As a South African, I feel an extreme sense of pride and joy, as I am posting this article on the birthday of the great Nelson Mandela.

Today, 18 July, has been declared international ‘Mandela Day‘ by the United Nations General Assembly, where everyone is encouraged to do some good for humanity on this day.

This article, the free articles on MindMapTutor.com and UsingMindMaps.com, as well as the free weekly tips are all done in the spirit of giving before you get.

Today, I would like you to put together a plan for lifelong learning.

As Nelson Mandela said about education:

‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’
Nelson Mandela

In South Africa, we are once again in the wake of another major educational change in our school curriculum. But it’s not merely the change to the curriculum that’s making waves, it is the change in the methodology that is causing so much debate and even disruption.

South Africa needed a change in its approach to education after the first free elections in 1994. This brought about major revisions to the curriculum and the methods of teaching and learning.

The ‘Brain Trust’, being the Educational Department, concluded that ‘Outcomes Based Education‘ (OBE) would be the new standard. With OBE came along new methods, new terminology and a learner centric approach to learning, versus a teacher centric approach. It all sounded great.

Unfortunately the practical implementation did not go as well as the academic discussions did.

This led to the current and previous revisions.

The biggest problem that this created, in my opinion, is uncertainty in both parents and students.

While the South African education problem has been, and will still be, debated to death, time marches on. Learners are still graduating every year. They are entering tertiary institutions like universities and colleges. They are entering the workplace and some are becoming entrepreneurs.

What is the message that must be given to them?

While I am not an academic, I am a ‘knowledge worker‘. I’ve made my living in an industry (information technology) that requires constant learning and innovation. My ability to learn faster than my competitor is a definite advantage.

This advantage has taken me from the ‘Third World’ to Europe, where I could apply my knowledge in my chosen field and learn a new language, Dutch.

It allowed me to change career focus as and when I needed.

And it afforded me to write this highly opinionated article today!

Luckily, I am married to an education specialist. She helped me put together a Learning Management Program that can be used to learn any subject under the sun. The program has been tested in the classroom, in the workplace and in self-study.

The strange thing about the program (to me anyway), is the interest that has been shown by people all over the world. Since the program has been packaged into an easily accessible Ebook format, it is now easy available for world wide access and instant download.

Does this mean that educational systems all over the world are in disarray? This conclusion would cause world wide anarchy. But is does mean that brains are in quandary, as Tony Buzan, the inventor of the Mind Map, states in ‘The Mind Map Book’. This is not a South African problem, but a world wide problem.

What has really changed?

With so many different opinions on educational systems all over the world, it is rather obvious to a non-academic like myself that none of them are correct – and all of them are correct. (That should cover me).

If you asked the question: ‘What is a knowledgeable person?‘ today, what would the answer be. Would the answer have been any different if it was asked centuries ago?

Would a person like Leonardo da Vinci be a great mind today?

The answer is a most emphatic ‘Yes!’

I am going to give you some characteristics that I think a brilliant mind should have. I am also going to show you that you can still acquire a brilliant mind if you start now.

And if you acquire these characteristics, you will immediately start improving your competitive advantage.

A great mind has a good memory

Throughout the ages, people have been astounded and impressed by people with great memories. Your ability to recall facts where and when you need it is indispensable. If you start applying memory techniques to your daily life, you will see almost immediate rewards.

The Mind Map is the ultimate mnemonic and memory tool. It is for this reason that Tony Buzan dubbed it the ‘Swiss Army Knife of The Brain’.

The articles on our website UsingMindMaps.com should get you started with Mind Mapping. Our Learning Management Program will really get you going.

No matter the country, the language, the education system – improving your memory can only give you advantages over those with poor memories.

A great mind can apply what has been learned

Once again, let’s look at Leonardo da Vinci. He has left behind a legacy of applying his knowledge. We know that he was a great mind because of the practical applications of his knowledge, not the volumes of textbooks that he wrote on the subject.

He even has a lot of impractical models that would never work, as a part of that legacy.

In other words, even he was not always right!

Don’t be afraid. Apply what you have learned. Use the scientific approach, which is as follows:

• You start with hypothesis
• You test the hypothesis
• You get feedback from the tests
• You do some more tests based on the feedback
• Continue until you succeed

There is a statement goes something like: ‘To succeed more often, you have to fail more often‘. In other words, the more attempts you make, the greater the likelihood of success, (but also the greater the likelihood of failure).

Thomas Edison, arguably one of the greatest inventors of the modern era, is reported to have failed 10,000 times before he successfully invented the incandescent light bulb.

A great mind shows insight

By continuously improving your memory and applying what you have learned, you will in a very short space of time begin to show insights that other people find amazing.

Those are the same characteristics that define a genius.

By improving your memory and applying what you have learned, you will start to make connections between diverse subjects. Those connections will bring about a new thinking, a new approach.

This is how human knowledge evolves.

Coming back to the great Leonardo da Vinci, you will see that he was a great mathematician, scientist, inventor, artist and lots more.

Does your current approach to learning enable you to do this?

Most people stop structured learning once they stop formal education. What they don’t realise is that their school, college and university qualifications are only the beginning.

It is with this in mind that our Learning Management Program was put together. There is nothing new in it, but it does package things in a simple 10 step program that virtually guarantees that you will learn faster and easier, than with having no system.

The program prepares you for learning by revisiting your vision, your goals, your time management and gets you motivated to succeed.

You then go about honing the skills needed: memory, reading and note taking.

After this, you refine the application of the skills by developing a method to learn, study and test your knowledge.

The program ends with advice on keeping sharp by looking after your Mind, Body and Spirit.

All this is done with Mind Maps, using our unique MindMapTutor concept.

Conclusion

While educational systems all over the world differ, the concept of a great mind is almost universal.

You therefore need an approach to learning that can be applied within any system – in any country.

It is with the universal principles of Recall, Application and Insight that our Learning Management Program was developed so that you can stay on a path of lifelong learning and maintain a competitive edge by being able to learn faster and easier.

I’ve given you enough information to develop your own program, but I recommend that you get hold of our Learning Management Program today, so that you can speed up the process of lifelong learning  – starting NOW!

Our methods are easy to learn, simple to use and produce fast results – no matter what educational system you are using.

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.

I remember back in 2001, when she, with a teaching qualification, told me that she would like to study in an entirely new field. We had just returned to South Africa after spending about three years in The Netherlands and were getting to terms with the conditions back in Africa.

Living in an emerging market and living in a first world country are vastly different.

We had two kids that had to readjust, we had to get jobs, buy a house, get cars…The list just goes on and on.

Changing careers quite late in life, and starting a degree from scratch via distance learning, was not the easiest thing in the world to do. It took great courage, great sacrifice and a good learning methodology.

Luckily, she is also a keen Mind Mapper. She taught using Mind Maps in the classroom and while many of her students did not become Mind Mappers themselves, they were able to get good results by using the ready made Mind Maps that she provided.

During her studies, she produced over 30 Mind Maps for each subject. Each of these Mind Maps became imprinted in her brain, even though she does not claim to have a photographic memory.

Last year, while trying to get our 17 year old son to learn more efficiently, I decided to prove the power of Mind Maps to him. Jasmine’s folder with her Mind Maps was lying on our dining room table. I randomly chose one of the Mind Maps and told him that I will test Jasmine on how well she remembers this Mind Map. (Bear in mind that she had no idea of what I was up to.)

She was still busy studying when I asked whether I could disturb her with an important experiment. I told her that I was going to test her on a random Mind Map chosen from her folder.

She was a bit nervous about this being sprung on her, but she reluctantly agreed.

Well, she could recall the Mind Map 100%. Even better, she could tell us exactly what position on the page, each branch was, what was highlighted and the relationships between the branches. She could even relate this to other Mind Maps.

We had to stop her, as she would probably still be rambling on today, if we didn’t stop her!

The proof was overwhelming, even though she does not believe she is particularly clever.

Mind Maps really do work!

But more than just Mind Maps are needed. We’ve put together a Learning Management Program, which is available in easy to read Ebook format. The program takes you through the whole process of learning – The same process that produced a working mother, wife and part-time student an honorary degree Cum Laude.

I am more excited than ever with what we are doing and what will be coming down the line. We will continue to provide you with information and guidance so that you can maintain a competitive advantage by being able to learn easier and faster.

Keep a look out for our ready to use MindMapTutors on various subjects. They will be coming soon and they will make your learning and grow even easier and more fun.

You could also enrol for our monthly newsletter on UsingMindMaps.com. Enrolment will also give you access to a free email course based on our learning management program, as well as access to an online ‘How to Mind Map’ course.

I don’t see myself as an activist. I never was and I never will be. But I do believe that I do my best to make a difference within my own limitations.

Take MindMapTutor.com, or this very article, for example. It is done in the spirit of giving what I know to help as many people as possible. It is my version of ‘giving back’ what I have received in more abundance than many. I believing in giving more than I get back. In this case it is giving back to the environment.

I do charge for some services, though. So no good Samaritan labels!

A Short overview of global warming

We have all heard about the effects of Global warming and those that watched Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, started making this a moral issue. Once again, I leave that path to the activists.

Carbon dioxide and other gases naturally trap solar heat to warm the surface of our planet. This is a natural phenomenon and is required to keep our planet habitable. By burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil and clearing forests at an alarming rate, we have drastically increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. The amount of carbon dioxide you produce is termed your ‘carbon footprint’.

This has caused ‘global warming’. Temperatures are starting to rise. This is causing glaciers to melt, animals to leave their natural habitats and the number of droughts and floods to increase.

We can solve this problem. Some would say that we have a moral obligation to do so. This article is about how I saw an opportunity to make a difference and took the decision to do so. Even small differences to your daily life can add up to make a big difference.

MindMaptutor’s beginnings

A few years ago, I was looking for a hosting company for my new website, MindMapTutor.com. I obviously wanted something that wasn’t too expensive, but I also wanted to provide excellent service. “Uptime” and speed are very important to visitors of any sight. I simply did not trust any of the free hosting companies. (A good thing, as I heard recently that GeoCities, the free hosting services provided by Yahoo! has ended their service to website owners.)

I also had to fund my own hosting, so it definitely had to be value for money.

When evaluating various hosts, there was one factor that swung it Hostgator’s way. They were an affordable Green hosting company. But that wasn’t all. They also provided unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth and 99.9% guaranteed uptime. They met all the criteria I required.

Now, in case you don’t know what a Green company is, it is a company that cares for the environment and its carbon footprint.

The IT Data Centre’s use of energy

It is a fact that IT Data Centres consume 3%-4% of all electricity with its obvious associated emissions. It uses electricity to not only power the servers, but also to cool the servers.

The energy requirements of cooling servers are not very well known. For every watt that is needed to power a server, one to two watts are needed to cool it. You need at least twice as much renewable energy if you want to power and cool your servers with renewable energy.

When I read that Hostgator is 130% green certified, I wondered, ‘What does this mean?”

Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)

RECs allow you to offset your power usage against renewable energy resources by purchasing credits in a renewable source. If the renewable source puts this energy into the grid and you take energy out of the grid, (even if you are not in the same region as the renewable source), your net effect can be one of creating renewable energy versus consuming traditional energy. You could therefore have a positive net effect in reducing global warming.

Hostgator has bought renewable energy credits (RECs), by paying a Texas windfarm to generate energy on its behalf. This power is put into the grid. When Hostgator uses this power from the grid, it offsets it against the credits purchased.

In this way you can benefit by contributing to the use of renewable energy resources, even if your power comes from the general grid.

MindMapTutor’s approach

Now let’s take MindMapTutor as an example. On my own, I don’t have the resources to fund a wind farm, or power my hosting servers directly using renewable energy. But, by hosting with a company that is Green certified, my host servers are giving back more than they are taking out.

In this way MindMapTutor.com can be seen as a ‘Green’ website and contributing to saving the planet.

You can also minimise your impact on the environment. A quick start can be found at CarbonTracker.com, which lists 11 ways in which you can easily make a difference.

While this is a very short article, it was a very difficult one to write. Global warming and environmental issues are not my area of expertise. I just wanted to make sure that you are aware of the problem and show that sometimes a little forethought can make a huge difference.

We are just coming out of an economic recession, where many investments, including safe investments like people’s homes have shown negative growth.

This article is based on an article that I wrote about a year ago. The article was about increasing your net worth without needing lots of cash.

I am glad to say that my investment would’ve had a positive growth in any economy, even during this economic recession. While I did not offer immediate riches, I did promise that you would increase your net worth, no matter what your current situation is, without needing lots of cash.

I asked you to imagine changing only one thing in your life and receiving almost immediate rewards and then went about showing you the one thing that you could change to receive these rewards.

Despite my guarantee of an increased net worth without investing lots of cash, I am sure that very few people that read the article made the investment. It’s not too late. You can still invest with guaranteed returns!

Why do so few people do this investment?

Ask yourself the question, “How much have I invested in myself the past year?” Compare this to the amount invested in entertainment.

Pareto, an Italian economist, described a phenomenon based on the land ownership in Italy where 80% of the land was owned by 20% of the population. This later became known as the Pareto Principle. 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people, 80% of your income will come from 20% of your customers, 80% of the wealth is owned by 20% of the people.

80% of the knowledge is held by 20% of the people.

The same goes for this investment, 20% of the people will try to improve themselves. The other 80% will be exactly where they are a year later.

How will this give you a competitive advantage?

Look around you. Look at yourself. How do you rate yourself against the people you work with. How does your knowledge and your expertise compare.

How many “excellents” do you see. I am afraid to say that most people will just be mediocre. Are you one of the “excellents”, or are you one of the “mediocres”?

Are you in the top 80%?

If you are not, then this article can be most important article you’ve ever read!

Your ability to learn faster than your competitors may be your only sustainable competitive advantage – Arie de Geus.

Choose an area you would like to improve in and put a programme in place to manage your learning and make 2010 the year that you turned your life around!

Let’s look at the programme in action

In 1985, at the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle and a product of apartheid education, I entered the workplace, working at the Post Office in one of the units that allowed ‘non-white’ entry.

Today I am the Business Intelligence Manager at a leading fashion retailer in South Africa with solid International and cross-industry work experience behind me.

What is it that made me progress from a poor, non-white Post Office worker to a well paid Senior Manager doing a job that I love?

• It wasn’t favouritism
• It wasn’t political affiliations
• It wasn’t salesmanship
• It wasn’t bribery

It was simply increasing my knowledge in my field of choice!

Our high school principle, Mr Ritchie, gave us one important message: ‘They can discriminate against your colour, your race and many other things, but don’t let them discriminate against your results or your knowledge.’

While I did not realise the value of the message at the time, it later became the core of my modus operandi.

Today I am sharing this message with you, on my own website, designed and hosted by me. Living in a so-called ‘Third World Country’ or ‘Emerging market’, I am able to reach an international audience, writing about topics I love, Mind Mapping and Lifelong Learning.

I don’t view myself as being more intelligent than the next person. In fact, my results at school were pretty average. Yet, my achievements were all based on the ability to acquire knowledge quickly and easily.

With this growth came various promotions and financial reward. I was able to work entirely as a knowledge worker in a foreign country, The Netherlands, where Dutch is not my mother tongue, as part of their highly skilled migrant programme.

I was able to learn the Dutch Language and obtain a Dutch as second language diploma within a year by attending ‘night classes’. I was able to come back to South Africa and work as a contractor, being paid based entirely for my knowledge. I was able to learn enough web design to do this website and a few others. I was able to do a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and work as a Senior Manager today.

All this, because I discovered that the secret to success is gaining knowledge in your field. So to get ahead, simply increase the knowledge that you have of what you are doing right now!

Applying the programme

Let’s use a simple example to illustrate the point. Assume you are a waiter (or perhaps you are one) and you are not highly educated. What will make you a better waiter than your colleague? I can immediately think of a few things:

• Courtesy
• Friendly Greeting
• Knowledge of the menu
• What accompanies various dishes, etc.
• Memorising orders
• Etc.

I’m sure you can think of a few things yourself, even if you are not a waiter.

Now by simply increasing your knowledge of some of the above aspects, you can easily become the best waiter at your current workplace. You could even do a bit of research on the Internet, like I did, and come across the following site (http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Waiter) on how to be a waiter. You would then be in with a good chance to get a better waitering job, or even be promoted to being in charge of other waiters.

You could take it further, if you realise you are in the hospitality industry and grow your knowledge further…

As you can see, the above scenario illustrates a simple, but effective strategy to get ahead by simply increasing your knowledge.

Short-cutting the process

What am I selling?

To cut to the chase, I am simply saying that because knowledge is the key to your success, doesn’t it make sense for you to learn how to gain knowledge in the quickest possible way?

By learning how to learn you ensure that you have the shortest possible path to increasing your knowledge and therefore increasing your value and your net worth.

With this principle in mind, my wife Jasmine and I decided to put our efforts into learning how to learn. She is currently an Education Specialist in the South African Parliament after being in the same high school class as I and coming from an even more deprived background than mine.

The important point to note is that just focusing on learning was not enough!

We had to learn how to learn. And if we could learn effectively, we could learn faster than the next person, have more knowledge than them about our chosen subject and therefore be seen as an expert and therefore fast track our growth.

We explored all sorts of learning strategies and methods and tested them both in the classroom situation and in the workplace.

The result of all our efforts was our Learning Management Programme.

We wanted to ensure that we had a holistic approach to acquiring knowledge that allowed us to learn as much as possible, as quickly as possible. Our methods had to be Easy to Learn, Simple to Use and Produce Fast Results.

We also wanted the programme to be used in all walks of life. Whether you are a high school student, or a doctor doing Post Graduate studies, you will be able to gain by following the programme. The programme is a holistic one that allows you to manage your learning, so that you are in control and therefore ensuring that you are on the path to success.

The framework

I am giving you the framework for no cost at all. Everything that you need to increase your net worth is right here!

But if you want to fast track the process, enroll for our Learning Management Programme.

Our Learning Management Programme started with Studying and Learning Methods. This is still at the heart of the programme, we’ve just added the body!

The Programme covers the following topics:

• Module 1: Motivation to learn – Covers why motivation is poor in so many cases. It then goes on to give step by step instructions to get you motivated to do your best.
• Module 2: Time Management – Teaches you how to get through the volume of work in the time you have available.
• Module 3: Learning Methods - Firstly gets you to evaluate your current methods and then introduces you to a method that can be applied immediately.
• Module 4: The Reading module - Shows you how to read effectively thus increasing your reading speed, comprehension and recall.
• Module 5: Effective Note Taking – Shows you methods that reduce the monotony and boredom of traditional note taking. It shows you how you can get better results with less effort!
• Module 6: Perfect Memory – Is achievable once you know how the brain works and how you remember. You will be given methods to increase both short term and long term memory.
• Module 7: Exam Technique - Prepares you for exam writing.
• Module 8: Sound Mind, Sound Body – Shows you the importance of keeping healthy – mentally, physically and spiritually. It also gives you principles that can be applied no matter what your beliefs are.

So, if you are ready to embark on this journey, enroll now for our programme to fast track your efforts. This is the small investment spoken of in the heading of this article.

Or just simply put a plan in place to focus on your area of expertise and become better at it. This is the ‘free’ investment.

Whatever you choose, good luck in your efforts!

Even with this offer, 80% of my students will come from 20% of my readers!

Technorati Tags: mind maps, mind mapping, learning management

I can’t believe that it was a decade ago that we were talking about the next millennium. It was November 1999, with just over a month to go before every computer system in the world could be a potential time bomb. Just a month before that, I was on board a flight to The Netherlands with my wife Jasmine, my six year old son and my four month old daughter to embark on what was to be the biggest adventure of my life.

Having grown up on the ‘wrong side of the line’ in Apartheid South Africa, many opportunities were not freely available to me. I was 25 when Nelson Mandela was released in February 1990, after spending 27 years in prison. He was in jail my entire life. During this time we worked under many restrictions. There was job reservation, the Group Areas Act to keep people of ‘the same kind’ together and of course separate education.

Having passed high school with an average pass in a poor educational system, how was it possible to be able to secure a job as part of a ‘highly skilled’ migration initiative of a first world country? (I went to the Netherlands based on their shortage of ‘highly skilled’ information technology workers for the ‘millennium bug’.)

Before I continue, I want to make sure that you understand that this is not a romantic novel. When I speak of these achievements, it seems to take on a romantic flavour, which is purely unintentional. It was a lot of hard work to get to that point, but the process is simple – find something you love and become the best you can at it.

This simple philosophy enabled me, a previously disadvantaged individual with a poor education, to compete with the best on the international stage.

After Nelson Mandela was released from jail, my whole mindset had to change. While I was not an anti-apartheid activist of note, I was obviously affected by the politics of the country and made certain choices based on this. With Mandela’s release and impending changes in our country, I had to decide what the future would hold. I realised that I could no longer use the laws of the country as an excuse and should stop fighting the institution. I had to find a way to go forward.

Many of the anti-apartheid activists are very wealthy today because of the employment equity and black empowerment initiatives and not because of the contribution they made to society. This was not the route I wanted to follow.

Coincidentally a recent public spat between two ANC officials led one of them to say the following to the media:

‘Since 1994, I’ve seen many good comrades corrupted by power in government, business or both…’

This has validated my decision to earn by ‘giving’ first.

Luckily, I married my wife who was an educator at heart, (co-incidentally in the same year that Nelson Mandela was released). She has dedicated almost her whole adult life to learning and teaching. In fact, it is now 5.30 a.m. on a Saturday morning and she is busy studying while I am writing this.

She has not stopped learning. But more importantly, she has not stopped teaching. Even though she is no longer a school teacher, she is still involved in education, as she now works as an Education Specialist in the Parliament of South Africa.

She taught me the value of lifelong learning and introduced me to Mind Maps. I then became the ‘evangelist’ of Mind Mapping and started using it everywhere, from motivation to goal setting, from time management to memory, from note taking to note making. There was almost nothing I did that wasn’t affected by Mind Mapping.

Mind Mapping enabled me to also get onto the bandwagon of lifelong learning.

It enabled me to go from 1994, when the first democratically elected government was put in place, to The Netherlands in 1998 as a Senior Oracle Database Administrator, passing all the technical tests and requirements to work with a team of Database Administrators from all over the world. It also enabled me to get a Dutch second language diploma within a year.

While my stance did not bring me tons of wealth, it enabled me to experience things that money could not buy.

It was not my intention to give an autobiographical account when I started writing this article, but I hope that it could add some value to your life. I’ve therefore decided not to edit it out.

Let’s get back to the topic at hand, preparing for 2010. I am really going to try and convince you that you need to embark on a programme of lifelong learning. We are so serious about this that we’ve actually developed a Learning Management Programme, that covers a broad spectrum of learning and learning how to learn.

The programme was tested on individuals as well as in the classroom and has now been put online. This has been proven to be more difficult than I imagined, but it is beginning to shape up nicely. We will probably be honing it and improving it for years to come. While it may not make us rich, it does fit into our ’stubborn philosophy’ of first giving before getting.

This was also not meant to be a sales letter. Those of you that have been following my weekly articles for the last year,  will know that this is not a weekly sales letter. It is simply my attempt to use my knowledge and experience to add value to as many people’s lives as possible.

The following topics are covered in our Learning Management Programme. I am going through them here so that you can use this knowledge to develop your own Learning Management Programme if you want to. You can do this by research, as most of the information can be found on the Internet or in various books. Of course, you could also join our Programme and get access to all of this in one place!

It is important to note that spending some time on how you are going to manage your learning will be time well spent.

Motivation to Learn

Motivation is obviously one of the most important, if not the most important, aspects of learning. You need to find out how you can become motivated and stay motivated to achieve what you want to in life. Beware of the motivational tricks offered by many of the motivational gurus, which leaves you ‘pumped up’ while watching them or reading their books, but actually gets you to take no action.

if you’ve ever encountered some of them and felt that you are going to change the world after that, yet remained exactly where you were a few months later, then you know exactly what I mean.

Time Management

There are many time management theories out there. All of them work. Pick One! Picking a method and using it is the best advice I can give you. No, it is the second best advice. The best advice is ‘Things which are more important should never be at the mercy of things which are less important!’

Reading

While you have been reading all your life, how much time have you spent improving your reading skills? Are you still using the same reading methods you used when you where seven years old?

Improving your reading skills is one of the biggest investments in yourself that you can make. With the information overload today, it’s not a case of having access to too little information, it’s a case of having access to too much information! By improving your reading speed and comprehension, you will be able to get through more, understand more and remember more.

Note Taking

By now you should obviously know that I promote Mind Mapping as a note taking method. If you are still using boring linear notes, then Mind Mapping or any other method that introduces colour, imagination and spatial awareness will drastically improve your results.

Mind Maps engage both the left brain and right brain, both the logical and creative side of your brain. I have written a lot about this on MindMapTutor.com.

Perfect Memory

Many scientists believe that our memory is actually perfect. By learning how to improve your memory, you will be able to remember more with less effort. While you may not get to reach the perfect memory state, any improvement will give you an advantage in life.

Learning Methods

There are tons of Learning and Study Methods around. Once again, I recommend that you choose one and work through it. They are like diets. All of them work, but you have to stick to it to make it work.

Exam Technique

If you plan to embark on any formal learning, then learning some exam techniques can really ensure that you get the best results possible. Many learners focus on ‘putting the information in’ and very little time on how to get it out.

Learning these techniques can be beneficial to you whether you are studying formally or informally, as you still have to recall what you put in.

Sound Mind, Sound Body

Looking after your physical and mental state is of the utmost importance. You can do everything else right, but if you ignore this, you are bound to achieve below your true potential.

I really hope that this inspires you to put together a plan for 2010 as soon as possible. Explore some of the concepts in this article and then choose a subject that you love, put a plan together and learn as much as you are capable of throughout the year.

The rewards will come…

Finally, I leave you with a quote that I’ve used frequently and sums up a lot of what I am trying to teach:

Your ability to learn faster than your competitors may be your only sustainable competitive advantage – Arie de Geus.

We provide a study method that uses both sides of the brain. By combining Mind Mapping and the Cornell Method, we give you the best of both worlds.

While Mind Maps naturally use both sides of the brain, we find that students battle to shift from their old linear ways. We therefore show you The Cornell Method as it can easily be followed if you come from the ‘linear’ side. It is also easy to convert to a Mind Map and vice versa.

We also take you through the various phases that each study session should go through. This will ensure that you follow a method that is consistent and works!

We start from a high level ‘birds eye view’ of the subject and then dive deeper and deeper into the details. This ensures that you go from the know to the unknown, which is the basis for learning to take place.

Enrol now for our Learning Management Programme and start getting the results you deserve!

You might be thinking that this person is very bold to even attempt to answer this question! The answer is quite simple though -  any method that utilises the whole brain!

Scientists have now almost universally agreed that the left and right halves of the brain largely have different functions. (For those of you that don’t know, the brain looks very much like a walnut, with two visibly distinct halves.)

The left side of the brain is the logical side and deals with lists, numbers and structured information etc., while the right side of the brain is the artistic side and handles colour, sensory experiences and unstructured information.

While the above is not entirely true, as both halves share some functions, using both the artistic side and the structured side in learning will greatly improve retention and understanding.
You now have a very good yardstick to measure any study method by.

Why is YourTutor’s study method so special?

This is even easier than the first question – our study method is so special because it actively incorporates both sides of the brain!

It uses Mind Maps®, and the Cornell Method. The artistic, visual learners will be more comfortable with Mind Maps®, while the logical, linear learners will be more comfortable with the Cornell Method.

Only by using both these methods, will the whole brain be used.

How does your Study Method shape up?

While this may be true, studies have shown that most of us have a dominant learning style, which fits into only a few categories.

If you prefer to learn by someone telling you, you probably have an auditory learning style.

If you prefer to learn by images and being able to picture the material, you probably have a visual learning style.

Lastly, if you prefer to feel, touch and do, you probably have a tactile or kinaesthetic learning style.

We provide you with a very simple questionnaire, which enables you to determine your learning style. This will help you in the learning process, as you can use methods that play to your strengths.

Enrol now for our Learning Management Programme and discover your learning style. Then go on to think of ways to help you get the most out of your learning sessions. You can do this by producing material that suits your learning style.

For Auditory, you could make recordings of yourself, or get somebody to read some of your notes to you.

For Visual, use visual images, colour and emphasis in your notes. Mind Mapping is a perfect way for the visual learner to learn.

For Tactile, or Kinaesthetic, do practical exercises and find actual real life examples for you to get a better ‘feel’ for the subject.

It is not the remembering that is a problem, it is the recal that is poor.

There are numerous cases of people remembering things from their distant past in their dreams, under hypnosis, or when they have a near death experience. ‘My whole life flashed before my eyes’, is a statement that comes to mind.

It is widely believed by people that have studied memory and memory techniques that the correct trigger can get you to recall information that you think to be long forgotten.

A story to illustrate the point

I will now relay to you a story that I often use as an example.

My wife and I were out on our morning stroll one morning. We often go for walks – in our neighbourhood, in one of the surrounding forests, or by the sea. Cape Town is truly a beautiful place to do this. Within 10-15 minutes drive we have access to mountains, forests, lakes (vleis) and sea.

While we were walking I came across the smell of biscuits baking. This aroma of freshly baked biscuits brought back a flash of childhoold memories; memories that I thought I had long forgotten.

It brought back the memories of childhood friends and primary school. It brought back memories of soccer games, both victories and losses. It also brought back feelings of great joy.

It brought back all of this because of a lady that used to bake biscuits at the time and who happened to live on our route to the soccer fields.

Imagine if one of your five senses can bring all of this back, what the use of all five can do to your memory!

All you need is the correct trigger.

Enrol for our Learning Management Programme

In the memory section of our Learning Management Programme, we show you how you can use your imagination to link what you are learning to your five senses. Imagination and association are two of the key aspects to perfecting your memory.

You will also learn how categories, hierarchies, mnemonics and other techniques can increase you ability to remember.

By working on your memory you can begin to awaken the genius in you, as these are the same techniques used by the geniuses of the world.

The Mind Map is the perfect tool for a perfect memory

With a Mind Map, you can use imagination, association and all your senses to build up a picture representing the material that you want to remember. This picture can be recalled with perfect accuracy even years later. It serves as the perfect trigger to recall huge amounts of complex information, as the Mind Map is in itself a multidimensional memory device. It allows you to build a three dimensional image that uses cross association, colour and time to which you can associate the material that you want to remember.

It is not for nothing that Tony Buzan, the inventor of the Mind Map, calls it the swiss army knife of the brain.