It’s not about the Map

Posted by Faizel Mohidin on Jun 13, 2010 in Learning Management Programme, Mind Mapping, Mind Maps in Education | 1 comment

This article has been inspired by the Book, ‘It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life‘, a biography of Lance Armstrong’s recovery after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Lance Armstrong is arguably the best cyclist that ever lived.

Yet, his fame and achievements go beyond his seven Tour de France wins. His ultimate achievement lies entirely somewhere else.

In 1996, Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In 1999 he won the Tour de France, one of the most gruelling cycling races around. The Tour de France covers about 3,600 km (2,200 miles) across France and bordering countries and lasts three weeks.

This was to be the first of an unparalleled seven wins.

His story is one of grit, determination and the human spirit tackling difficulties head on. It is important to note that his book, ‘It’s Not About the Bike’, was written in 2000, just after his first Tour de France win in 1999. He went on to win seven Tour de France’s after this.

It wasn’t written after his successes, but during his struggles.

But why title the book, ‘It’s Not About the Bike’, and what has it to do with Mind Mapping?

There is an idiom that states: ‘A bad workman blames his tools‘, which, in my mind, summarises the principle Lance Armstrong wants to make.

Did Lance Armstrong have the best bike in the business? You bet he did. In fact, he revolutionised the way bicycles were made by using a ‘Formula One’ approach. Bikes used to be assembled from components made and designed by different manufacturers and designers. He got sponsors and manufacturers to collaborate to produce a bike that was designed as a coherent whole, possibly giving him the best bike in the business.

Yet, it’s still not about the bike!

You could give the same bike to a lesser athlete. Would they win seven Tour de France races?

The best workmen DO have the best tools, but it’s not about the tools.

The same goes for Mind Mapping and learning.

The Tools

Mind Maps are described as the Ultimate Thinking Tool and the ‘Swiss Army Knife‘ of the brain, by Tony Buzan, the inventor of the Mind Map.

I’ve seen many Mind Mappers draw perfect Mind Maps, following all the Mind Map Principles. They have a beautiful central image. Their branches are organic and colourful. They print on the branches, with one Key Word per branch.

Yet, they still do poorly.

Are Mind Maps to blame for their poor performance?

I’ve seen many non-Mind Mappers get very good results. Does this mean they can’t benefit from Mind Maps?

I believe a Mind Map is the greatest tool to bring out the best in you. But you need a broader, holistic approach to your learning; And you need to put in the work. There is no easy ride to victory. Look no further than Lance Armstrong’s gruelling recovery program.

Mind Maps will make your life easier and make learning more fun, but it will still be hard work.

All the more reason that you have to work smarter.

We believe that having a learning framework is so important, that we’ve put together an affordable Ebook on the subject to get you started before you invest in expensive tools and services.

If you don’t apply the correct learning principles when creating your Mind Maps, you could end up with a beautiful, colourful, organic Mind Map that meets all the Mind Map Principles, and still not perform.

Lance Armstrong still employed the best coaches, trainers and tools he could afford.

The Map and Reality

A map is not reality, it is just a Map of reality. Imagine visiting South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. You love soccer and this is the first time that the Fifa Soccer World Cup is being played on African soil.

You want to experience the adventure of travelling in Africa, yet enjoy some of the greatest football ever played. You want a guide that will take you there with the least amount of effort, yet provide you with the creativity and freedom to follow your own path.

You arrive in South Africa and go to the nearest market, where you buy a Map of the country. The Map is the most beautiful, colourful Map you have ever seen. But, it wasn’t drawn up by an expert cartographer and didn’t use accurate sources for the information on the Map. The Map doesn’t reflect reality accurately.

Very soon, you will distrust the Map. The less the Map reflects reality, the less you will trust it. Soon you will be looking out for another guide to the country.

You may find a personal guide that knows South Africa well and get the guide to take you through the country. The guide becomes a great help, and is most welcome in a foreign country like South Africa, which has a bad reputation and is notorious for being dangerous. Yet, the guide has limited knowledge on the subject and you are totally dependent on the guide to find your way. The guide is definitely not the best tool to explore the country. The guide does not empower you to explore the country like you envisaged, but the guide appears to be working well and is ‘safe’; just like your linear methods.

The same goes for Mind Maps. Mind Maps can unlock the unlimited potential of your wonderful brain. It can combine both your creative and logical side and allow you to use your brain just like the great geniuses of the world.

But, your Mind Map must reflect reality – It must reflect the content accurately. If not, you will start distrusting your Mind Maps and go back to old, linear ways.

Learning how to Learn

To do this, you need to revisit the way you learn. You need some kind of program that will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Lance Armstrong went on a vigorous program, both mentally and physically, once on the road to recovery.

You need to get on the program of lifelong learning. You need to get to understand good learning principles so that you can record and retrieve information as quickly and accurately as possible.

• You need to have a vision, become motivated, and set goals.
• You need to manage your time effectively.
• You need to read faster, with better comprehension.
• You need to record what you have read with more creativity and accuracy.
• You need to remember what you have read.
• You need to maintain a sound mind and a sound body.

Once you have all this in place, you can start talking about the quality of your ‘bike’.

We have taken these principles and put it into a Learning Management Program, and packaged it in an affordable Ebook to get you started. It is no silver bullet, but it will get you on the right path.

Once you have these principles in place, your Mind Mapping efforts will be improved. You will get better results with less effort and not continue with the law of diminishing returns, where you have to put in more and more effort, with smaller and smaller rewards.

By using Mind Maps to reflect the original content and your own thoughts accurately and by applying a good learning management program, you will soon realise that it’s not about the Mind Map – It’s about the content, and your ability to reflect it accurately and succinctly.

P.S. As stated last week, we are developing an interactive MindMapTutor using Opensource Software. The cost has not been finalised, but it will be much more than the cost of the Ebook. You can get it free, if you purchase the Ebook before end June.