Productivity Software
Would you like to do more work in less time? Or would you like to earn more money with the same amount of work? I think most of us would agree that we'd like to get more done in a day, but many of us simply don't know how. I've tried time management techniques, productivity software, and a variety of tips and tricks, but nothing ever seemed to really work for me.
And this isn't a trivial exercise for me. I own a small business that is the sole source of my livelihood, and it's a simple fact that everything I outsource is money that I don't earn. Part of the initial appeal of mind mapping to me was the ability to dramatically increase my productivity - and my earning potential - by learning a new way to manage business projects and tasks, and to plan personal activities.
What I've discovered - and I think you can too - is that mind mapping lets me get a lot more work done in less time, and makes the work I do of a much higher quality for me and for my customers. Not only do I accomplish more using mindmapping software as productivity software, but I also retain and understand more which makes me even more productive in the future. It's an amazing, upward spiral effect you have to experience to believe.
Mind Mapping to Increase Productivity
Software can be a great tool if it increase productivity. Think about it - how much faster is it to create and distribute a document in Word format compared to typing it on a typewriter? Mind mapping is like that in many ways - it takes an antiquated process of compiling, storing, and utilizing information and replaces it with something more effective, more useful, and much more compelling to use.
So just how much more productive can you become using mindmapping techniques? One company that makes mindmapping software - and openly promotes it as productivity software - states on their homepage, "get 20 hours of work done in 6, or 45 minutes of work done in 10." Bold statement? Absolutely. Too good to be true? Not from my experience.
Where should you begin if you're interested in using mindmapping software to increase your productivity? If you're completely new to mindmapping, I suggest you begin with Tony Buzan's The Mind Map Book. This is the best introduction to mind mapping available, in my opinion. I also highly recommend Mind Maps at Work, also by Tony Buzan, particularly Chapter 1: Unleash Your Infinite Creativity.
Start slowly, but pay close attention to how you use mind mapping to increase your effectiveness and your personal productivity. You may find you're creating better, more effective presentations, brainstorming creatively, learning faster, managing information better, and much more.
Software and Other Resources to Increase Productivity
This list isn't complete - I'm only comfortable recommending resources I've personally used or read and found valuable.
- The Mind Map Book, Tony Buzan. (Especially Section D.)
- Mindmap software.
- If you're interested in mind mapping and David Allen's Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology for personal productivity, check out ResultsManager from Gyronix.
- Increasing Efficiency and Saving Time (February 2006 MindJet newsletter).
- CNET article about when hiring new employees makes sense (see tip #1 about using mind mapping software to map responsibilities).
- Bill Gates and the future of managing knowledge (including mind-mapping). Newsweek article.