If you’ve never mind mapped, you have to start now. There is no better way to juice your creativity, organize your thoughts or present your ideas. There are many mindmap programs available for purchase, or, you can also try Freemind, the freeware mindmap download.

Mindmapping is a way to diagram, or draw out your ideas, by linking them to a central subject. I was introduced to mindmapping by one of my mentors, the late, great Jeffrey Mayer. Now I use it for everything. I even take meeting notes on paper using mind map techniques.

Some of the reasons mind mapping is so powerful are:

• Boost your creativity; perfect for brainstorming
• Visual diagrams improve recall of important topics
• Easy to show relationships of ideas

There are oodles of mind mapping programs available, both in desktop and online versions. I personally use Mind Map, mainly because Jeffrey turned me on to it several years ago. It is the most robust of the lot, but it also is one of the more expensive ones. If you want the best and can afford it, give it a free 30 day trial.