Mind Maps – How to Get Organized

It’s been one of those weeks.

You know the one I’m talking about…

• the one where’ve you been gone for two weeks and you return to over-flowing to-do lists
• the one where the weather outside is GORGEOUS{when it should be otherwise} and you can’t stand the thought of sitting at your desk working when you could be outside basking in the sun
• the one where you have a reading queueof incredible books that are calling your name
• the one where you want to spend your free time enjoying your family and catching up with your friends.

That’s the kind of week it’s been – and it’s only Thursday!

And while I managed to get enough done before we left for vacation for things to keep running while I was away, I didn’t exactly leave myself a “welcome home” gift of a pre-scheduled week of blog posts. {Which would have been really kind of me to do!} So I’ve been throwing posts together last minute in order to meet my deadlines this week, praying that God would cause my fingers to press the correct keys and to draw out the message He wanted me to share each day. And at times I’ve had to let go of my personal blogging to-do list in order to keep on top of the work due for my clients or spend time with my family.

And yet, in the midst of a week like this, I’ve managed to get organized, completing a large chunk of my to-do list, thanks to mind mapping.

Mind Maps

Earlier this week, I created a mind map of all the tasks I needed to accomplish this week. It was probably the best way I could have started a crazy week like this. I had a brain full of thoughts and no way to organize them, so I grabbed a sheet of paper and started mind mapping.

Tsh Oxenrider says: “The basics of a mind-map are to start with one general idea, and then to add the ideas that naturally flow from the first one. The result will be a spider web of thoughts.” {One Bite at a Time, p. 55}

I started with 6 different “focus centers” as a way to help organize my thoughts. {Normally I would probably only have 3-5 centers, but coming back from vacation added an extra or two.}

Once I had my “focus centers” defined, I began to let my brain dump tasks onto the paper, jotting the tasks down near the “focus center” it best fit.

Under each main task, I tried to list the separate steps needed to complete it. Some tasks were self-encompassing, while others required a multi-step process for completion. Breaking down the tasks in this way helped me to better judge the effort and time required for completion.

Once I had my mind map filled in, I could begin to analyze which tasks required my immediate attention and which ones could wait until later in the week. This helped me to put together a to-do list to work from throughout the remainder of the week.

Knowing what needed to be done and when it needed to be completed helped me to meet deadlines {even if I did so last minute} and get things accomplished even in the midst of a week like this one!

Have you ever used a mind map to get organized? How could you see yourself using a mind map in the future?

Simplify is my “one word” focus for 2012, and One Bite at a Time has been a great resource in helping me to do so.

“Broken down into manageable chunks, One Bite at a Time provides you with steps, tips, links, and motivation to slow down and simplify” {from 52bites.com}.

I highly recommend purchasing a copy of this great resource!

*A

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