Wordful» free mind mapping software http://wordful.com Content marketing, branding, entrepreneurship and writing Sat, 14 Jan 2012 23:29:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Free Software Turns Ideas into Action http://wordful.com/free-software-turns-ideas-into-action/ http://wordful.com/free-software-turns-ideas-into-action/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:30:31 +0000 Charles http://wordful.com/?p=2156 Free Software Turns Ideas into Action is written by Charles Bohannan for Wordful.com, a blog about digital publishing.

No related posts.]]> Maybe you’re like me:  full of brilliant ideas, but too disorganized and overwhelmed to make them happen. It seems no matter how hard you try—or don’t try—you just can’t seem to go from thinking to doing. Frustrating, isn’t it? Enter FreeMind software. FreeMind is a simple but powerful mind mapping/productivity program which helps you turn any worthy idea into a plan of action. It’s beautiful, really. Of course, you’ll still have to do the work, but FreeMind eases the pain. Here’s how:

Capture and Organize Everything with Ease

It’s one thing to take notes in a notebook (which I still highly recommend), but another to actually see your notes evolve into a organized plan, or your thoughts turn into action. Notebooks have the problem of being messy and linear when it comes to actual project planning, and this is where FreeMind steps in. Think of it like blueprints to an architect: a set of instructions used to translate inspired vision into a real-world product. Using FreeMind’s simple parent-child ‘node’ system, you start with your main idea at the center of the screen (root parent node) then add supporting ideas in child (sub-level) nodes. From there you can branch out, adding deeper levels of child or sibling (same level) nodes. Check out the screenshot. There’s a slight learning curve to FreeMind. It took me two diligent hours to get comfortable with the interface. Keyboard shortcuts quicken the process, and a variety of formatting options and icons give you freedom of design and layout.

Increase Your Productivity, For Real

FreeMind is best described as productivity software. It’s designed to help you stay organized, comprehensive and task-oriented, so in turn you end up being more productive. Most people call it a mind mapping tool, but you can actually use FreeMind for virtually anything that needs to get done in your life.You can use it to write a paper, schedule your week, develop a business plan, track a project, create an executable database (FreeMind supports executable files and clickable URLs) or even—dare I say it—plan a bank robbery.

Actually Free Your Mind

No, FreeMind isn’t some crazy, mind-altering drug that releases you from all dogma, but it does allow you to empty your brain of too many ideas. You can quickly and easily purge the swarms of thoughts in your head by creating multiple nodes for each different idea. Then you can go back and edit and connect them into a more comprehensive schematic that supports your main idea. One of the best experiences I’ve had with FreeMind is coming to work on Monday (after a wild weekend with the family) and picking up exactly where I left off Friday afternoon. Unlike before—when it took me as late as Wednesday to get “back in the zone”—FreeMind preserved my ideas so they were ultra-fresh when I came back to them.

And It’s Free

Yes, totally free. Free productivity software—how’s that for a hot keyword phrase? No gimmicks, no signups, no bait-and-switch, but definitely worth a donation to the developers if you can afford it. Get FreeMind free productivity software here. I recommend Candidate 6 for FreeMind 0.9.0.

Free Software Turns Ideas into Action is written by Charles Bohannan for Wordful.com, a blog about digital publishing.

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