Do you need to map your mind?

Being an entrepreneur you always find yourself overloaded with ideas. Making notes on paper is an option, but you soon find out that it’s not the very best option. To layout notes in my head I then tried Powerpoint. Wrong choice for a mind map. Don’t get me wrong, Powerpoint is great, but strictly for presentations. Last night I posted a note on Twitter (that syncs with my Facebook status updates) that I was looking for mind mapping software. As usual, I got quite a few replies.

My Google search led me to Personal Brain, but for some reason I couldn’t get it to work. Freemind came up more than once from my social networks – as well as in Google, so I downloaded and installed. The end product (of a mind map that Freemind created) was what I was looking for, but when playing around with it I seemed to have difficulty getting a map done quickly and easily. I like ease of use, because I tend to use applications a lot if I have an important purpose.

Then @ccmehil on Twitter recommended http://bubbl.us which I tried. This one I loved. It’s an online mind mapping application that you can even share with friends online. I tried it, and it was very easy to use. I was considering sticking with it.

Then my good friend and business associate Chris M of Imod.co.za recommended software by Mindjet called MindManager. I did some investigation, looked at the product video tour, and even though it comes at a price it does look very good. I requested the 21-day trial of the software, and I was supposed to receive an email with a download link, but it never came (and yes, I checked my spam folder :)). I have contacted their support department, and I await to hear from them.

I then received a Twitter-tweet from @sandysantra about a free Mac app called MindNode. I downloaded it, installed it, and I’m extremely impressed. It’s a very basic app, you can’t insert images or do fancy things, but the ease of use is a big attraction for me. I love it. I’ve already made 2 mind maps with it, and I’ll be making a lot more because it’s so quick and easy to do. I think that’s the point. We just want to do what we need to do. Bells and whistles are not really needed.

Twitter then brought me a message from @pauljacobson
, and he recommended OmniGraffle from OmniGroup. It doesn’t seem like they offer a free trial though, so I’ll have to pass.

I’m still keen though to see MindManager in action. I’m always trying to improve the delivery of my seminars and workshops, and MindManager might just be an excellent tool to illustrate some ideas on the big screen. We’ll see.

Thanks to everyone who responded in this search of mine!