I was not one of the brightest students in my class because I lacked focus on academic tasks. I never tried to dig deeper into finding the real reason behind why I couldn’t concentrate as much as I needed to.
I don’t know if there will be any dividend for me in doing so at this point, but I know for sure that I never enjoyed learning in my school and university days.
I wish I had access to tools like NotebookLM back in the day. It was never going to happen at that point, but I could create mind maps to make learning more fun and interesting.
That might have helped.
While I completed my university degree years ago, I still learn every day, and I don’t repeat the same mistakes.
I create mind maps, but not with a pen and paper. I use SimpleMind, a mind-mapping app, to quickly digest topics and organize my chaotic thoughts.
Google’s NotebookLM just made it easier to understand complex ideas
Turn notes into mind maps with NotebookLM
SimpleMind gives me the easiest way to create and access mind maps
I have tested multiple mind-mapping apps across Android and iOS, and some require a monthly fee to create and access mind maps.
The UI of SimpleMind doesn’t feel anywhere near as polished as many of its rivals that I tested. I use the Lite version of the SimpleMind app, which is free for everyone, so I don’t mind the UI being a bit rough around the edges.
SimpleMind Lite compensates for the UI issues with simplicity and ease of use. It’s easy to get started and create your first mind map.
After installing the app, I just logged in with my Gmail address, and I was ready to go.
After typing the title and the central theme (or the root node) of the mind map, you can type main topics, subtopics (or child nodes) to summarize your main idea.
To keep the map easy to scan and concise, all my nodes are single or a couple of words long.
You can access everything you created by tapping the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner of the app.
That’s how simple the SimpleMind Lite app is. However, simple doesn’t mean it’s bare-bones.
The Lite version of the app includes some handy features that take the mind-mapping experience to a whole new level.
SimpleMind Lite offers strong customization features for a free app
SimpleMind Lite gets all the basics right, and that’s a strong enough reason already to use the app if you love using mind maps.
When I first installed the app on my Android phone, I expected only the basic features. But it offers way more than I expected, even in the free tier.
The SimpleMind Lite app has as many as 17 style sheets. Every mind map is different, and you can add some personality to each by using different style sheets to map a different set of ideas.
I keep changing the styles of the mind maps that I create. It makes my mind maps less boring after they get old.
While I love playing with them, this isn’t my favorite feature in the SimpleMind Lite app. Instead, I’m a fan of its Brainstorm feature, and I appreciate that the app includes it in its free plan.
The Brainstorm tool is incredibly powerful, even for a beginner who has just started using mind maps.
The hardest challenge I faced while creating mind maps was trying to figure out the structure. I also worried way too much about what idea belonged where.
With the Brainstorm tool, you have the option to dump ideas quickly.
After you add all your chaotic thoughts onto the canvas, it gets a lot easier to connect everything using the drag-and-drop capability of the SimpleMind app.
This almost eliminates the possibility of falling prey to the overthinking problem, which is very common, especially among beginners.
Spit everything out onto the canvas, and organize the thoughts later.
I also love the ability to add a little spotlight to topics and subtopics of the mind maps.
While the app allows users to add the spotlight to the root node, I use it primarily to pull attention back to the center when my mind maps get too complex.
This is why I apply the shade everywhere in the mind map, except the main node. All I do is select the branch, tap the three-dot menu, and apply the effect.
Even its powerful customization features feel easy to use, so someone like me, who has just started using mind maps, can use them.
SimpleMind Lite is my favorite way to untangle messy ideas
No other mind map app gets to the point as quickly as the SimpleMind app, and maybe that’s why it clicked with me instantly.
I love its no-nonsense approach, and after I get started typing random thoughts, it starts making sense fast when I use some of the best features in the SimpleMind app.
SimpleMind is the only way I organize my chaotic thoughts.
