Jeffery Mayer - SucceedingInBusiness Newsletter

Jeffrey Mayer's
Succeeding In Business Newsletter

Helping you grow your business
close more sales, and make more money.

Mind Mapping: A Concept That Will Change Your Life
by Jeffrey J. Mayer

Every once in a while I've found a concept - and a piece of software - that has changed my life.  

The concept is MIND MAPPING. The software is {HYPERLINK "http://www.store-mindjet.com/index.cfm?source=SIB"} MindManager from MindJet .

My whole life I've been a detailed note taker. I would take notes of meetings and conversations on pieces of paper, always writing my notes on the next line on the piece of paper.

As I discovered the powers of the word processor, I began taking notes using the outline feature.

I liked this because I could organize everything by levels. With different levels being indented from the margin.

Unfortunately, when it came to reviewing my notes, they didn't make much sense to me. The words were written on a piece of paper, but I often had difficulty seeing the connections between the thoughts, ideas and concepts.

Enter Mind Mapping
Mind Mapping is a different methodology of note taking. Instead of writing notes on single lines of paper you draw a circle in the center of the page and in the circle you write the theme or topic on which you're taking notes.

From the center you draw lines - like branches growing out from the center of a tree - that you write the key concepts or ideas on. As you add more detail to each theme, you draw lines coming off the branch. These become your level 2 or level 3 ideas.

And when a new idea comes that may pertain to one of your earlier branches, you know exactly where to place it. (Unlike old fashioned paper notes, where this great idea is placed on the next blank line on the page.)

This enables you to think from the center outward.

TIP: To aid in the note making - and memory process - use colored pens and markers, and make pictures. (My daughter has a blast mind mapping her homework.)

Before you know it, you've a beautiful picture of your notes.

Mind Mapping Saves Time
Since I started using Mind Maps, my productivity has soared. I use the mind mapping for everything I do: From writing these weekly essays, to organizing the material in my eBooks, to taking notes in meetings.

Mind mapping enables me to do in minutes what used to take me hours, sometimes even days.

When I attended a recent National Speaker Association's Sales Lab, I mind mapped each presentation using the MindManager software (more on this in a moment). My notes were so detailed and extensive that I could almost give each presenter's program for them.

Mind Mapping Improves Productivity Over the past few months I've been teaching my consulting clients how to mind map their ideas and their productivity has soared.

These are some of their comments:

• The Mind Mapping concept is great. It allows for free thinking. I did a mind map of a meeting with a client and mind mapped my notes. Then I went back to the office, did the work, got the project done, met my deadline, and got the order.  
• Mind Mapping is great for brainstorming. It enables me to see how everything relates to each other. I'm able to create a picture of the entire process, helping me become clearer and more concise.  
• Mind Mapping has enabled me to organize my material for a new book in a way that just couldn't be done in outline form, saving me time and giving me more structure.  

MindManager 2002 by Mindjet
Mind Mapping is a powerful methodology. When you integrate it with the computer, your productivity soars.

And that is what the people at Mindjet have done with the newest version of their software, {HYPERLINK "http://www.store-mindjet.com/index.cfm?source=SIB"} MindManager 2002 .

With MindManager you can capture your ideas, thoughts, and concepts in seconds, and have a detailed picture of your meeting, project, or even your things to-do list.

Since I started using MindManager, my productivity has increased five to ten fold.

One morning last summer I downloaded the free demo software and went through the tutorial in about 20 minutes. I haven't created an outline in my word processor since.

Here are some of the things you can do:

• Export mind maps to Word
• Export mind maps to PowerPoint
• Export mind maps to html and create your own Web pages  

You can also synchronize your mind maps with Word and with your Palm.

After having used the software for the past few months, I would recommend that you purchase a copy - you can download a trial version - and put mind mapping to work for you. This is an investment that will pay for itself in just a matter of days.

Here's the link to discover how {HYPERLINK "http://www.store-mindjet.com/index.cfm?source=SIB"} MindManager  can take your productivity to the next level... and beyond.

Mind Mapping Books
If you want to read more on this subject, {HYPERLINK "http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/042512780X/jeffreymayerauthero"} Joyce Wycoff, Mindmapping  and {HYPERLINK "http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0452273226/jeffreymayerauthero"} Tony Buzan, The Mind Map Book  have written very good books that you can order directly from Amazon.com.

He can work with you, your team, and/or your company, helping you find more prospects, close more sales, and make more money.

If you would like some help in these areas, please give us a call at
312-944-4184, or {HYPERLINK "http://www.succeedinginbusiness.com/consulting.shtml"} Click Here .

And, here's the link to Jeff's {HYPERLINK "http://www.succeedinginbusiness.com/questionnaire.shtml"} Personal Growth & Development questionnaire .

Jeff is president of {HYPERLINK "http://www.SucceedingInBusiness.com"} SucceedingInBusiness.com . Best-selling books include: "Success is a Journey," "Time Management for Dummies" "If You Haven't Got The Time To Do It Right, When Will You Find The Time To Do It Over?" and "ACT! 2000 for Windows for Dummies."

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