clarity – flowingmotion

Mind tidying

When you were a kid, did you clamor for the responsibility of untangling a ball of string, or a skein of wool? I did. I always sort out computer cables too. Do you?

It is not surprising, then, that I like coding. I like sorting out the logical flow behind a computer program.

The trouble, I find though, is that I can’t multi-task when I am writing a program Trivial tasks can fit into breaks. But “the balls of muddled kitchen string” begin to pile up. I don’t have time to follow through and sort out the good ideas that are sparked by feeds and conversations. Good ideas clutter my mind jostling for attention, and my brain becomes as jumbled as a kitchen drawer. I begin to feel quite antsy. I may have a whiz-bang computer program but the rest of my head is in a mess.

I need several hours a day to think and write. I can’t live without it. Even writing this has cleared my head. Another good idea on the scrap pad beside me! It may used. It may not. I will only know when I’ve played with it a bit more.

How much time do you devote to writing each day? How much time do you need to keep your head clear?

For years, I’ve been looking for a way to lay out a set of goals that are inter-dependent and possibly conflicting. Yesterday, I stumbled a text to mindmap online program.

It’s great. You type in a list of topics and sub-topics and it generates a simple mind map for you. You can have a springy free-from map. Or, you can “fix” it and move the topics and sub-topics to where you want them. And you can download the map as a jpg file.

How do I use it for defining my goals?

1. I made the title and central concept “A great 2008”.

2. I added in my various projects, including planning 2009, and grouped them – in the text list. When I was done, I had it generate the mindmap (yeah, no fiddly graphics).

3. Then I fixed my map. I thought I would fix the map to show the progress of the projects bringing projects going well closer to the middle. But I decided rather to reflect their importance or priority.

4. And I can come back to the site whenever I want. It’s free. I am going to do this periodically to review how I am doing.

5. As events unfold, I can take note of what has surged ahead unexpectedly and what is lagging and needs more effort. I can also expand sections if that is what I need at the time.

Unfortunately, we can’t edit the goals except on the text list and we can’t save. So we have to retype each time.

What I really love is that there is no messing around with graphics.

Text2MindMap Turns Indents into Ideas [Mind Mapping] [via Zemanta]

Tag: clarity

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