Our Mind Is A Powerful Tool: Try Brainstorming Presentation Software
"Me, Myself & Irene": Poster design by Cimarron Group 2000
I know, your first thoughts are probably, “What does a comedy with Jim Carrey have to do with brainstorming?” Especially when in this film his character has dissociative identity disorder (multiple personalities). I guess I was just having one of those moments when I sat down at my laptop and wanted to post about how our mind is a powerful tool and I didn’t want it to be another one of “those” boring mind posts. It just struck me as funny in the movie that Jim Carrey’s character, Charlie, was never alone when dealing with life’s dilemmas. He always had “Hank,” his alter-ego (whether he wanted his input or not). Life is very complex, never simple and straightforward. There are potholes, moments when we’re “under construction,” and there are times when even though it’s best for us, we do not want to “yield!” Fortunately for most of us, we do not have Charlie’s problems to add to the chaos.
Starting a business on your own is sometimes pretty scary, maybe even frightening. You may feel isolated and alone. You may not have support from your partner or your family. Your enthusiasm and passion may not be their’s. They are more than likely wanting to support you but out of their own fear for your success, they may not be on board. I have also seen petty jealousy sometimes get in the way. They may envy your courage and determination to try something new.
I created a post of things to consider prior to coming online and hopefully you’ve had a chance to read and consider it. With the proper support system in place, (from friends, experienced business mentors or associates, partners and/or family), you will feel confident and nourished. If you never gain the proper support, evaluate carefully as to whether or not your new business venture is right for you, or perhaps too risky? If after doing some real solid research on what it is you want to do, try to seek out someone that is experienced in that area and go over the pros and cons with them. They should be able to discern whether or not you have “the right stuff” to make a go of it. If you have determined that starting your new business is the right thing and you are ready to get started, you will soon see how the mind is a powerful tool.
When you have your own business, typically you start the venture alone. Someone has to take responsibility and it’s usually going to fall squarely on your shoulders. There are many benefits to this such as you have all the control and say-so, all the profits will be yours, and you won’t have employer-employee headaches. But, there can also be drawbacks.
One of my favorite words is “synergy.” According to Merriam-Webster, “a mutually advantageous conjunction or compatibility of distinct business participants or elements (as resources or efforts).” By ourselves, we are capable of many great things. Synergy, the increase in value that is generated by combining two or more entities to create a new and more valuable entity… well, leveraging the talents, skills, and brain-power of a group magnifies everything. At least in the beginning, you are going to be on your own each and every day making decisions that are either good or bad for your business.
Decision making will be a daily task. Things will come up about marketing, operations, accounting, products, services, purchases… and on and on. Staying on task and being organized will definitely help move things forward quicker (profitability will happen sooner). Chaos is not your friend. I’m not saying a messy desk will break your business, but having a real business plan, staying on task and implementing it really is a key factor to success. Now, for most people, this won’t happen naturally. Most of my clients at the start-up stage are so excited about their business and making money that they don’t realize just how important staying focused and organized really is.
A really great and powerful tool is mind mapping software. Mind maps are fantastic whether you are someone newly starting a business that has so many thoughts they don’t know where to begin, or a seasoned business owner that feels they are lacking creativity or need to problem solve. Mind maps are also great educational tools. Mind maps are a graphical interpretation of your thought processes.
Mind Map:
Learn How to Mind Map to Increase Productivity
Just a few of the benefits of using what I call “Brainstorming Presentation Software”:
- Upgrade Your “Note Taking”
- Brainstorming (by yourself or share the map with others)
- Learn Multidimensional Problem solving
- Increase Your Ability to Study and Improve Memorization
- Planning Projects
- Researching and Combining Information from Multiple Sources into a Solid Plan
- Presenting Information to Associates, Students, Potential Clients, Funders
- Gaining Insight on Very Complex Topics
- Restarting Your Creativity
Thank you for reading my post. I would like to give you a free ebook by one of my favorite mind mappers, Paul Foreman. I would also like to give you a list of actually over 100 reasons to start mind mapping if you want more detailed information. I have done a great deal of research on this topic and would like to share with you how to get started mind mapping and what resources to try. One of my highly recommended software programs is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It’s a free download so give it a try. Let me know what you think of mind mapping!
To your prosperity and online success,
Deborah, thank you for this very informative post. All of your posts are chock full of information and good advice, and this one is no exception. I’ve been using mindmaps for various purposes for a number of years now. In fact, mind mapping creeps into my note-taking at meetings! It’s a great way to stay awake. I’ve also used it to help me plan a story or a novel. But mostly I’ve used mind mapping to help me find my way through perplexing problems, especially ones causing lots of emotional upheaval. It brings clarity and calmness.
Willena Flewelling
Willena Flewelling recently posted..When You Talk to Yourself- What Do You Say
Willena, I haven’t had anyone I know give me their experience with mind mapping. Usually the response I get is people imagine it’s too complicated or too time consuming. I can see you agree that it’s just the opposite. I would love to hear more about your quest for writing stories and novels. How wonderful!
Warm regards, Willena:
Deborah
Hi Deborah, a good article from a start-up point of view. Well I have to say there are many more solutions to getting started in business, aside from the mind maps you’ve suggested. I feel people who have some issues with discipline or getting committed could do well to check it out.
Personally having undergone much of the same challenges you’ve described above, I believe remaining true to your dreams and being willing to stay committed till you get rich is critical. In sum, mindset is key.
Of course you could always correct along the way, so long as the correction is aligned to your destination. Theory is fine and dandy, it is application and getting things done that count in the long run. Speaking of which, be prepared to stay the course for as long as it takes.
Happy brainstorming!
Yasser Khan
Yasser recently posted..Why Deliver
Hey, Yasser:
The reason for the article is to assist those that have too many thoughts rolling around and the new business person is i chaos. Also, while consulting with people, the opposite can be the issue. They may believe they have thought everything through but then they get stuck and can’t move forward. It really doesn’t matter what works for a person; we are all unique. Obtaining our goals and dreams happens in a deliberate way, step by step. If a person only stays in the dream state, they will never reach their goals and dreams. Their dreams remain intangible, a dream only.
Most of my posts are to stimulate ideas and cover areas the reader may never have considered before.
Happy dreaming; take those steps, reach for the stars!
Deborah
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