Let's make a mind map

Ok. It's time to make a mind map.

Grab a piece of paper and put this in front of you.

Turn it 90 degrees

Now start at the center of this piece of paper

This mind map is going to deal with the groceries we want to get when we go shopping. Now we put this in the center of the page. 

Start drawing something that comes to mind the moment you think about going to the grocery. In my case the first thing I think of is a shopping cart. I also thought of the most important thing I have to get: Vegetables. I draw a simple line from the main subject out to the right and connect it with the word "Vegetables". To me, the meaning to this woud be; when shopping I need vegetables.

We have to make it more beautiful in order to let the mind enjoy making these mind maps: images. They simply love images. So I put an overall image of vegetables very close to the word "vegetables".

But I need certain vegetables. I know I have to get funghi, comcumber and aubergine. So I draw a line coming from the word vegetables to the words; funghi, cumcumber and aubergine. I connect the words with the main word. I also put nice and clear images right next to the word.

At this moment I realize I need to geet stuff for the Freezer, Fruit, Drinks and Dairy products. As these words are in a hierarchial sense more important than the specific items. Therefore I put them at the stem of the main keyword; groceries.

Again, I write the words next to the center word and contect them with eachother.

After finishing that, I try to find the appropriate images for these words. I also want to be able to see within an instant where the flow of the words is coming from. I do this by letting the connections grow from thick to thin (like a tree). The closer to the stem, the thicker the branches.  

I also need specific items in these areas. From the Freezer department, I need fishsticks, french fries and pizza. From the fruit department I need apples, pears and grapes. From the Drinks department I need beer and limonade. I also want to make a milkshake.

For each of these specific items I want to find the right images that go along with the words. I want images that I recognize the moment I see them.

I told you I want to make a milkshake as well. Well, that's why I want milk at the dairy department and apples from the fruit department. I show this in the mind map by connecting the word milkshake with the words "milk' and 'apples'.

When a mind map grows it can become hard to recognize the different branches. That's why I made embracements around the Freezer and Drinks department.