How to make a mind map. Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed by some of the projects you are working on…like you’ve set an impossible goal?

I felt that way when I first started writing my Blog Success Manifesto. I started with a blank document and quickly got lost. I had so many ideas, and it just seemed impossible that I could address all of them. The document gathered dust on my hard drive for a few months…until I figured out how to make a mind map.

I brainstormed out at least 20 topics I wanted to talk about, then realized I could sort them into five sections. Once I did that, I easily completed the entire 10,000-word ebook in just a few weeks!

This, too, may seem like a pipe dream to you…so I created a video to walk you through the process of making a mind map. In it, I show you how to map out a project to break it down into manageable pieces, so you can finally finish whatever that big project is that’s been languishing in your head for months or years. I also show you the exact mind map I used to create my Blog Success Manifesto:

Highlights

[0:10] I start off by answering the obvious question: Why should you care about making a mind map?

[0:45] I use a free tool called MindMeister (link opens in new window) to create my mindmaps. Why do I use it instead of other tools?
[2:00] The first thing that you see when you create your mind map…
[2:25] There are a ton of keyboard shortcuts in MindMeister. I show you the two that will save you a lot of time.
[4:12] How MindMeister helps you override your perfectionist instinct.
[4:40] How to easily create a layout for an entire book or product just by dragging and dropping.
[5:29] My favorite part of MindMeister!

[6:20] I wasn’t able to finish my ebook until I mind mapped the entire thing.
[7:15] The exact mind map I used to fly through and finish an over-10,000-word ebook in just a few weeks.
[8:20] After my mind map was done, I set a simple goal…
[9:20] This should help you get your next project done much more quickly!

How Making A Mind Map Can Help You

Think about a project you would really like to start. Maybe it’s a book, an ebook, or a new product. Maybe it’s a conference you would like to run (I used a mind map to run a conference in 2008!) Any big project you undertake should have a mind map as its basis.

Mind maps help you understand the scope of your project, break it down into manageable chunks, and complete it faster. They reduce overwhelm and help you overcome your perfectionist instinct.

But quite possibly the best part is that great feeling you get when every piece of your mind map has a little checkbox next to it, and you suddenly realize…you’re done! For a project that may have seemed impossible just a few weeks ago, that’s quite a feat!