Your next big idea is trapped and going CRAZY in your head! You have to let them out so they can grow and flourish. As you start marking where these paths go, you will see that idea take shape. Even more so when your idea sees the light of day, and others can weigh in and add their feedback. Try these tools to let it break free, and see where it takes you.
MindMap Software
MindMaps are great tools to just mentally vomit ideas all over, then pull them together into an organization.
When I first start an idea or project, I just start throwing ideas on the page. With the software, it makes it even easier to take those ideas and re-arrange into groups. While I can’t add sketches as easily in the software, there are a ton of icons and design elements I can use to bring life into the ideas I create.
Often, this is where I start when I am creating content, planning out new functionality to develop, or when starting any new project. The key is I pull out the Mind Map when I don’t know quite yet where everything will go.
XMind
XMind was the first MindMapping software I found, and I have loved it for years! It is a desktop platform, so you are a little restricted, but it is super fast and keeps up when I am wildly trying to get ideas out of my head into a system.
The free version has a ton of features and is probably going to be enough for most, but the paid version exports into all kinds of crazy awesome formats like PDF, JPG, Text, Word, and PowerPoint!
I would definitely start out here to get a feel for MindMapping. You will be impressed at all the templates they have to get you started!
MindMeister
MindMeister is cloud based, so you can access it from mobile devices and other computers so your files follow you everywhere. I had a ton of issues with the apps though, so I recommend staying on the desktop browsers when editing.
A HUGE plus is the community! If you want to get an idea for ANYTHING there are people out in the community who have shared their mindmaps with the world and you can take advantage. Job hunting, gardening, business plans, you name it!
Outline Software
Outlines saved my life in college! A professor suggested it to me and I tweaked my system to the point where I was writing 8 page papers in just a couple of hours!
- First, if I don’t know the format I want to put something in, I will use the MindMap above to get ideas out and organized.
- Once I have some type of structure, I will create the outline of the main topics.
- THE $1 Million Dollar KEY – Under the main topics, I write down the questions I see people asking, or I was wondering when I was researching the topic.
- Finally, I just answer the questions! SUPER simple, gives GREAT information, and turns the resulting content into GOLD!
- Proofread & Submit
Try that formula the next time you have a new project, when you are writing your memoirs, or just making a new blog post.
Notepad++
Honestly, Notepad++ is my Go-To application. I use it for just about everything. The only bad thing is that I leave too many files open in it all day!
The tabbed interface lets me pop between ideas quickly, they recently added a cache feature so if my computer needs to reboot I don’t even need to save the files, it will pop up right where I left off after I reboot!
The only downside is that I can only use it on one device. Really, most of that work is on my laptop so it isn’t too much of a show stopper. I recently had to submit ideas back and forth to a coach, so we used…
Workflowy
Workflowy didn’t seem to be as friendly as Notepad++ because it isn’t on my taskbar, but it does come with a lot of benefits.
- Cloud based and easy to share
- Ability to add “note” areas
- Exports to other file formats cleanly with subheadings formatted.
It is definitely worth a try, but while it is cloud based, I did have a lot of issues on mobile devices. Moving between devices caused a lot of state issues and I lost a few hours of work because it overwrote itself with an earlier version.
If you need to share information though, definitely a tool to have in your arsenal!
Winner!
I know you are supposed to say “it depends” and waffle over answers like they all are great, but I don’t play that game. To be honest, I use them all so I am very familiar with these tools. That said, I use Notepadd++ EVERY DAY. It is always open for me to jot things into, clear formatting, and is like my little stash of information that I pull from.
Check them all out though. Let us know what you think in the facebook group! Are you a MindMap person or an Outliner?