This One Mistake Made his Mindmap Useless

Summary

In this insightful coaching session, the coach addresses common issues faced by students using Mind Mapping techniques for studying. The discussion focuses on the importance of balancing detail with the big picture, avoiding 'spider webbing' by restructuring maps incrementally, and the necessity of frequently 'zooming in and out' to maintain clarity and organization. The coach also emphasizes the normalcy of these challenges and offers practical advice on how to improve mind mapping skills, including starting with fewer keywords and delaying the addition of less critical information until later.

Takeaways

• 🧭 The importance of 'zooming in and out' on a mind map to frequently restructure and avoid overwhelming complexity.
• 📈 The suggestion to pause after adding new keywords or concepts to reassess the map's structure and retention potential.
• 🎓 The speaker offers free coaching sessions to active and supportive members of their study program, indicating community engagement.
• 🎬 The intention to record coaching sessions and post them on YouTube for wider access to the speaker's coaching style.
• 💡 The recognition that mind maps can be overwhelming when too many keywords are added without considering their relationships.
• 🔍 The concept of 'anti-spider webbing' where the fear of creating a messy map prevents further development of relationships.
• 📝 The advice to focus on a segmental approach, developing one area deeply before moving to others to avoid map clutter.
• 🔄 The recommendation to constantly rearrange the mind map as new elements are added to maintain clarity and avoid density issues.
• 📚 The realization that not all keywords need to be included initially; a strategic approach to learning can improve retention.
• 🤔 The emphasis on considering multiple relationships and not just the first logical connection when mapping out concepts.
• 🔑 The key takeaway that the skill of effectively creating mind maps includes the ability to balance detail with the bigger picture.

Q & A

What is the main issue the individual is facing with their Mind Map (M)?

The individual is struggling with poor retention of information and feeling that the Mind Map is not effectively aiding in answering questions, particularly due to the complexity of the subject matter and the way the map is structured.

What is the purpose of offering free coaching sessions to some members of the icon study program?

The purpose is to provide support and value to active and supportive members of the community, and also to showcase the coaching style and content, which has been well-received, on a platform like YouTube.

What does the individual plan to do with the recorded coaching sessions?

The individual plans to post the recorded coaching sessions on YouTube to share the coaching style and content with a wider audience.

Why does the individual feel that their Mind Map is not helpful for answering questions?

The individual feels that the Mind Map is not helpful because it lacks a clear connection between the mapped concepts and the questions they need to answer, possibly due to an ineffective structuring of the map.

What is the significance of 'zooming in and out' in the context of creating a Mind Map?

Zooming in and out refers to the process of focusing on details and then stepping back to view the overall structure of the Mind Map. This helps in maintaining a clear big picture while adding new keywords and concepts.

What is the advice given for restructuring the Mind Map to improve its effectiveness?

The advice given is to frequently pause and restructure the map by considering the relationships between new keywords and the overall structure, rearranging elements as needed to avoid a cluttered and confusing map.

What is the term 'anti-spider webbing' referring to in the context of Mind Maps?

Anti-spider webbing refers to the reluctance or avoidance of adding new relationships to a Mind Map after the initial structure has been established, due to the fear of creating a messy and confusing map.

Why is it recommended to work with fewer keywords initially when creating a Mind Map?

Working with fewer keywords initially is recommended to prevent information overload and to allow for a more manageable and clearer development of the Mind Map, especially for those who are still learning the skill.

What is the importance of mentally 'zooming out' when adding new concepts to a Mind Map?

Mentally 'zooming out' is important to assess how newly added concepts fit into the overall structure of the Mind Map, ensuring that the big picture remains clear and well-organized.

What is the individual's plan after the discussion regarding their Mind Map issues?

The individual plans to apply the advice given, such as working with fewer keywords initially and frequently zooming in and out to reassess the structure of their Mind Map, in order to improve its effectiveness.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Mind Mapping Challenges and Solutions

The speaker discusses the challenges faced when using mind maps for studying, particularly the difficulty in restructuring a map once it's too committed and overwhelming. They offer advice on zooming in and out to frequently restructure the map and to pause after adding new keywords to ensure better retention and understanding. The speaker also mentions offering free coaching sessions to active community members and plans to post coaching videos on YouTube. The individual seeking advice is in the army and facing issues with retention and the effectiveness of mind maps in answering questions, especially in a complex subject like economics. The speaker provides specific feedback on the individual's mind maps, suggesting improvements and better techniques for mapping.

05:01

🔍 Overcoming Mind Mapping Obstacles

This paragraph delves into the issues of segmental mapping and anti-spider webbing, which can lead to a cluttered and ineffective mind map. The speaker suggests focusing on one area at a time to develop it fully before moving on to others, thus avoiding the messiness of spider webbing. They emphasize the importance of constantly reassessing the map's structure as new information is added, comparing it to the process of arranging furniture in a new house. The speaker critiques the individual's mind map, pointing out areas of overdevelopment and neglect, and provides guidance on how to improve the mapping process to enhance retention and clarity.

10:02

🔄 The Importance of Constant Reevaluation in Mind Mapping

The speaker continues to discuss the strategy of adding new elements to a mind map and the necessity of considering how each new piece fits into the overall structure. They advocate for a pause-and-rearrange approach to prevent the map from becoming overwhelming. The analogy of moving furniture in a house is used to illustrate the ease of rearranging with fewer elements compared to a fully furnished space. The speaker also addresses the individual's specific mind map, noting the issues with adding new concepts without considering their relationship to the existing structure and provides a step-by-step guide on how to correct this.

15:03

🌐 Zooming In and Out for Effective Mind Mapping

The focus of this paragraph is on the technique of zooming in and out to maintain a balance between detail and the big picture. The speaker explains that by zooming out, one can assess how new information fits into the overall structure, and by zooming in, one can explore deeper connections. They point out that dense networks of connections in a localized area can confuse the big picture if not well-connected overall. The speaker also discusses the individual's mind map, noting that it was better organized and more intuitive due to the nature of the topic, and encourages the individual to continue practicing the zooming technique to improve their mind mapping skills.

20:04

📉 Adjusting Study Techniques for Better Learning Outcomes

In the final paragraph, the speaker addresses the individual's concern about going into too much detail and suggests reducing the number of keywords initially used in mind mapping to avoid information overload. They emphasize the importance of deliberate learning and partitioning time effectively, rather than trying to cover everything at once. The speaker reassures the individual that the challenges they are facing are normal for their skill level and will improve with practice. They conclude the session by encouraging the individual to continue refining their mind mapping technique and to stay in touch for further guidance.

Keywords

💡Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual technique that helps organize information by connecting central ideas to related concepts, creating a diagram that represents relationships and hierarchies. In the video, it is the main tool discussed for enhancing learning and retention, with the speaker providing insights on how to improve its effectiveness.

💡Retention

Retention in this context refers to the ability to remember and recall information over time. The video discusses issues with retention when using mind maps, suggesting that the way a mind map is structured can significantly impact one's ability to retain the information it presents.

💡Zooming In and Out

This concept refers to the mental process of alternating between focusing on details (zooming in) and considering the broader picture (zooming out). The speaker emphasizes the importance of this approach when creating mind maps to ensure that new information fits well within the overall structure and to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

💡Segmental

Segmental, in the context of mind mapping, describes a map that is developed in parts, with one area being more fully fleshed out than others. The video script mentions that focusing too much on one segment can lead to an unbalanced map and difficulty in connecting ideas across the entire structure.

💡Spider Webbing

Spider webbing is a term used to describe a mind map that has become overly complex and difficult to follow due to the addition of many interconnecting relationships. The video warns against this, suggesting that it can reduce the effectiveness of the mind map for learning and retention.

💡Restructure

Restructure in this context means to rearrange or reorganize the elements of a mind map to improve its clarity and effectiveness. The speaker advises taking frequent pauses to restructure the map before it becomes too committed and overwhelming.

💡Concepts

Concepts are the fundamental ideas or principles that are being mapped. The video discusses the importance of identifying and connecting these concepts in a way that supports understanding and retention, as well as the challenge of knowing when and how to add new concepts to a mind map.

💡Technological Advancement

Technological advancement is used in the script as an example of a concept that might be added to a mind map. It illustrates the need to consider how new concepts relate to existing ones within the map, and the potential for such concepts to have broad implications for other areas of the map.

💡Density

Density in the context of mind mapping refers to the concentration of information in a particular area of the map. The video mentions that too much density can make a map confusing and hard to follow, emphasizing the need to balance the distribution of information.

💡Big Picture

The big picture represents the overall structure and relationships within a mind map. The video stresses the importance of regularly zooming out to view and reassess the big picture to ensure that new details and concepts are integrated in a way that supports overall understanding.

Highlights

The importance of zooming in and out while creating a mind map to give oneself opportunities to restructure before it becomes overwhelming.

Offering free coaching sessions to active and supportive members of the study program and recording them for YouTube.

The challenge of poor retention and ineffectiveness of mind maps in answering questions, especially in complex subjects like 'eons'.

The significance of restructuring mind maps more frequently to improve retention and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

The introduction of the concept of 'anti-spider webbing' and its impact on the clarity and retention of mind maps.

The strategy of addressing segmental mind mapping to avoid messiness and improve the overall structure.

The normalcy of feeling overwhelmed when first learning to create mind maps and the importance of constant practice.

The concept of mentally 'zooming in and out' to maintain a balance between detail and the big picture in mind mapping.

The advice on starting with fewer keywords (30-50) when learning mind mapping to manage complexity effectively.

The emphasis on rearranging mind maps as new elements are added to maintain clarity and avoid a messy structure.

The idea that understanding multiple relationships between concepts is crucial for effective mind mapping.

The suggestion to create a list of keywords and sub-lists for a more deliberate learning process in mind mapping.

The recognition that mind mapping is a skill that improves with practice and the encouragement to keep learning.

The discussion on the natural progression of mind mapping skill, where nuances become more apparent as one advances.

The strategy of partitioning time and focusing on certain keywords first to enhance the mind mapping process.

The final advice on deliberately taking time to pause and reassess the mind map's structure for better understanding.

Transcripts

I don't feel that my M actually helped

me in answering the question the main

thing for you to work on is doing that

zooming in zooming out and then just

taking a pause after you add on new

keywords and Concepts to just give

yourself more frequent opportunities to

restructure your map before it gets to

the point where it's already so

committed that it's overwhelming and

that makes sense every couple of months

I find some members in our icon study

program who are active and supportive in

our community and I offer them some 30

minute free coaching sessions some of

you do seem to really like my coaching

style content so I've decided to record

some of these and post them on YouTube

before we jump in I'd appreciate if you

give this video a like and if you're

interested in joining the full program

yourself then you can check out iin

study.com there's a link in the

description I have ended High School

currently I'm in army so is a compulsory

service in Singapore so I'll will be in

Army in two years and yeah so I'm

currently waiting to go University the

problem that I was having is uh first my

retention wasn't that good for the uh my

M then second um is like I just feel

even if I refer to the my M I don't feel

that my map actually helped me in any

way in answering the question because

the subject I'm doing is eons and is is

a subject that is really in the link

between like the concept

can you can you show me an example of

your my map uh so which one do you want

to look you can look at the mro six

first six okay yes at this first okay

this one was really not it is kind of

this one is better yeah it's better so

this this map here and then you know

like this map here as well as this one

here are you saying that this didn't

really help you and your retention on

these was still low okay attempt seven

was relatively better because I use

important Bas junk I would expect this

one your retention will be low and I

expect that this one will help you very

much yes it didn't it didn't help me at

all I just when I see the my it makes

sense but I just don't feel how it can

help me in terms of so this one this one

this one is wouldn't wouldn't help you

that much because it's it's not just

more things that need to be improved

with this um but I would expect that

this one and to some extent this one but

especially especially this one and

especially this one I expect that these

two would be more helpful and that your

retention for this these should be

fairly high like this one especially I

expect that your retention should be

reasonably High yes this one is the

highest for some for for some reason

okay for some reason the DD the demand

is this a later attempt uh or is this an

earlier one this one is the later

attempt this is later right yes the

previous one in order in order of

quality it's like this one this one

is yeah and then after is like maybe

this one is

also and then this one is the next best

and then this one is the best yeah but

the latest is actually ma seven yes yeah

this one's not bad though yeah this one

the thing is uh but I think this one is

not as good still yes because I was

using like over 100 ke

I think that was the problem yeah I was

having some problem with the chumin yeah

so if you I mean if you were to do it

like okay when you're doing this attempt

yes there are problems but your

Technique has gotten better now so do

you still have those same problems cuz

you mentioned that the retention on the

M map and also the M map wasn't helping

in general is that still the case even

with your new your better technique the

retention are better and uh I can link

the questions more yes then but it suff

to me another another question another

question is because I realize this was a

incomplete M yeah this one is the only

complet one is the other one that you

you expect the best yeah yes this one is

the only competed yeah so the main

things that I see yeah you go the reason

why that uh atemp seven was incomplete

was I really cannot

any more keywords any more keywords that

I add in I feel I really feel is like

it's overwhelming yeah is very

overwhelming and I feel actually I feel

this backbone is not the best yeah I I I

still feel this backbone I can change

but the back chang around five times

already yeah that's that's quite normal

especially if you're working with lots

of keywords okay so there's a few things

that I I I think is going on um one of

the things that I noticed is that it's

de It's relatively detail strip so what

that means is that um it's it's using

the biggest keywords but like for

example this one especially it doesn't

have really any of the like more

technical detail and so there's probably

like a whole level of information that

you would need to know for an exam that

isn't on this mind map that could be on

this mind map but the thing that's

stopping you from adding that on is

probably this these two things here um

which is the fact that your map is

segmental um slightly segmental and

there's also what we call anti- spider

webbing so spider spider webbing happens

when you have a flow and then you

realize that there are more

relationships that you than you thought

of initially and then so you try to add

those relationships on after you have

already built the overall structure and

then it starts looking like like this

and so that's now spider webbing so anti

and obviously this is it's quite messy

it's hard to follow your retention on

this is not going to be very good but

anti- spider webbing is when you know

that this will happen and so you just

don't like you know that as soon as you

try to do it that's it's going to be

become messy and so you just don't even

try that's anti- spider webbing both of

them are not ideal so the way that we

solve this by addressing the segmental

part of it when we're mapping

segmentally what this means is that

we're focusing in on one area and we're

developing it much more fully compared

to the rest so that might end up looking

like this it might end up looking yeah

there'll be like quite a lot going on in

just one area so that this part has been

really fleshed out in a lot of depth

however the other parts have been kind

of neglected like all of this area here

has been neglected so I can see this

when I look at this one this top right

corner is much more fully developed than

basically everything else in here and so

when you try to add more keywords you

might be wanting to add something over

here right by domestic and come you

might want to add something here and

then something here and then maybe

something here and something here but

you know that when you add something

here that's now going to relate to stuff

that's over on this side and then that

that's going to cause those arrows to

cross and it's going to become very

messy the problem is not adding more

keywords and seeing that the

relationships are there it's good that

you can see the relationships the

problem was that you feted out this

whole thing to this level before adding

any of that here right so the difference

is like this if you if you do what you

you've done and this is very common by

the way so this is all very normal it's

not like you did something wrong it's

just this is like a normal mistake that

everyone has to make when you do it this

way this is what happens with the Mind

map you end up going through and saying

okay well here's you know kind of like a

basic backbone that I'm creating this is

the overall structure of the topic great

and then we start adding on the extra

level of depth and so we say okay well

that's kind of split up like this and

then this and then that's split up like

this and then that and then this is

split up like into these three things

here and then this one is split up again

and then these two relate to each other

and these relate to each other like that

and so you look at that and you think

okay good I'm happy with that that looks

good and then if we move on to this this

bottom one if we move on to this one now

and then we start fleshing that out we

start say okay well this one has got

this and this one has got this and then

these two are related and then if I

flesh this one it's like okay well

there's more here but then this one is

related to this one and then this one

but then this one is actually related to

like this one and then there's this one

but then this one is actually related to

like this one over here so straight away

we run into like a an issue it's it's

now already too messy and that's just

from adding one extra concept right as

we add more and more and more it just

becomes even even even more crazy and

the reason is because there's just too

much density there's just too much

density in this area compared to the

rest of it so here's what you should do

instead okay so the first thing that you

did was you worked out that General

basic backbone you were like this and

then that is like this that's fine that

looks good you're happy with that this

is fine this is all good the next step

is like okay so what are the main

Concepts that come off of this you then

add those on across all of them you then

ask are are any of these related to each

other and you might think okay well

these are actually related to each other

and then this is related to this one so

straight away we know that even without

fleshing it out further we might need to

change this up so we would stop here and

we would then take this Unity to redo it

so we would go back we might rearrange

this so that instead it now looks like

this right so we just created a little

bit more space for ourselves and you can

see that already the structure is going

to change and then now we can add on you

know some of the other ones and you say

okay how are they related and that might

be fine and then you add on the next

level so we say okay well what is the

very next level so there's a couple

things here there's a couple things here

this one's just got a few more details

and every single extra thing that we add

on we always think how is that related

the rest how does that fit into the big

picture so as soon as you add on this

one you think okay how how does that

relate to the big picture okay that's

fine this is this is as good as it gets

there's no other relationships we add

another one on here how is that related

okay now we see that this one is

actually related to this one here okay

we can draw that Arrow that's fine we

add another one how is that related to

the big picture okay we now see that

this one is potentially related to this

one that becomes a problem so we take a

we take a pause and then we rearrange so

maybe what I can do is I can move I can

move this one somewhere around uh maybe

I can move this one like all the way

over here so that this Arrow ends up

being a little bit cleaner like this yes

we're still going to have a Crossing but

it's still going to be much cleaner than

it is now so in order for me to do that

I need to reposition this thing so let's

do that so I might add this one on

something that looks like this instead

and that allow that allows me to draw a

connection like that which is a little

cleaner so every new element that's

added we're constantly rearranging if we

delay the rearranging process for too

long starts to get overwhelming cuz now

there's like so many things to move

around it's almost like you can almost

think of it like if you've got a a new

house and you're moving all your

furniture into it it makes more sense to

rearrange the room and think about

everything for each new piece of

furniture you put in because if you

already put all the furniture inside the

house and then you think you want to

rearrange it it's more complicated cuz

now you have to like move all these

other things out of the way and that

takes much more time and much more

effort and it's it's just more

overwhelming so instead it makes much

more sense to re-evaluate constantly as

you go to avoid it so if we were to look

at the uh the map that you that you

initially sent through like this one

what it looks like is probably you

created your overall backbone first with

this one this flow here and this

backbone flow is like it yeah maybe it

can be better but it's like it's not

terrible it's it's it's not bad and then

after that maybe what you did is you

added these ones these kind of blue

lines in first and then afterwards you

added in all these black ones here but

the thing is when you added these black

ones you should also be thinking how

does that relate to all these other blue

ones whereas I think what happened is

that when you started adding these on in

the top right you only thought about how

it creates a network in this space you

didn't think about how it might relate

to the other things that are that are

that are on here so if you were to like

add you know for example like

technological advancement which is right

here in the top right and you think well

how is that going to be potentially

related to domestic income or foreign

income that means that you're given

yourself an earlier opportunity to

rearrange the flow yeah it makes a lot

of sense because what happened to me

during the my mind being is okay let's

use the technological advancement

concept also it's like I is I'm

basically doing inp the web in a way

that I don't think about the

relationship between like technological

advancement to income I just actually

how I think of it is since it branches

out technological advancement so I was

thinking maybe that means that uh the

technological advancement is really Rel

at to income uh in terms of production

which actually is it is logically

logically speaking it is that way that's

why I didn't think yeah the idea here is

that it it it logically makes sense

technological advancement is related to

income because it affects production yes

like that that that does make sense

that's perfectly valid and I'm not

saying don't have it that way but it's

about it's about exploring more more

relationships and then coming to a

judgment about how you want to express

them it's not just like find one that

makes sense it's find like there's

usually multiple ways that things can be

connected to other things there are

multiple ways that things can make sense

and we want to understand more than one

of those ways so that we are aware of

aware of the possible Network that it

can form because like this technological

advancement will definitely be related

to some of these other Concepts as well

now whether it's important enough that

you want to actually put it in your map

that's another story but you do at least

want to think about it and I often talk

about this idea of like zooming in and

out very often zooming in and out very

often by the way I just want to mention

for your stage your current skill level

is fine like all the problems that

you're facing this is completely normal

and expected at your level and you will

probably just naturally learn to

overcome this as well as you progress

through the program cuz now we're

getting into some nuances the missing

part is how quickly you're scrolling in

and out like when you're here when

you're looking at things at a really

really Zoomed In level it's hard to see

the big picture so when you are zoomed

in you put something down okay you've

mapped out this thing you've mapped out

this thing once you've mapped it out

stop zoom out look at the whole picture

how does what you just put in fit with

the whole picture rearrange things if

you need to okay now you can zoom back

in Zoom back in figure out some more of

the relationships okay now zoom out so

you have to be constantly zooming in and

out to see how what you're creating fits

with the big picture right otherwise

what you end up with is you can have

very dense networks of Connections in a

very localized area but then when you

actually look at the big picture it's

actually very confusing and hard to

follow because even though there are

like these pockets of really well

connected things overall it's not well

connected together so it's still quite a

lot for for your brain to try to hold

into and and make sense of the reason

this one is better is because at a big

picture level the connections are

clearer but I suspect that the reason

this one is better is because the topic

was just naturally easier it was just

naturally more organized and more well

categorized and there's probably just

less connections between some of these

peripheral things that you need to think

about and your backbone just is a lot

more intuitive to begin with that's

probably the reason why this one ends up

being clearer whereas this one just ends

up being a little bit more complicated

cuz there's just more nuanced

relationships and again that's normal

and it just means that your skill level

needs to just catch up to that the main

thing for you to work on is doing that

zooming in zooming out and then just

taking a pause after you add on new

keywords and Concepts to think how does

that relate to the big picture so just

give yourself more frequent

opportunities to restructure your map

before it gets to the point where it's

already so committed that it's

overwhelming I think this may be a small

reason but the thing is when I see like

when you stream on live clinic or when

you when other coaches like Draw My Life

demonstration I realize when you dra my

you will be actually quite a zoom out

yeah you will be quite zoom out but for

me uh like just now you will showing

like the concepts the technological

advancement that's actually the whole

thing I can see on my screen when I was

yeah when I was doing ke like my my P so

is it that I just have to deal with this

for this app because yeah if I this is

part of the skill yeah this this is what

I'm saying is that actually the act of

literally just deliberately taking time

to pause zoom out reconnect Zoom back in

zoom out zoom in zoom out zoom in zoom

out right and that's not literally like

just pinching but it's mentally as well

thinking detailed thinking big thinking

detailed thinking big that is part of

the skill when you've got lots of

keywords lots of Concepts to try to work

with you need to do this more frequently

if it's a very small topic there's not

much consequence you can stay zoomed in

for a very long time very detailed and

when you zoom out there's only like two

other Concepts you need to connect it to

it's not too hard but if you've got like

40 different things to connect it to

then by the time you've already mapped

out one part in detail and you look at

the big picture you might realize okay

well you've just missed like all these

other connections now you'd have to undo

what you've just done to try to make it

fit which is just you know like an

ineffective use of time yeah I yeah I

can completely understand it yeah I I

will go and try more because actually if

you see my keywords the keywords that I

choose some of them are actually

relationships like the consequences the

advantages I will just bring you all the

key I think that is actually just my

problem of going too much into details I

think I think you can I don't think you

need to collect quite as many keywords

in the first part I think working with

like 100 keywords when you're still just

learning the skill is a bit too much I

would recommend maybe dropping it down

to like 30 or even 50 is manageable you

won't miss anything because you're going

to come back to it anyway you're not

skipping the keyword you're just

delaying it you're just you're just

partitioning your time differently

you're saying these are the keywords I'm

going to work on now and these are

keyword I'm going to work on later like

what you can do is you can create a list

of keywords and then you can create a su

list of keywords you can look at your

big list and then pull out the ones that

you think are more important and make a

separate

list right skipping information does not

mean you're actually skipping it it just

means that you're being more deliberate

about when you learn it the thing that

should create more uncertainty is if you

feel like you're covering it just

because you've got it down when actually

you haven't learned it properly like

that's the real skip right cuz now you

think you've studied it but it's not in

your memory anyway like if you this is

what we see with people when we they

just like read and reread and rewrite

their notes all the time like yes

they're reading and writing everything

they're not missing anything but

actually everything is being missed cuz

none of it staying in the memory so we

just got to shift our Focus that that

makesense cool all right good luck um

we'll keep in touch anything any any

final remarks or

questions you just yeah it's a very full

session yeah cool awesome thank you so

much um and yeah we we'll be in touch

okay thanks see you later thank you

Justin

[Music]

byebye