Mind Mapping
What Is Mind Mapping?
Mind mapping is the best strategy to get ideas in and out of your brain. You can create a mindmap for any area of your life. The best way to envision a mind map is to envision a city map. Even though it may look like everything is separate and you need to go from many different points to arrive at your final destination, your city is still connected. There is always a central point from where you can never get lost. You can always return to that center to find the next best direction.
The difference is that a mind map is creative and logical. It provides one with a structure to follow using words, pictures, colors based on how your brain understands them. Your mind mapping can be as spontaneous as you want.
MIND MAPPING YOUR CAREER
You can create a mind map for your career at any point in time. It is a life journey and not a static exercise. With a mind map that focuses on your career, you are able to see which career path to pursue now and which one you can pursue later. You are als able to break down every single element of your work or passion and see how connected it is to the bigger picture. You may also detect what you need to do if you aim to stay and grow in the career path you are in at the moment. In a nutshell, it will help you get unstuck in your career.
Here is an example:
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND
Because you will break down your career in as much detail as possible it may seem confusing, but just remember that you are a creative being who is interested in many things and even though everything may seem disconnected to your current role or career, through this map you can see which topics fit well together and how they can possibly result in a new direction or improve the current one?
GETTING PRACTICAL
1. Start with an idea in the center. ie (Marketing, Design, Law, Fashion, Policy ....)
2. Circle that topic and make secondary connections. (Make a secondary connection to every word you put down.)
3. Look for the relationship between topics. (Here you are looking for patterns)
4. Combine topics that are closely related to form a concept.
EXERCISE
1. Create a current mind map that incorporates everything about you career and education.
2. Create a mind map for a career you want to explore / career change.
(Tip: look at job descriptions for the current offer to get ideas of what companies are looking for.)
2. Create a promotion/progress mind map for the role you envision or are in.