Mind mapping for content creation
First things first, just get it all out.
Typing is faster than longhand writing. And speaking is faster than typing.
Use transcription to turn your speech into text.
Don’t judge yet.
If it’s in your mind, it’s in there. It’s not right or wrong. It’s not good or bad. It’s not your fault. You’re just a human with a brain and you have thoughts.
Often, you don’t fully realize what you’re thinking until you start writing or talking.
The point of this exercise is to turn your hazy mental content into clear and organized words.
Here’s how I do it
1. Write
Get it all out
Stream of consciousness
Use a transcriber
2. Edit
Don’t overedit
Just spelling, grammar, and formatting
Truncate thoughts where they conclude
Add titles so you can remember
3. Organize
Create folders/notebooks
Don’t do this until you’ve written your first 10-20 notes
Then you’ll have a sense of your themes/categories
Use Notion, Evernote, or something similar
I use Notion. Here’s a shortened list of my notebooks:
On structure
Most mind maps start from a central theme and then draw lines out with more and more branching. This gets messy fast.
I suggest doing notes and notebooks.
Just two levels of organization:
Notes for specific ideas
Notebooks for themes
Each theme turns into a brand.
Each note turns into a piece of content. Most obviously, a blog post. But it could also be a YouTube video, etc.
Use cases for mind mapping
For a content creator, the use case is obvious: create content.
Even if you don’t think you’re a content creator, maybe you are.
Other use cases I have in mind:
Self-guided therapy (Disclaimer: Not advice. Consult a professional.)
Resolving cognitive dissonance
Figuring out what you want to work on
Coming up with business ideas
AI mind mapping
Miro offers mind mapping software.
With Miro Assist, you can automatically expand your mind map. Imagine multiple branches growing and continuing to branch.
This makes me think: What’s the point in mapping your own mind if you can just access an infinite mind map generated by AI?
Well, you’re a human.
The content in your mind is based on your lived experiences.
Can you access infinite knowledge with AI? Sure. But do you want to? Why? To create more content. To make more money. Sure. But it won’t be content that you necessarily relate to or care about.
The beauty of mapping your own mind is that it’s your mind. You can get to know yourself. Build a relationship with yourself. Create a connection between what you think about and what you communicate to the world.
Conclusion
Start small.
Use the tools you already use.
If you’re not comfortable with using transcription, just start by writing longhand or typing.
If you don’t use a software like Evernote or Notion, just use paper or the Notes app on your phone or a Word doc on your computer.
Remove everything that’s between keeping the thoughts in your head and getting the words down.
Get your first word down somewhere, anywhere.
Then keep going.