Have you ever had an idea or you are “brainstorming” and
you need to get it out of your head, but you couldn’t quite
get it down on paper the right way?

Ever tried to organize all the parts of a project, a paper,
proposal or report, but kept getting side tracked with ideas,
facts or points you wanted to include, but didn’t know how
to organize everything?

Though in school they taught us to outline and make lists, or
bullet points, those techniques don’t work best when it comes
to bringing out ideas and brainstorming various creations.
However, a technique called “mind mapping” actually helps you
drain your brain of ideas, points, and topics easily.

Though mind mapping with pen and paper is not new, the
invention of software and websites to facilitate
mind-mapping is a relatively new and exciting discovery in
the world of mind-mapping.

Mind-mapping involves taking an idea and mapping it out
by simply jotting down the points you want to include in
whatever project or idea.

The objective with mind mapping is not to go in-depth on any
topic, but rather to get all the points out of your brain
quickly so you don’t lose your train of thought. Often points
listed only contain a few words, a title, a name, a number,
a web address, or some other type of information.

One idea sparks another and another and another and so on,
creating a chain of ideas you will go back to and update later. 
The mind map creates a linked map of how all the ideas fit
together and flow one to another.

Mind-mapping is very similar to process mapping, which many
big companies utilize to formulate guidelines to which they
run certain aspects of their business.

Mind-mapping also enables you to draw connections between
ideas that previously seemed totally unrelated. But, unlike
the old pen and paper, which require redrawing your flow of
thoughts, software enables you to easily shuffle your ideas
around to find the best combinations, and the perfect
organization.

It’s as simple as dragging and dropping with your mouse right
on your screen.

If you want to get started mind-mapping quickly, and without
spending hundreds of dollars on expensive software, then
“Mindomo” makes a great first step.

Check out this at www.Mindomo.com.

Log on and register for a free account.

This online software application enables you to create, build,
and export mind maps in a variety of formats. I personally
used this software numerous times in the past to plan important
projects, product launches, etc.

Though not as complete as some paid mind mapping software,
Mindomo is great with the basics of mind mapping and
makes a nice way to quickly get your feet wet with very
little instruction.

There are only two negatives exist with Mindomo that I can
think of, especially with the free version.

First, you must be online to completely use the software,
even with their new desktop version.

Next, your options for exporting your mind maps are
extremely limited, and may frustrate some users.

With that said, it still is worth taking a look if you need a
solid mind-mapping tool to get those ideas out of your head
and into more understandable form.

Check out www.Mindomo.com.

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Technorati Tags: Business planning, Free tools, Marketing, Mind Maps

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