Hey hey visual people!
Before I get into the simple beauty of drawing connections and boosting memory, I want to share a little somethin'.
I meant to snap a photo of my 2016 Vision Board for you in the last newsletter and just spaced it. So here it is for you today! I hung it on the wall by my desk where I can see it every day.
Right. On to the memory boosting goodness!
Have you ever been taking notes in a meeting, and things are really getting good, your team is grooving and getting creative. Then someone says something that totally relates to that idea you were just talking about...who said that? I could swear I just wrote it down here...
And then it's lost.
That insight, that connection nobody had seen or thought of and you did, just floats away because you were trying to keep your idea in mind, find what it was that it connected to in your notes, and also trying to follow the conversation that continued to move on.
Today I want to share with you some visual tools you can use to draw connections, both on your paper and as a frame of mind.
By using the simple shapes below, you can transform your notes into idea-connecting, memory-boosting, creativity-enhancing gems that will help everyone be on the same page and remember what you talked about.
When I was in college, before I knew about graphic recording, I learned about taking notes using mind maps. You start with a central idea in the center of the page and draw a circle or rectangle around it, then write sub-topics around it, connecting them to the main idea with lines. Each sub-topic had supporting ideas, written around them, etc. At the end of an hour-long class I'd have a page full of notes in a web, with concepts connecting through lines and circles.
I'll never forget the impact this had on my studies. One day during a test, as I read a question, I could literally see in my mind the part of the page the answer was written on. I was able to visually recall the information in the mind map, which I had never been able to do taking normal, linear notes.
Now, imagine getting even more creative and venturing beyond circles and lines. What kind of mental and emotional impact could that have on your meetings?
(Hint: click on the image below to see the larger version)
I also want to challenge you to be someone who is looking for connections, trying to see larger patterns and how ideas fit together. Think critically. Take chances -- you won't always get it right, but asking those clarifying questions will make your team's ideas all the more clear and strong.
Do you have other memory-boosting tips that have worked in your meetings? Come on over to the blog and share in the comments so others can benefit from your wisdom.
If you liked this tip, please sign up for my emails and if you'd like, I'd be so grateful if you shared it with your friends!
Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.
Cheers, Karina
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Tomorrow and Friday I'll be working with CSU's new One Health Institute to develop a purpose and decide where to focus as the institute takes root and grows at the University. Here's a glimpse of what the Strategic Advisory Committee discussed to prepare for the event.