Do any of these problems sound familiar?
- You tried using mind mapping software once, but couldn’t decipher how to use its inscrutable features.
- You’re convinced that its learning curve is too steep. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
- You’ve created a few mind maps but haven’t been satisfied with how they turned out.
- You think the process of brainstorming, recording and organizing your thoughts in a mind map is too slow and unintuitive.
- You tried sharing a mind map with your colleagues or team members once – but they couldn’t understand it.
If you’re facing any of these challenges, I can help you solve them.
What you need is a smarter approach to using mind mapping software.
That’s why I created my new book – Think F.A.S.T.: A 4-step Framework to Maximize the Effectiveness of Your Mind Maps – to help you quickly create clear, concise and understandable mind maps – every time!
4 steps to mind mapping nirvana
Here are the core elements of the F.A.S.T. mind mapping process – and the common problems they solve:
Foundation – How can you create an effective foundation for your mind map that will drive its content and structure in a clear and meaningful way? Like a house, a mind map needs a solid foundation. First-level topics circumscribe the scope of your thinking. So you must choose them carefully. I’ll show you how.
Associate – This is the step where you transmute your thinking into a tangible form in your mind map’s topics and structure. How can you leverage your brain’s associative abilities, so it’s as complete as possible? How can you not only capture your ideas and plans, but also identify the gaps you must fill? I’ll teach you how to “think about your thinking” at a whole new level!
Synthesis/sense-making – How can you ensure that your map is well-organized, concise and, most importantly, meaningful to yourself and others? I show you the best practices to organize, synthesize, distill and (most importantly of all) how to “refactor” the contents of your developing mind map. This last step can add up to 80% of its value!
Transformation – How can you add the finishing touches to your mind map, elevating its look and feel so it conveys meaning and context with the maximum amount of impact and clarity? Topic enhancements may be the least understood aspect of mind mapping software, but they can multiply its utility and value many times over. I show you how to get the greatest value out of these obscure capabilities of your software.
In short, the F.A.S.T. framework is designed to provide you with a simple and reliable process to produce high-quality mind maps.
Who is the F.A.S.T. mind mapping framework for?
- If you’ve ever struggled to use software to produce effective mind maps … F.A.S.T. is for you.
- If you’re looking for a concise set of best practices to help you produce excellent mind maps consistently … F.A.S.T. is for you.
- If you’ve ever wondered if your mind maps are “done” … F.A.S.T. is for you.
- If you’re looking for a simple way to speed the creation of effective mind maps … F.A.S.T. is for you.
- If you’ve been wanting a way to move beyond the basic capabilities of your mind mapping software … F.A.S.T. is for you.
What can F.A.S.T. do for you?
- Save you hours of time and frustration
- Take the guesswork out of creating high-quality mind maps
- Ensure that the maps you share with others will be clear, concise and easy for others to understand
- Help you to think, brainstorm and plan more clearly, concisely and thoroughly
- Present your ideas more persuasively
- Impress your bosses with your higher-level thinking and problem-solving abilities
“The F.A.S.T. framework is an indispensable resource for anyone who wants to transform their ideas into action. Step by step, Chuck Frey demystifies how to use mind mapping software to get your brilliant strategies and great ideas out of your head and into the world. It even includes a quick-start mind map to remind you of the steps you need to take to create top-notch mind maps. I highly recommend this guide to every creative business thinker.” – Bill Gluth, Business Breakthrough Strategist, CreativeThinkingforBusiness.com
Why should you take my advice?
- I’m the world’s leading expert on the business applications and best practice for using mind mapping software.
- I conduct surveys of users of mind mapping software, which gives me an unmatched depth of understanding of your struggles and challenges with it.
- I’ve been sharing best practices for creating effective mind maps for almost a decade and a half.
- As part of my Mind Mapping Insider membership program, I’ve dissected numerous mind maps, pointing out what they do well and where they need improvement (sometimes a LOT of improvement!)
The F.A.S.T. framework is an easy-to-apply distillation of the best practices I’ve explored for over the last 14 years.
What’s included?
The book is structured to be an easy read – and to be skimmable when you need to refresh your knowledge about best practices for mind mapping software. Each section is divided into:
- Background information on each of the 4 steps of the F.A.S.T. process
- A “how to do it” section that explains how to put these principles into practice – immediately!
- Questions you can use as “brain prompts” to help you think through the content, structure and key messages of your mind maps
In addition, the book comes with links to two mind maps:
- The questions from all four parts of the process – on a single page. Print it out and post it in your workspace, so you can refer to it when you’re creating mind maps.
- The 4-step process, with all of the steps – once again, in a convenient, single-page visual summary.
You won’t find these resources in such an actionable, easy-to-implement form anywhere else.
This is NOT a “how to mind map” tutorial
You may be tempted to dismiss this as a simple “how to mind map” tutorial. You can find those EVERYWHERE on the web.
This framework acts as a pattern interrupt, jolting your thinking to a much higher level. It will enable you to:
- Plan and create high-quality mind maps that can help you deliver more value to your employer or clients
- Make a bigger impact in your work.
- Impress the people who have a BIG say in the velocity and direction of your career growth.
- And much more!
Why do you need a mind mapping framework?
Productivity geeks and creative thinkers value frameworks – systemized knowledge and processes – highly because they enable them to be incredibly efficient. They consider their time to be there most valuable asset, and they guard it very closely.
They recognize the value of investing in learning that helps them to save time, minimize wasted effort and increase effectiveness. They view learning as a multiplier of their skills. Well-designed frameworks and learning deliver an ROI out of all proportion to your modest investment in them.
Be confident. Be effective. Make a bigger impact with your ideas.
It’s time to elevate your mind mapping skills
Learning how to create high-quality mind maps can pay off big time – saving you hours of time, helping you to capture and express your ideas more clearly, building more complete analyses of challenges and opportunities and much more – all for the cost of a few cups of Starbucks beverages! (US$19.95)
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