and what are the free zones for scheduling a meeting. It is enough to know that according to corporate standard When using Outlook, off-site meetings are colored orange, rigidly scheduled in-office meetings are blue, and budgeted tasks that do not have rigid start and finish boundaries are colored green. Knowing this, you can look at Fig. 5, it’s very quick to understand that one employee has three field meetings scheduled for November 11, and he will only be at the office at 17.00, but he already has an internal meeting with the sales department scheduled for this time. You can also quickly understand that his colleague has two budgeted tasks planned, and on November 11 he can safely appoint a consultation or training.

Rice. 5. Visualization in Outlook Calendar 2007

Rice. 6. Normal non-visualized Outlook 2007 Calendar

Looking at this master calendar, you can quickly understand that it is unlikely that it will be possible to gather consultants all together on November 11 and that you need to look for another day for this.

Look at fig. 6. Can you come to the same conclusions with the same speed if you analyze a non-visualized Calendar?

3. Cockpit

Pilots experience a huge information load. In the cockpit there is a huge number of different instruments, the performance of which must be controlled. Additional stress causes the price of any mistake, because the pilots are responsible not only for their lives.

Correct visualization of the control panel is of key importance: the pilot must quickly analyze all incoming information (Fig. 7).

Note that today's cockpits don't have as many repetitive sensors as older models, which mostly use the analytical left hemisphere. In modern cockpits, LCD monitors display color coding of key controls and instruments, electronic display systems and integrated systems are used to the maximum. Information system alarms that display on the displays flight and navigation information about the state of the power plant and general aircraft systems. Previously, all this had to be imagined by a multitude of monotonous dark devices, as in the figure above (information taken from www.ifc.com)!

Rice. 7. The cockpit of the outdated TU-154 (top) and the modern IL-96 (bottom)

4. General battle map

Imagine this picture: at the headquarters of the army, the generals stand at the wall, on which information about all the armies is applied only with the help of numbers and letters: coordinates and description (number of units, condition) of tank, air force, infantry, artillery, support units, such the same information about the enemy according to intelligence, fresh information about the allied forces. No map, no spatial layout, just coordinate numbers and description letters. It's hard to imagine, right?

It is easy to guess how valuable every second is in order to have time to analyze all the information, develop a strategy and make a final decision on the method of attack.

It is not surprising that the military have been using diagrams, maps, symbols of divisions, detachments and armies, their own and others, since ancient times. Otherwise, it would be impossible to process huge regularly incoming information flows with coordinates, new information about losses, retreats and attacks, and even more so to quickly coordinate actions with each other (Fig. 8).

Rice. 8. Map of the general battle. Development of a strategy by the army headquarters

The second principle. Associative thinking

Have you ever thought about the meaning of the word "think"? We often call someone smart, but what does that mean? What is the deep essence of this amazing Russian word?

A smart person is a person who is able to build in his head the right images based on the incoming information, that is, identical to the images of the author of the information, the narrator, etc. (at a lecture, while reading a book, article, letter, business negotiations, etc.). And vice versa, we call a person slow-witted, to put it mildly (or dumb, to put it mildly), if he understands the information not the way we would like, or does not understand it at all (although the problem may be in the inconvenient format of the information itself).

I recall an anecdote about teachers of higher mathematics and experimental physics.

Colleague, how can you be in good location spirit after this group? There are some stupid people there!

Is it? And in my opinion, very capable, even brilliant students. Especially when you stop telling them and start showing them...

Any incoming information must first form an image in our head. Once we understand something, we form an image in our head and remember information much easier and for a much longer period. Information that has not been transformed into images is “empty” information that does not make any sense and is easily forgotten (remember cramming in school).

Alexander Romanovich Luria, a well-known Soviet psychologist and physiologist, noted that “the basis of verbal memory is always the process of recoding the reported material, associated with the process of abstraction from irrelevant details and generalization of the central points of information ...”

Rice. 9. How verbal information is perceived1

Natalya Petrovna Bekhtereva, an outstanding domestic scientist, called the process of understanding information schemes: It turns out that it is possible to state events simply, to present them in the form of a scheme, and even to predict something based on it. In order to understand how images are formed in our head, it is enough to see the features of information storage in our brain. To do this, let's look at an enlarged picture of the structure of our brain (Fig. 10).

As you know, our brain consists of approximately 1,000,000,000,000 cells, which are called neurons. Their number does not increase throughout life, but may decrease under the influence of severe stress, alcohol intoxication, trauma and other adverse factors. But if the number of neurons has not increased since the birth of a person, then where is all the incoming information stored and processed?

Rice. 10. An illustration showing the interconnections of neurons. The drawing is simplified a thousand times and corresponds to a microscopic part of the brain tissue

Each neuron is connected with others by a huge number of branch connections that are formed throughout a person's life. The more intense the informational life of a person, the greater the number of such connections between brain cells. This number changes throughout a person's life. Moreover, the more intense his intellectual life, the more such connections are created, the more developed the human brain and, accordingly, the person himself.

All information that is distributed in the brain is associatively transmitted between neurons at the speed of an electric current, and the greater the number of such connections, the more capable the brain is of perceiving new information.

When we take in information while reading a book or listening to a lecture, all of the many neural connections in our brain are activated to help us form an image. As soon as we form an image, we understand the information. It is difficult for us to read a book or perceive someone's story if, on the basis of the information received, it is not possible to quickly build images. Or we may simply not have enough previous experience and training (that is, the number of connections between neurons) to understand new information. It is extremely difficult to understand something at a seminar on financial management (no matter how talented the teacher is), if you do not know how to count, multiply, divide ...

PERCEPTION AND MEMORY THROUGH IMAGE REPRESENTATIONS

Remember how at school we learned by heart a lot of words, sentences and definitions, without understanding their meaning. But what is verbal memory and does it exist at all? Here is the definition of verbal memory given by the psychologist Luria (to whose work Tony Buzan especially refers): “When receiving verbal information, a person memorizes words least of all, trying to retain the textual impression that has come down to him.”

To demonstrate what verbal memory is, try memorizing the following 10 words:

night-forest-house-window-cat-table-pie-ringing-needle-fire.

Difficult, isn't it? Let's complicate the task. Now try to memorize the whole story.

“At night in the forest, a cat climbed into the house through the window, jumped on the table, ate a pie, but broke the plate, which caused a ringing. He felt that the fragment had stuck into his paw like a needle, and he felt pain in his paw, as if from fire.

Oddly enough, there were more words, and it became easier to remember them. Why? Because we have translated the language of words into the language of images and impressions, which is more understandable to our brain and much easier to perceive.

Now it becomes clear why we cannot think linearly, especially in incomprehensible situations. Our thoughts “jump” from one to another, and in the next moment of time, quite unexpectedly for us, we are already thinking about something else.

For example, when we think about something, we have a lot of associations in our head related to this topic. We start thinking about how to spend New Year, and a whole fountain of ideas immediately appears in our head: “Buy more cognac! Organize more contests! Think about where to store drunks. How to get everyone to the place? Whom to choose as the leader? But how can you keep it all in your head?!” - and we automatically reach for a pen and paper and begin to write everything down in order to somehow structure everything and not lose valuable thoughts.

The principle of associative thinking is that our brain, by virtue of its structure, works with information associatively, and not linearly. At the same time, images are created in our head, thanks to which we understand the information.

Based on this principle, Tony Buzan proposed to record information not linearly, as is customary in most cases, but associatively (radiantly), connecting thoughts with each other in space, rightly assuming that such a form would be the most convenient for perception, since the brain needs will spend a minimum of work on creating an image, that is, understanding the information.

Information presented in the form of mind maps is perceived faster, more efficiently, remembered faster and for a longer period, as this corresponds to the natural associative nature of our thinking. It's just the way our brains are wired.

So, according to the two principles outlined above, any information is perceived by us in the form of images that are formed on the basis of the information received. And the more volume of the cerebral cortex we use in the perception and analysis of information, the faster we can build the desired image, that is, understand the information.

Mind management technologies are built on these features of the brain.

Mind management algorithm

The mind map is one of better ways increasing the efficiency of intellectual work, that is, the creation of intellectual products. What is an intellectual product?

Intellectual products include writing texts, implementing any projects, training, analysis, goal setting for the quarter, year, life, personal development, solving problems and non-standard tasks, strategic planning etc. etc. In fact, all knowledge workers are engaged in the creation of intellectual products. What is often the problem?

In the course of consulting practice, we have repeatedly seen how the natural laws of intellectual work are violated, when they first do it, in the process of doing it they invent it, and after they do it, they exclaim: “And most importantly, we forgot!”

The creation of any intellectual product (writing a book, preparing a presentation, developing a strategy, and even planning and fulfilling a dream) most effectively occurs in five stages, each of which has its own clear goal, which, most likely, you know at least intuitively. I called these stages the mind management algorithm.

1. The birth of an idea

At what time do you usually get brilliant ideas related to work? Most of the people we ask this question usually answer something along the lines of: “In the shower. On holiday. During sleep". Familiar, right? BUT best ideas related to personal life, for some reason, come at work.

The birth of an idea is perhaps the most mysterious stage. You never know when it will emerge from the bowels of the unconscious. When this moment comes, it seems that a brilliant insight will remain with us forever and we will not forget it ... But no. It is worth suddenly ringing the phone or barking at the dog, as an agonizing, painfully familiar thought appears: “Oh, what was it that I was thinking about so brilliantly ?! About something bold and new...” And it’s not always possible to remember, right?

Take care of your ideas, remember the basic principle of time management (the principle of materialization) - write it down! Don't foolishly waste brilliant ideas that could change your life. The first piece of advice that Vladimir Mayakovsky gave to aspiring writers is to buy a notebook, always have it with you and write down all the observations that can then form the basis of the plot.

2. Brainstorming - creating chaos for the mind map

So, when the idea is successfully caught, we face the task of developing an intellectual product. For example, write an article on a new topic. What do most people do in this case? Naturally! take Blank sheet paper or open Word and start writing. Rather, try to write. Since you constantly have to stop, look for the necessary thoughts in the associative chaos and drive away the superfluous ones (although they would fit in the next section!). Here it is, the associative nature of thinking!

It turns out that we are trying to do two jobs at the same time: write a specific part of the text and continue to think about others, which contradicts the associative nature of our thinking and, naturally, reduces the efficiency of work. It is necessary to concentrate on one task, and at the moment when we have useful thoughts swarming, it is necessary to catch them all as quickly as possible, because it is not known when they will appear next.

The main task at this stage is to conduct a brainstorming session, the purpose of which is to write down all the associative ideas that have appeared related to the created intellectual product. If you have a chaos of useful and interesting thoughts, you yourself can determine the moment when you need to start organizing them.

3. Mind Mapping / Analysis

It is impossible to put things in order in a completely empty room, just as it is impossible to create the structure of an intellectual product without having a chaos of thoughts associated with it in front of you. This is proved by the very practical method of limited chaos proposed by Gleb Arkhangelsky in the book Time Drive.

At the structuring stage, the main goal is to understand the logic, that is, to form an image of an intellectual product, which is achieved through structuring, for example, in the form of a mind map. Do you know the pleasant feeling when you suddenly understand how to respond to an unpleasant letter received a few days ago, or understand where you want to go on vacation. This happens when the brain has processed the information it has received and has come up with the most appropriate solution for you.

The same thing, only much faster, happens when you structure (best in the form of a mind map) the results of a brainstorming session, for example, on writing an article. At one fine moment, there is an understanding of what this article will be, that is, its image is formed. You clearly see the structure, you know where to write what and what data and pictures to place, you understand what information the reader will take from the article and how he will perceive it in general.

At the moment of reaching an understanding of the formation of the image of the future intellectual product, you can proceed to action.

4. Action

If you have successfully completed the first three stages, having achieved the goal of each of them, then the process of implementing your plans will be carried out with maximum efficiency. The chaos of thoughts ordered into the structure will no longer interfere with you, and you will be able to concentrate all your attention on achieving the goal. And if some other necessary thought comes to you, missed at the stage of brainstorming, then you can easily enter it into your structure. Mind maps allow you to do this with maximum speed.

In the action phase, the main goal is to carry out the plan according to the structure you have created.

5. Result

A natural consequence of achieving the goals of the first four stages is getting a result. It does not always meet our expectations at the first stage, but this is the beauty of intellectual products: if you follow the natural logic of their creation, that is, the mind management algorithm, then the result usually exceeds all expectations.

Let's see how such an urgent task for many Russian managers as the restoration of vital resources was solved with the help of the mind management algorithm.

Natalia Sosnovskaya, project manager of one of the major telecommunications companies

Understanding that you need to manage your life resources and force yourself to rest properly has always been, of course. “You need to rest”, “you don’t look good” - you can often hear from colleagues and friends. But for some reason, no one tells you how to restore it correctly vital energy, effectively spending the time allotted for rest The situation became clear at the time management training, when we got to the topic of managing life resources, and everything turned out to be very simple: in order to effectively restore energy, you need to force yourself to rest properly, restoring physical, emotional and intellectual strength. The regularity of recovery should occur in accordance with the rhythms of human life - daily, weekly and annually. Moreover, with an inefficient recovery of forces today, you can greatly lose in the efficiency of work tomorrow. The same is true for weekly and yearly rest. It would seem that everything is clear, but there is no answer to the question: what exactly needs to be done in order to restore one's strength and acquire new ones? The idea of ​​the problem is there. There is motivation to solve it. There is no solution.

And here the answer of the business coach followed: “Classes that restore your physical, emotional and intellectual resources, you must come up with for yourself. What works for one person may not work for another."

Brainstorming was conducted to identify such activities. The group was divided into three subgroups, each of which had to find the maximum number of ways for the daily, weekly and annual restoration of vital resources.

Each participant was given 10 stickers, on each of which it was necessary to write one way to restore vital resources. After everyone completed the task, it was possible to structure the received ideas and analyze the information.

Taking sheets of A1 format, the participants of their subgroups began to combine the received thoughts. The sticker with the idea was attached to a similar area if it was already marked on the flipchart sheet, and if not, then it was created new area(Fig. 11).

We saw before us many different ways to restore resources annually, from which everyone chose the one that was right for him.

After we had an overview of the possible ways to restore vital resources and realized that this, too, can and should be planned, it remains to proceed to the most difficult thing - to force ourselves to do something.

Due to the fact that bright mind maps constantly attract attention, I had to regularly ask myself the question “What am I doing from what is written there?”. And the more I asked myself this question, the more I forced myself to act! And slowly the result began to appear ...

Rice. 11. Results of the grouping of the results of the brainstorming "Annual restoration of vital resources"

As soon as I began to consciously plan to restore my life resources, I noticed interesting feature: my body releases much more energy for the performance of tasks, if I know that they will be followed by guaranteed, pre-planned energy recovery. And the more interesting the rest is planned, the more energy is released, the more tasks can be completed!

Rice. 12. Mind map for daily resource recovery

Definition of mind management

So, our intellectual activity is subject to the following clear working principles.

• We cannot operate simultaneously with more than 7±2 information objects.
• Any thought can be immediately lost and forced out by another, not always more important and priority thought.
• We underutilize the capacity of our brain to perceive grouped and related information that contains semantic colors, pictures, diagrams, typical connections.
• Information is perceived the better, the larger the volume of the cerebral cortex is connected to its perception.
• Our brain thinks associatively, building a relationship of thoughts and a logical structure (based on our and only our logic or experience) from the information received, after which we form an understanding of the information, that is, an image appears.
• In order to quickly achieve the result of the conceived intellectual product, you must first collect all thoughts, structure them in order to understand what exactly needs to be done to achieve the result.

The ability to properly structure information is becoming a necessary skill in the modern world, since 90% of the information an ordinary office worker now receives in electronic form, the amount of which doubles every few years.

And since the majority of electronic information is received and processed through such common office programs as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point, Lotus Notes, etc., which mainly involve the perception of the left (analytical) hemisphere, then for most modern office workers characteristic is the picture shown in Fig. 13.

Rice. 13. Linear information flows attacking an office worker

In the absence of the necessary structuring skills, information received in electronic form is one of the main time sinks, and the role of the ability of a modern employee to quickly process electronic information, analyze it and make decisions based on it is one of the key to increasing the efficiency of his work.

You can acquire such skills and learn how to use modern technologies using the huge resources of our brain with the help of discoveries in the field of mind management (Fig. 14).

Mind management is a technology for presenting information flows in a form that requires minimal time and psychophysiological resources for search, analysis and understanding.

Rice. 14. Mind management. Information flow management

At one of the trainings in a consulting company, at the beginning of the financial crisis, a very actual problem- how to reduce costs during the crisis?

During a 10-minute brainstorming and subsequent structuring of the ideas received, a visual mind map was obtained with a lot of interesting workable options (Fig. 15).

We analyzed each of the received options for adequacy, canceling some, accepting others and planning the next actions on the third. According to the client, after two months, with the help of specific actions on the created mind map, they managed to reduce costs by more than 20% - here you have the result.

A frighteningly large number of ideas pop into our minds when we begin to think about such large-scale tasks and problems as “cost reduction”. If you grab the first ideas that come across and start acting, you can hardly achieve the desired result. But if you clearly follow the steps of the mind management algorithm and form an image of the problem, then the result will not be long in coming!

Rice. 15. Mind map "How to reduce costs in an era of crisis"
(Click on the picture to enlarge)

Buzan T. and B., Superthinking. Minsk: Potpourri, 2003. - P. 11.

Cit. Quoted from: Buzan, T. and B. Superthinking. Minsk: Potpourri, 2003. - P. 31.

Cit. by: Luria A.R. Lectures on General Psychology. SPb.: Peter, 2007. - S. 211.

Arkhangelsky G. Time Drive: How to manage to live and work. Moscow: Mann, Ivanov i Ferber, 2005.

Mind cards. What do mind maps look like? What it is. Scope of application of mind maps. How to make a mind map. Rules for compiling mind maps.

What are mind maps?

This amazing and fascinating tool came into vogue and into mass use not so long ago. The author-inventor of mind maps is Tony Buzan, a well-known figure in the field of the psychology of learning and the development of intelligence.

What are they?

A mind map is a special kind of recording materials in the form radiant structure, that is, a structure emanating from the center to the edges, gradually branching into smaller parts. Mind maps can replace traditional text, tables, graphs and charts.

Why is a record in the form of a mind map more convenient and useful?

It's all about the way we think. Our thinking is NOT organized like text, linearly. It has just such a structure: branching, each concept in our head is connected with other concepts, these other concepts are connected with third ones, and so on ad infinitum.

This organization of the material is called multidimensional, radiant. It is this structure that most organically reflects our real thinking.

Similarly, at the physical level, neurons in our brain are connected: each neuron entangles a network of dendrites of other neurons, we can move from one neuron along the chains of connections to another neuron.
On the contrary, one has to wonder how a person can work and think linearly? After all, our brain is completely not designed for this.

mind maps- best reflects our real multidimensional radiant thinking. That is why it is more convenient to use than regular text. Mind maps allow you to better display the structure of the material, semantic and hierarchical relationships, show what relationships exist between the components.

Due to their structure, mind maps allow you to reveal your intellectual potential. And this is achieved through proper organization and through the work of both hemispheres of the brain. Indeed, in such a branching structure, both the right and left hemispheres of the brain work.

A short video on how the mind map is connected to our thinking

Mind maps have one more wonderful effect. Due to its extensibility and adaptability for radiant thinking, the creation of mind maps contributes to the development flow of associations, thoughts, ideas.

As a rule, those who switch to using mind maps begin to notice how many ideas are formed in the course of their presentation, often there is not even enough meta for all ideas originally allocated.

That is why in our information age, the use of mind maps in various areas of life is becoming so relevant.

Quick video: Benefits of mind maps

How can mind maps be used?

They can be used almost everywhere, in different areas of life. Namely:

• Mind cards in action

  • create a shared vision for the project
  • create work plans
  • plan events, budget
  • prepare a presentation plan
  • to make decisions
  • have a brainstorm
  • generate ideas
  • create motivation
  • write goals
  • prepare a negotiation plan
  • organize thoughts and ideas

• Mind maps in educational activities

  • write from books and by ear
  • create plans for writing articles, books, essays, diplomas
  • take exams
  • structure any material, which allows you to understand the essence, the author’s thought, sort out difficult material
  • memorize the content. Mind maps are much easier to remember than any textual material.
  • write a series of interrelated hypotheses

• Mind cards in everyday life

  • use in structuring everyday tasks, household chores
  • describe the advantages and disadvantages of planned purchases and acquisitions
  • create your personal family tree
  • describe the structure of the celebration or other event
  • plan your vacation

Mind map from T. Buzan's book "Superthinking"

Creation: how to make a mind map?

Unfortunately, not everyone understands how to draw up a mind map correctly. After all, it is often because of errors in its compilation and misunderstanding of the principles of its construction that we make only a rough sketch. But it turns out that the inaccuracies made affect the perception of this mind map so much that it seems to us inoperative, meaningless.

So let's look at the basic rules. Algorithm, how to make a mind map:

1. Take an unlined sheet of paper, place it landscape, i.e. horizontally. It is this arrangement that is most comfortable for depicting a radiant structure when compiling mind maps.
2. Take several colored pencils, felt-tip pens, at least three or four colors. The use of colors allows you to divide information into blocks or rank by importance. All this facilitates the perception of information, improves the quality of memorization by preserving the visual image and actively connecting the right hemisphere.
3. Write large and voluminous in the very center of the main theme. It is advisable to use large letters, as well as depict the main idea of ​​the map schematically or in a picture. Drawings and graphics even more connect the resources of the right hemisphere, which contributes to quick memorization compiled mind map
4. From the center do multiple branches, label each of them keyword. The branches located around the central theme will be the largest, then as they branch, the branches will decrease. Such a division will visually indicate the hierarchy and relationships in the mind map.
5. Keep branching big ideas into smaller ones for as long as you need to. Each concept has associative links with other concepts. Include the process of associative thinking. Then your card will begin to grow rapidly.

“Mental map… Esoteric again?” - I thought, when I read this title for the first time more than six months ago. Then I delved into it, tried to draw my plans for the week in this format. It turned out surprisingly easy and interesting.
Here I could write that since then I began to use the cards constantly, but this is not so. I forgot about them. And I remembered only in August, when I was planning a trip on vacation. That's what came out of it.

What are mind maps

Several months have passed since the first meeting with the cards. I planned my time: the Pomodoro timer rang, the Eisenhower matrix worked, the calendar was replenished with tasks and painted in different colors. But there was a feeling that there is some other cool method, but I can’t remember it.

And suddenly, having accidentally stumbled upon an overview of mind-mapping services, I realized what tool I was missing. The puzzle took shape and away we go - a map for going to the store, for planning life goals, for work. Maps, maps, maps... They were blue and colorful, in mindmaps and on landscape sheets. Now the euphoria has subsided, and I use them more soberly. I'll tell you how and when.

Mind cards and me

These gizmos are effective where you need to sketch out a general vision of the situation and detail it in stages. With the help of maps, my colleagues compose semantic cores, design a site map, conduct marketing research, generate ideas, prepare for presentations, organize events, plan a budget, and simply make a to-do list for the week.

Where can I use the cards

1. Work with information (presentations, speeches)

What am I doing
With the help of maps I collect information, sort it. What I know about the subject: properties, disadvantages, features, use - all this easily fits into the mind map scheme.

What should you do
Replace a boring lecture with a simple presentation and you'll grab your audience's attention. Replace with an interesting presentation - you will also win the respect of the audience.

2. Learning and memorization

What am I doing
The same as in the previous paragraph: I highlight the main question, put it on the shelves. A huge plus of the cards is that you can finish drawing the branches if a new idea suddenly comes to mind. Therefore, I always draw with a margin. I don’t have much friendship with services yet, I prefer a snow-white sheet and colored felt-tip pens.

What should you do
Create notes of lectures or books, write various texts (term papers, dissertations, articles), analyze the text. You can use detailed maps (1 map-1 question), you can write down the main schemes.
By the way, most of you have seen the similarity of mind maps in textbooks - these are flowcharts of the main questions of the course.

3. Brainstorm.

What am I doing
I come up with ideas (what to give for the holiday), solve problems (where to find time for classes) - this is how cards help with brainstorming. I can draw maps alone or with colleagues, in any case it is effective.

What should you do
Brainstorming cards are drawn as usual. In the center - the problem, large branches - solutions, small - features or consequences. If you need to generate ideas, then the topic will be in the center, and the ideas themselves are large branches.

4. Decision making.

What am I doing
I am a logician to the core. Intuitive solutions are not my forte. And here I have differences with Tony Buzan, the founder of the mind map method. It is believed that drawing, the use of symbols stimulate creative thinking, which means that the brain is tuned to find an effective and non-standard way out of the situation (I do not argue with that). And at such moments, intuition turns on and we make a decision based on it (here's the hitch).
Therefore, I simply write the problem in the center of the sheet, I designate everything with branches of the 2nd level possible solutions, and branches of the 3rd level - the consequences of these decisions.

What should you do
You write down the problem and twist it from all sides, in parallel writing down everything that comes to mind. Arranged thoughts - saw the solution. Whoever finds it easier to operate with facts and figures writes them on branches. And whoever relies on intuition will bet on the associativity of cards.

5. Planning.

Plan work and personal projects, budget or time.

What am I doing
First, on the map, I wrote down all the books that I want to read. Then from the book I singled out the form in which I will assimilate the material (summary, summaries). And I created a similar goal on SmartProgress .
And then such a fat lack of maps came out - it is difficult to tie them to deadlines. On the Gantt chart, for example, it is clearly visible which event and when should take place, the temporal relationship of events is visible. And on the mind map, you can only sign the deadline by which you need to complete the task. In SmartProgress, you can set intermediate deadlines, there are reminders of deadlines. So these two tools work well together.

What should you do
In the center of the sheet, indicate the goal, for example, "hold a wedding anniversary." And then write associations. Choosing a venue, guest list, menu, budget, program - these are the key lines of your mind map. From each large beam, several more small beams depart, specifying who and how you will invite, what elements of the program will be, and who is responsible for them.

Why is this form beneficial?

Any incoming information must first be formed into an image. Then it will be remembered much easier and for a longer period. The role of maps is ordering, systematization, visual presentation of information. It doesn't matter if you are planning an anniversary or organizing team work on a project, you can fit all the main data on one large sheet.

The more volume of the cerebral cortex is connected to the perception of information, the better it is remembered. The brain does not think linearly, but associatively, so for most people, mind maps are a suitable tool for planning or working with large amounts of data.

Pros and cons of mind maps

I already wrote about the shortcomings - there is no interconnection with the timing.

And now about the merits.

The brain first focuses on the key areas of the project. This helps you prioritize.
All the main and auxiliary stages of the project are clearly visible. Contradictions, hindrances, overlays are also noticeable.
It is convenient to mark already passed paths.
It is easy to supplement the project by drawing new branches.
It is possible to place heterogeneous elements on the maps: megabytes coexist friendly with the number of people.

What if you use mind mapping to plan your goals? Combined with Smart Progress turns out to be quite effective. The main directions are determined on the map, and discipline occurs with the help of the service.

How to build maps

Map Drawing Principles

In the center of the sheet or a little higher, draw a central image (idea, goal, problem). Take branches of the first level (sub-ideas) from it, with associations or key concepts that slightly reveal the central image. From the branches of the 1st level, take the branches of the 2nd level. If necessary, add level 3 branches.

12 Map Drawing Tips

1. Include figurative, creative thinking and associativity. This helps the brain to approach the problem from different angles and look for an unusual but effective solution.
2. Use different branch colors to separate areas of work. If this is a map with tasks for employees, mark the branches with a specific color for each project participant. Flowers should be no more than 8, so as not to get confused. The most high speed perception of red, yellow and orange colors. The lowest is in brown, blue and green.
3. The number of branches of 2 and subsequent levels should not be more than 5-7.
4. The map represents a way of thinking, so don't try to standardize it.
5. Exaggerated examples are better remembered. So feel free to draw unusual pictures.
6. Freehand drawing stimulates thinking. Despite various convenient services, do not neglect white paper and felt-tip pens.
7. Make images vivid and memorable so that they evoke emotions. This will help the brain work in the right direction.
8. Organize the structure according to the hierarchy: important concepts are closer to the center, details are further. You can number the branches if necessary.
9. Less words, more drawings. If there are several words, then write them in one line so that the eye does not make unnecessary movements.
10. Create your own symbols. Lightning is fast, eye is control, light bulb is important.
11. Lines of the first level draw thicker to see the importance of actions. The length of the line is equal to the length of the word. Change the size of the letters to emphasize the importance of the branch.
12. Delimit branches by circling them in blocks, connect with arrows to show the relationship.

Services for mind maps

If you do not like to draw by hand (and in vain!), Then choose paid or free programs for drawing maps on your computer. They differ in design, ways to export images, the ability to connect To-do List, compatibility with platforms.
I use the MindMeister online service. It is combined with Meistertask (scheduler). Plus, you can connect paid PRO-packages. The data is stored on the cloud, so I can load maps from any laptop. Bright, many opportunities for creativity, intuitive to operate. There are templates, I don’t know how anyone, I still have enough.

Psychologists believe that it is best to draw by hand, activating creative thinking as much as possible, then you will think and solve problems much more efficiently. And the modern rhythm of life offers to use any service you like. Well, it's up to you. But mind maps are a really cool tool, I recommend it.

Due to the specifics of my work, I constantly monitor the emergence and development of tools like the construction methodology. Naturally, I also follow the software that implements the methods. It seemed to me that I knew all these programs. But iMind Map really surprised me. Firstly, because I didn’t notice the elephant. Secondly, because the program is much better than analogues in terms of stimulating thinking.

However, it is not surprising - the program was made and is under the patronage of the founder of this technique, Tony Byuzan. Until now, I have used the most advanced and popular solution - Mind Manager from Mindjet. I continue to use it when I need to create a structure. But if I need to find a solution or think, iMind Map is exactly what I need. What is so special about this program?

The methodology for constructing mind maps is based on the visualization and structuring of thinking. So, how the map looks is crucial. Any mind map is a tree. A tree has a trunk and branches extending from it. The further away from the trunk, the thinner the branches become - this simple visualization principle allows you to display the train of thought in the correct order.

Each branch is a separate direction or thought that you develop. The thinner the section of the branch, the more new, fresh or detailed it is in relation to the main idea.

By default, all main branches of the tree have different colors. This is also important and allows you to separate one thought and the course of its development from another, while maintaining overall structure. The color and shape of the branches can be changed at will.

In principle, it is very convenient to work with branches. They can be dragged, stretched, you can change their shape. Two drawing modes determine how the branch will be drawn: automatically or freehand. Drawing by hand, you can give the branch any shape. In addition, you can even change the drawing of the branch itself. For example, make it in the form of a road or an arrow. The visualization of a branch is the visualization of a thought.

Branches can also be of two types: simple (linear) and in the form of a rectangle. In the first version, the text is located on the branch itself. In the second case, the text is inside the rectangle. Representing a branch as a rectangle is very handy for displaying key thoughts and comments.

The branches can be connected to each other, for this there are separate arrows.

Images can be used to enhance visualization. They can be placed on the branch itself, assigned as the base point of the branch, or simply placed anywhere. In addition to pictures, branches can be marked with icons, the choice of which is very large in iMind Map. By the way, in addition to adding files with pictures, you can sketch an image and immediately add it to the map. Just an invaluable feature for brainstorming.

The cool thing about iMind Map is that you can add flowcharts directly to your mind map. I really miss this in the same MindManager. Each element of the circuit can be connected to any element of the entire map.

The automatic tidying function works very well. One click and the card gets optimal view in terms of display and placement of elements. So don't worry about mess when working with the map.

Separately, it is worth talking about the ways of presenting the map.

Project type

Like many other mind mapping software, iMind Map allows you to convert branches into tasks. And the whole map is a single project. In order to make it more convenient to work with the map from the point of view of project management, a separate view. AT this case the branches of the map are presented as a list with due dates, duration, and percentage of completion.

By the way, iMind Map works with the Drop Task service. I would not say that the type of project in itself will bring great benefits, but maintaining small projects in this mode is quite possible. But in conjunction with Drop Task - a completely different matter. I highly recommend paying attention to the service itself and trying it in conjunction with iMind Map. Everything looks unusual, very, very cool. But this, perhaps, pulls on a separate article.

Map 3D

A very unusual presentation. The program will convert your map into a 3D image that you can rotate as you wish. It would seem that it is just a visual feature. But no. The presentation is extremely convenient for holding and focusing attention on a particular branch, thought, task. Unusual, interesting, adds zest - in a word, I liked it.

Text mode

In this mode, the mind map is presented as a structured text. Sub-items can be collapsed and expanded. This view, for example, is very convenient for working with text alignment. The number of nested sub-items is infinite. You can first sketch out the structure of the text in the form of a map with notes on the main theses and ideas, and then switch to text mode and already. Pictures and icons in this view are also displayed. This view is also very convenient for preparing for a presentation and working with abstracts.

Presentation mode

There is no such effective and effective presentation mode in any analogue program. The mind map is the whole story. iMind Map in presentation mode lets you tell the story in the way and in the order you choose. Before starting a presentation, you can set up the order in which branches are displayed, comments on them, types of transitions from one branch to another, and much more. You can set up transitions on click of keys, or set the timing of each branch. You can even loop the presentation so that it is shown all the time - kiosk mode.

The program offers a set of presentation presentation templates, which makes its creation even easier. Scaling, transitions, accents on branches - all this is done in just a couple of clicks. The result is a very high quality product. My rating is five out of five.

Branch queuing mode

Similar to text mode and is structured text. But the purpose of this mode is precisely to determine the order of branches. In this mode, you determine the order in which your ideas will be presented on the map and in the . That is, you can do this both in map mode, simply by dragging branches, and in this mode, changing the levels of branches in the form of text. Actually very convenient.

Summary and some chips

• The only software that fully complies with the principles of building mind maps and visualizing the process of thinking.
• Developed with the support of method founder Tony Buzan.
• Very convenient work on building and changing mind maps.
• Integration with Drop Task allows you to carry out big projects.
• Flexible display and presentation settings.
• Building mind maps turns into an exciting process.
• On the ThinkBuzan website, you can take a free online training on building mind maps.
• The program works on different platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android.
• The built-in map display optimization works like magic.
• The best software for preparing presentations based on mind maps.
• Ability to add flowcharts to the map.
• Completely in Russian.

Finally

iMind Map is the best mind mapping software in my opinion. The only program of its kind that stimulates. I strongly advise you to try it, since there is a trial version. Recently, the program has been supplemented with new features and updated to the 8th version. But more on that next time. That's all I wanted to say. ;)

Hello everyone guys!

Immediately I publish the second part of the article about the creation of mind maps.

But last time we looked at the easy option with online service. This time, the attack is guarded by a program for creating mind maps, or rather 2 programs. Let's analyze the 2 most popular solutions in this area.

Why do we need intelligence cards and what is it all about, I wrote in. If you need these answers, then click on the previous link and learn. And we will immediately jump into the water and begin to consider the programs.

Xmind Program

The program is not bad. Its main advantage is that it is free. We can safely use the standard functionality without paying a penny. There is also a PRO version of the program, in which more advanced features are available:

1. Export to all major formats
2. Adding a brainstorming module
3. Adding business tools and others.

How ordinary users, we can do without it. Export will be enough for us in the form of a simple picture to give a graphic image to our visitors or friends.

Functionality that is not available to us will be labeled Pro.

You can download the program safely from the official website at this link by clicking on the download button.

We install the program on the computer, like all other software. The procedure is standard. Next, launch Xmind through a shortcut that is added to the desktop by default.

The first thing we see after launch is the program window with the ability to immediately create new project as an empty template, that is, create a mind map from scratch, or choose one of ready-made templates with individual design.

Since we need to understand the principle of creating mind maps, we choose an empty template to start from scratch. Having mastered the basic functions, you can edit previously provided templates without any problems.

After selecting the template on the worksheet of the program there will be a root section of the map called "Central Section". To rename it, double-click on it. The name will be highlighted and you can change the name. I'll call it "For example".

Similarly, all sections with subsections are renamed.

To add branches as subsections, double-click in an empty area. A block called "Floating section" will be added. But here is one note. There may be no links between blocks if they are far apart.

As you can see, there is no connection (connection) between them. If we move the floating section a little closer to the central section, a link will appear.

The program itself determines to which section the subsection will be attached. She takes the shortest path. To which section is closer, the subsection is subject to that. So you need to connect all the blocks in the program. Just drag and drop all the blocks with the mouse and connect them together.

It may seem difficult. But everything, nowhere is easier. See for yourself.

Having performed simple machinations, I created 3 more subsections and added 4 branches to each of them to further show the possibility of designing mind maps in Xmind.

That's the whole principle of creating mind maps in this program. It remains only to consider some points of design to give a beautiful look to our information.

To do this, in the right area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe program there are 2 panels:

• A panel with the "Scheme" and "Overview" tabs, in which we can see the hierarchy of sections in the created mind map, and move around the map accordingly;

• Panel with "Properties" and "Markers" tabs, where we can configure appearance and a mind map structure.

In the tab, everything is quite simple. Registration is carried out as follows. First, we select the desired element in the map, then go to the "Properties" tab and put what we want there. Change the rift, size, frame and fill color of the section. It's all clear and I don't see the point in explaining it.

The only interesting thing is the "Structure" item, which determines the location of sections and subsections in the mind map.

Each time we can do different mind meps in structure to have variety. This moment is worth considering.

A marker tab should also be used for decoration. Using them, you can give a sequence of actions in the map and show the progress of tasks. For example, I outlined such a plan using markers.

After creating a map, you need to export it in order to have a finished file on your computer. This is done through the "File - export" menu.

After that, an image of a mind map will appear on the computer, which you can give to your friends or upload to the site. Well, or just use it for your needs.

According to this program, I told and showed you all the main points. There is absolutely nothing difficult. Created sections - connected them together - designed.

Now you can move on to the second software, which can be safely called the "mind card monster".

MindManager

I didn't just call her a monster. After all, it is the market leader in its functionality. And the price is awesome - about 400 euros for the regular version of the program. There is a 30-day free version of the program that you can download here.

The cost of the program is simply prohibitive and it makes no sense to purchase it just for compiling mind maps.

If the intelligence of the map is a tool that you cannot do without, and all your activities (structuring information, drawing up plans, preparing, and so on) are based on them, then consider purchasing software. Once you have spent and use smart cards to the fullest, as you have never used before.

In general, even if you do not purchase MindManager, I still recommend installing it and using it for 30 days. In addition, I will now explain the main points in working with it. You can make yourself a bunch of mind cards.

I'll duplicate it here link to download the program from the official site. You can download this tool from it, or you can from any other resource. In Runet, there are a sea of ​​sites where it lies. Just on the official website you need to enter data for downloading. Yes, and maybe you will find some kind of broken version (at your own peril and risk), which will allow you to use it without restrictions.

Now, perhaps, let's run the program and create a mind map.

By the way, what else is special about the program, why did I call it a monster? Yes, it eats computer resources. Even on my powerful laptop, it slows down a little from time to time.

When you first start the program, there will be a welcome window. It is advisable to put a checkbox in the lower area of ​​​​the program so that it is no longer displayed, since it will be annoying with frequent use of the software.

This area will no longer be an eyesore to us.

Let's start creating a mind map. This is done through the "File - new" menu and, as always, there are 2 options for creating:

1. Empty sheet, that is, creation from scratch;
2. Choose from a pre-made template.

Choose an empty template.

After creating an empty sheet, immediately, as in all previous cases, there will be a root section (Central topic), which can be renamed by double-clicking on it with the mouse.

Adding subsections is done in exactly the same way as in Xmind, by double-clicking on an empty area. Only blocks will automatically be linked to the central topic. I will create 4 sections.

I won't rename anything. Do it yourself if you need to.

To add lower-level branches, that is, to subtopics, you should already use the panel in the upper area of ​​Mindmanager by clicking on the "Subtopic" icon.

To do this, we must be active on the section to which we want to add a subsection. Here is what I created for an example using this button.

In this way we can create a hierarchy of perhaps an infinite number of levels.

A useful feature is the addition of notes to sections and subsections. This is necessary if you are making a short outline of something. You need to write the main idea, some spontaneous ideas, and so on. You make it easy. On the "Insert" tab, select the "Notes" function, after making the desired section active, and enter a note. After that, it will be available by clicking on the icon next to the topic.

Here you can also make some topic of active links to a site or a folder on your computer.

Pictures are added here too. You can choose either from the program library or upload your own.

• The first item is to upload a picture from a computer;
• The second one is for pasting from the program library, which will be available in the right area of ​​the program.

Icons (markers) are also located here.

On the next tab "Design" we can customize the appearance of the mind map. Starting from the Background of the sheet, ending with the lines of links between sections.

Lack of basic knowledge can only be a snag of English language. But according to the pictures, everything is intuitively clear what each button is responsible for. Particularly interesting, as in the previous program, is the structure display setting. It is available under the "Growth" button.

The same display settings are available from the context menu of any topic.

Each tab has specific settings for each part of the topic. The structure, line type and its thickness, the shape of the topic and its fill - all this is in the tabs.

It is also worth mentioning the designation of topics for prioritizing between them and indicating progress on each item (if this is a plan). This is done on the "Home" tab.

I reviewed the main functions of the program. Now you know how to create a mind map, design it, and optionally have an idea about setting progress and priorities using the appropriate items for the right tasks. If you are making any plans in mind maps, then use this tool.

The last step is to learn how to export mind maps to the final file. This is done easily, through the menu "File - Save as". Next, simply select the save location, format, and enter the file name.

If you just need to create an intelligence map for some purpose, then the things described in 2 articles are enough. If you need a full-fledged technique that will become your assistant in the video of this tool, then you need to be able to handle the MindManager program "for you".

In the near future, I will start work on a full-fledged course that will be devoted to mind maps. I will analyze all the features of the main programs provided in this article, as well as similar analogues. Not only the main functions will be considered, but also an example of a full-fledged task scheduling using this tool. I will show you everything and tell you in great detail.

I don't really want to say goodbye to you, but I have to. The article is large and informative. Imagine if I combined the previous and this article together. It would be the longest guide to creating mind maps on the internet.

In conclusion, I would like to hear your opinion about mind maps in general. Do you use any other programs and services? If so, then write in the comments. We will consider your tools in new materials.

All friends! Goodbye!

Sincerely, Konstantin Khmelev!