How to Use Mind Mapping for Goal Setting

Goal setting is everywhere in our lives. You may set goals for your health, financial plan, careers, and all around your daily life. As a consultant, I am familiar with many goal setting approaches of transforming the status quo into future. Today I would like to suggest mind mapping as the best goal setting solution to ensure accomplishments of your goals. You may wonder what mind mapping is, and then I will show you the definition of mind mapping.

What is a Goal Setting Mind Map?

Mind Mapping is a hot trend in recent years as it has been widely used in education, business, and life management fields all over the world. Originally, the word “mind map” is put forward by Tony Buzan in the late 1960s to offer a visual way when brainstorming. Generally speaking, a mind map is a visual illustration of hierarchical information which contains a central idea with several branches of related evidence. So a goal setting mind map might be an intuitive representation of detailed steps to set goals.

Criteria for Setting a Goal with Mind Mapping?

There is a standard criterion for goal setting which is the SMART rule. It is the fundamental rule which is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time Sensitive.

Specific – A specific goal means that you should define what you want to achieve in details.

Measurable – A measurable goal should be put forward with data support and under concise metrics.

Attainable – An attainable goal requires you to set with considering status quo and abilities in reaching the goal.

Relevant – A relevant goal should be based on a specific field and not overstep the boundary.

Time Sensitive – There should be a time limitation for your goal as opportunities might be seized by any others who are faster than your paces.

Steps of Using Mind Mapping for Goal Setting

1. Set the central topic

It is obvious that the central topic of a goal setting mind map must be a GOAL, but the only one-word goal could not represent the central topic of the whole map. There must be some qualifications for the central topic – GOAL like personal or community goals, annual or monthly goals etc.

2. Boldly predict according to past data and outcomes

For private goals, there might have been several lessons to draw before setting goals with mind maps. You should learn from mistakes to predict SMART goals. While for common goals of communities, previous data and outcomes should be checked as references for bold predictions. Those goals should also be measured by SMART metrics.

3. Visualize goals of mind map

The reason why selecting mind mapping for goal setting is that mind maps are intuitive to illustrate the goals. If you use pen and paper for a mind map, you should use different colors and draw some stick figures for decorations. And if you use mind mapping software like Edraw MindMaster, you can drag and drop relative pre-set clip-arts in libraries to any topics. 

4. Put forward an action plan

If you set complete goals and want to reach them, you still need an action plan with those goals. An action plan is a monitor for the accomplishment of goals. If you draw with a pen, you need to at least draw at a sup topic as action plans while if designing with mind mapping tools, some software has powerful task management function to help you with this action plan with even reminders.

After knowing those definitions and practical steps in using min maps for goal setting, you may fall into the joy of mind mapping. With this effective tool, goals could be set to achieve handily. Have a trial of using mind mapping for goal setting, you will be fond of this tool.

(P.S. The maps above were created using Edraw MindMaster mind mapping software.)

Resource from http://www.mindmapsoft.com/goal-setting-mind-mapping/