Information Overload

Is your work load driving you crazy? Mind Map your way to a more stress free life! 2008 is to be the year of information overload according to Canadian research giants Basex. Each day we are exposed to 300 emails on our Blackberry; spam on our computer; instant messaging conversations; and heaps of tasks coming from phone calls, text messages and face-to-face meetings, often resulting in four or five page to-do lists. In fact according to Nucleus Research 2 out of 3 employees suffer from information overload and the average working person has 37 hours of unfinished work going on at any one

time.

But how do you keep on top of it without going crazy? Award-winning entrepreneur Caroline Wagstaff believes mind maps are the answer. She advises, if you want to cut down on stress, you need to say goodbye to traditional ‘to do’ lists, which are often dull, ineffective and depressing and say hello to the growing trend of people using visually-based mind maps.

Mind maps are simple visual ‘spider diagrams’ used to represent words, ideas or tasks using bubble, pictures and colour. The result is an effective, fun, and versatile way to document, remember and prioritise your hectic life. They also stimulate your motivation and creativity making them an all-round life-changing tool.

Caroline, who uses Mindjet’s MindManager software to create maps on her computer is convinced they have changed her life; becoming a vital piece or armour in her business success. She explains; “Mind maps are heaps better than tradition ‘to do’ lists as they help you prioritise your goals and tasks into manageable chunks.