Celine, over at Pimp Your Work, talks about MindMeister as a good tool to try. It’s online, you can share with others, and you can see changes in real time. And it offers a free trial.

I bought NovaMind a couple of years ago and have been using it. Er, I was when I was still in school, as it was helpful for brainstorming projects. I should start using it again for writing. There’s something about following a crazy tangent in a mind map that can spark some really great ideas.

You could even use a mind map to get organized. How? Try listing all the things that you could organize, and then any ways to accomplish it. Just toss out whatever pops into your head. Don’t censor yourself. Just write down everything. Do it with software, or with a pen and paper.

When you’re done, take a look at the list you’ve generated. There are probably some ideas that you can run with right now (like clearing your desk) and some that will take more time (like setting up a filing system). See what storage ideas you can come up with based on what you already have on hand.

The point is to try some old tools in a new way. Shake things up a bit. Approach a problem from a new angle. You just may get inspired with a terrific idea to help you be more organized and productive. What unusual or new ideas have helped you break the organizational rut?

Image: morgueFile

Post from: My Organized Biz