Mind Mapping is the amazing thinking tool that if you believe Mind Map evangelists are currently taking the world by storm and it’s madness that is taking the nation by storm. Of course, there is a bit of exaggeration in those kinds of statements, but the fact is that mind maps have become very popular in recent years. This increase in interest has not been fueled by the original paper-based form of the technique, but by the proliferation of multiple mind mapping software programs.

People are starting to latch on to the fact that using mind maps on the computer makes thinking much easier in a variety of ways. In my opinion, this impact on the way we use our computer is far greater than the impact the original paper form had on the way we think.

Mind Mapping has its roots in being a note-taking tool designed for students. So, unsurprisingly, much of the initial growth and expansion of use of the process has been in education. Schools and universities across the country have started or are starting to adopt the concept.

It took a little longer for him to reach the higher levels of higher education, but he’s there. Mind mapping began to appear on the business scene, either through enlightened people reading Tony Buzan’s original book on the subject (it has two different titles depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on), or because parents they had seen their children use it.

The reason so many people have adopted it so quickly is because it’s a powerful technique that works. It’s as simple as that.

So what are mind maps? Well, it’s a technique that takes the organization of ideas (whether your own or others’) and puts them in a format that our brain finds much easier to process, understand and remember. It uses keywords and images that give you efficiency in information capture that saves time and increases your productivity. It has a radiating branch-like structure that mirrors the way the neurons in our brain interconnect, meaning that information flow and memory is much more effective. And it is created in color which stimulates our brain the most.

It has many uses in your personal, professional, and business life, and as we’ve already mentioned, it has tremendous benefits for those in education. The most encouraging thing about learning the technique is that anyone can easily learn it, regardless of age or status in life. Children as young as 5 take it like a duck to water and CEOs of large international companies in their sixties accept it just as readily.

It can be done by hand and there are some amazing benefits to doing it that way, but for starters I would suggest trying a good mind mapping software package. In this way, you will get the idea of ​​the process with just a few clicks of your mouse and you will be able to create impressive mind maps in minutes. If you want to use the pen and paper variety you can, but I realize with technology these days it’s no longer necessary.