Mind Mapping For Dummies

The best way of dealing with the text

What’s the best way of dealing with the text? Many people suggest the following:

1. Read through the text once in full.

2. Mark the important words.

3. Then generate the Mind Map.

This approach is perhaps still practical for a one-page text. But I guarantee that you won’t generate a Mind Map from a whole book by using this procedure. You’d first have to read through the entire book, then mark the important places and finally take notes. Most people wouldn’t bother with taking notes after all that, it’s just too much effort.

I advise the following approach:

1. Skim-read the text. This means that you don’t read it in detail but just scan the pages. The aim is to get a basic impression of the structure and organisation of the text and, for example, notice any subheadings and lists of items that can help you to navigate through it.

2. Read the text in detail and generate a Mind Map at the same time. Whenever you reach an important point, enter it in your Mind Map. When you’ve reached the end of the text, your Mind Map will also be complete.

You can always revise your Mind Map later on and that the first version doesn’t have to be perfect.

Take about 20 to 25 minutes to prepare and generate the Mind Map.

Good luck with your first note taking with Mind Mapping. Very likely you won’t find it so easy on the first occasion and it’ll take quite a ...