The Underlying Blog

Are You a Dinosaur?

'We are all information managers, whether we acknowledge it or not, the fact that we create, manage and exchange information to gain knowledge is a testament to the human need for expansion.' -Wallace Tait-

 

Amen. A recent theme for me is how impossible it is to stay still: you either get worse or you get better as a recent post by my buddy Rich Schefren illustrates. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO STAY THE SAME. In the 21st century knowledge is a commodity to be managed and if you don't think so you'd better start looking for your jeans in the dinosaur department. Because if you don't acknowledge it, your competitor will... and down the line you'll hear the cannon of competition in the distance, growing louder every day.

Curious to learn what all the fuss is about? You can read Wallace Tait's Interview here:

Assistive Technology: Visual Mapping and the Information Economy

Technorati tags: Wallace Tait, Brian Friedlander, Kyle McFarlin, Information Economy, Visual Strategist, Rich Schefren

The Paradox of Blogging

Someone out there has to have written about the blogging paradox I'm experiencing: When business is booming/busy, I'm a sucky blogger. I mean not just mediocre but terrible. Some of you bloggers out there who work 80 hour weeks and still put up articles on the intellectual motivations of Fred Flintstone and management theories of Barney Fife... my hats off to you, because I seem to be falling short.

Another reason I think I don't blog as much as some of the other mind mapping bloggers is that I tend to think in terms of total systems to the Nth degree. When I start blogging about mind mapping in earnest in the coming months with deep content posts, I'll be coming from a position of having something more comprehensive to say. It's just not my personality to blog this cool mind map or that. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

In the meantime, I want to refer you to some buddies of mine who are delivering great content to you, NOW. The team at VisualMapper.org, Wallace Tait & Arjen ter Hoeve, are giving away their ebook for free, and I'd recommend taking a look at it. They go DEEP into the subject.

Download the VisualMapper ebook today:

http://ebook.visualmapper.org/

Technorati tags: VisualMapper.org, Blogging Paradox, Barney Fife, Fred Flintstone, Kyle McFarlin, Arjen ter Hoeve, Wallace Tait

Business Case for Mind Mapping Found Before Big Foot!

I'm sick of the lack of awareness of what Mind Mapping can do for businesspeople. Day by day, workers/executives/entrepreneurs drown, and I don't use that word lightly because like shark attacks and bull running it scares me. They drown in a sea of e-mail, crappy bosses, projects, romantic affairs (what the *#$%?), operations, files scattered everywhere, PowerPoint Presentations, Excel spreadsheets, relationships, trips, family, American Idol, fried chicken, etcetera. Meanwhile, they get little in the way of tools that truly help them shovel their way out of hell.

In Chuck Frey's new book, The Mind Mapping Manifesto, he throws a harpoon right at the heart of the business world's ignorance of mind mapping, especially felt here in the US (Seriously Europeans, take a moment and savor how mind map friendly your nations are). And priceless is Chuck's new phrase of mind mapping: 'The Savvy Executive's Secret Weapon.' That's pimp.

According to Chuck,

'Not enough executives and entrepreneurs truly understand what mind mapping software is and what it can do for them. This is the best software you've never heard of!

So I decided to do something about that. I'm Chuck Frey, founder of InnovationTools.com, author of the Mind Mapping Software Weblog and of the popular e-book, Power Tips & Strategies for Mind Mapping Software.

I've seen the impact that it can make on the work and lives of people just like you. Mind mapping software can help you to:

• Conquer information overload
• Make better decisions
• Reach clarity faster on key issues
• Become a more creative problem solver, and
• Supercharge your effectiveness

That's why I've written The Mind Mapping Manifesto - to spread the word about the productivity benefits this type of software offers, and to help you to make an informed decision about investing in it. In short, I've built the business case for mind mapping software.'

Well you go Chuck, and hopefully the thought virus you've created spreads. Hells bells, Chuck even encourages you to spread the book around to members of your organization, so I have to imagine the Barons of Linear Notetaking may be waking up very soon. And it may even feature some choice bits from everyone's favorite espresso fiend. This year, let's hope I improve at Halo 3 (has anyone written an e-book on how to enjoy getting your ass shot off?) and mind mapping finally starts to get the recognition it deserves as THE tool that will finally reconcile hippies and suits.

Discover more about the Mind Mapping Manifesto now.

Technorati tags: Kyle McFarlin, Chuck Frey, The Mind Mapping Manifesto, Europe, US

My Beehive from Hell Hairdo

Yeah, it's great that I came out against hair dressers whose hair looks like crap in a previous post about eating your own dogfood. Poor people, I found out today how easy it is to be negligent in an area of supposed expertise.

See, I went to see my accountant today (Sunday) and have my taxes done (Pipe down with the hypocrisy exclamation mark: Saturday is my Sabbath). And lo and behold, I'd done an A+ sucky job of systematizing my finances over the past year. I had everything we needed with me... it just took eons to find it all. Not that I'm a finance whiz, but I do tell everyone else to create Projects that turn into Operations - Processes... and meanwhile, I've piled crap onto crap in my own situation. The hell with eating my own dogfood, I need water wings as I'm swimming in the by-product. I made the damn VSS template set... I guess I could live by it in EVERY area of my business, not just those I enjoy (hello Marketing, hello R&D, hello Training & Consulting).

And God bless my accountant, who has given me what I feel is a framework to turn 2008 into the year I systematize financial processes like Lil' Wayne makes mix tapes. I'd give her a shoutout by name, but I haven't a clue if she wants to join this online freakfest I've created at the Underlying Blog. I'm a freakfest! Beautiful.

So, where are you falling short in practicing what you preach, and what is the next action you can take to fix it?

Tonight, my own dogfood smells like crap... tomorrow, I have to eat it. Me, I'll be process mapping some financial stuffery.

So the hypocrite rides again. I'm hungry, it's time for lucky charms.

That's life, and that's the way it is, and it's a good problem to have.

My my, I won't shutup. LUCKY CHARMS.

Technorati tags: Kyle McFarlin, Hair Do, Lil' Wayne, VSS Template Set, Mindjet MindManager, Lucky Charms

No Excuses for Being A Lazyass Blogger... Except Actual Work

Folks, I've sucked about blogging over the last couple few of weeks. No excuses. I've just been a lazy bastard about it. If I were you, I'd probably quit reading it (as if you didn't anyhow... oh wait, here you are).

What I have been doing, again no excuses, is mind mapping the hell out of Rich Schefren's Strategic Profits Live Event at Disney World in Orlando Florida. I'm proud to say the maps I've created will even be included with the Home Study Course Strategic Profits is offering. Life changing event I'll add, not the least of which was Gary Vaynerchuk going nuclear on having a lack of, errr... vision about one's own ascendancy to greatness. And Jay Abraham? The dude is the John Gotti of strategic business building: Teflon, smooth as silk and infinitely compelling. No Jay, I'm not saying you're a gangsta. Killer content, and I no longer have any excuses for being anything less than myself.

Check out Jay here:

Check out Gary here:

 

As much as I love being back in Ohio, hot damn do I miss the sun. I'm sure it was wonderful for the attendees to meet me, and I sure enjoyed making their acquaintance as well. I wonder if it's possible to make Ashland, Ohio and Amish Country the Silicon Valley of the Midwest? WE NEED A TECH COMMUNITY HERE. I love coffee.

Also, I'm a huge fan of Disney. I've loved animation ever since I was old enough to realize it wasn't real (Bambi sucks when you think the bullets will come out of the screen... Actually I'm not partial to Bambi no matter what). Alice in Wonderland, the Jungle Book, Nemo, that's the stuff. So yes, I'm a big kid at heart! My two cents to Disney though: Get some of your plain-clothes crime operatives to watch out for bad parenting in addition to theft as most parents have completely ceded control to their kids... who will slam into you repeatedly while waiting in line for Space Mountain. Say it with me, CUR-MUDG-EON.

One of the things I learned at the event is to BE-YOURSELF. Sometimes I write this blog in my own voice, like now. Other times, I write it like some corporate stooge, attempting to make sure it offends exactly no one and therefore bores the hell out of everyone, not the least of which is me, the author. I have to read this crap as I write it. Sucks when it's blandified oatmeal.

My buddy Brian Friedlander asked me what I've been up to: I'M BACK BAAABBBYYY!!! (Big ups, Joey Tribbiani).

Technorati tags: Kyle McFarlin, Strategic Profits, Mind Mapping, MindManager, Disney, Ohio, Brian Friedlander, Gary Vaynerchuk, Jay Abraham

Welcome to Blogging Mr. Wilcox

One of the sharpest MindManager users around, Andrew Wilcox, has recently launched his very own blog, 'Applications of MindManager' as covered recently by Chuck Frey and Brian Friedlander. Professionally, Andrew operates Cabre, a fixture in the UK for mind mapping training and consulting. He also contributes colossally well thought out responses to questions of all sorts people pose in the Yahoo! MindManager Group.

... I'm thinking maybe Andrew will be the guy who finally sells me on this whole mapping thing...

Andrew, welcome to the blogosphere: I never shut up about fried chicken and cheesy potatoes, so be WARNED.

Check out Andrew's blog here:

http://www.applications.cabre.co.uk/

Technorati tags: MindManager, Andrew Wilcox, Applications of MindManager, Chuck Frey, Brian Friedlander, Cabre, Yahoo! MindManger Group, Kyle McFarlin

Mind Mapping in Living Color

I'm going a million miles an hour this week folks. Send freeze dried coffee. Now.

Over the last few months, some great video tutorials have emerged for getting more out of your mind mapping, and I wanted to point you to them.

Brian Friedlander at Assistivetek recently posted a great video on using the format painter in MindManager. I'll even add to the tip: By holding down 'Control' with the format painter turned on, you can highlight as many topics as you like. Check it out here:

http://assistivetek.blogspot.com/2008/01/mindmanager-tip-using-paint-formatting.html

Gyronix has been on a spree in recent months as well, having recorded webinars on getting more out of ResultsManager and GyroQ:
http://www.gyronix.com/videos

And note the '10 Minute Extract from a Gyronix Training Session Video': That guy's name rhymes with style.

And yes, slowly and surely, I'm working toward the titanic (at least one of the escape boats!) release of my own video-based newsletter. Bling bling.

Technorati tags: Visual Strategist Newsletter, Brian Friedlander, Kyle McFarlin, Gyronix ResultsManager, Mindjet MindManager, GyroQ

YOU KNOW.... (I Don't!)

Recently I took some hard flak from Marc C who left a scathing comment on the interview I did for the Personal Productivity Show. And I'd be content to cry in my beer at the local pub, repeating 'you know' (and not knowing on repeat) until ESPN cuts to infomercials for the night, if it weren't for how right Marc C is.

I said 'You Know' just about every time I spoke in the interview! As I said in my reply comment, counting the times I said 'You know...' was like counting the number of times Tony Montana said the F-word in the inspirational, family-friendly classic Scarface (that was a joke if you're grabbing your keys to run to the video store to get junior something to watch).

I think it speaks to a larger issue however. We instinctively don't like criticism. I certainly felt like the jolly lord of jackass when I read Marc's comment. It's an interview I'm proud of, and here is someone pointing out a tick I trotted out after nearly every question. But damn, the guy is right, and I can either wither away and steam, or I can take his comment and be better for it, kind of the way Christina Aguilera used an ex-boyfriend to inspire 'Stronger' (full disclosure, I don't know if she actually wrote it).

So to Marc C, I thank you for making me better and to everyone else who cares to rip me a new one now and in the coming years. You have my pledge that I'll try to keep the 'You Know's to a reasonable amount the next I complete an interview: I'll be better and you'll be less annoyed. If anyone has the 'You Know' count from my interview, I'd love to hear it.

Go Kyle!

And lastly, how can you benefit from the free advice your critics are giving you? Doesn't matter whether or not you like them: The thing is, do they have a point?.... If they do, you just got better for FREE.

Technorati tags: You Know, Personal Productivity Show, Kyle McFarlin, Gyronix ResultsManager, Mindjet MindManager, Tony Goodson, Scarface

The Stork is Bringing a Visual Strategist Newsletter: Let Me Know What YOU Want to Read/See

Hi Folks,

Slowly and steadily, I'm working on the Visual Strategist Newsletter. Now, I've been accused of putting out the most comprehensive set of MindManager templates EVER, the VSS Template Set, so I'm not going to let my ego reign and just send you a newsletter I think is important (whole damn sentence was an oxymoron). I want it to be what YOU want, so please, leave a comment and let me know.

Sign-up for the Visual Strategist Newsletter now.

You see, the VSS templates are the outgrowth of my decade+ experience in knowledge management and mind mapping. Simultaneously, when I put them out last year as a free download, I had no idea how many of you were going to download them. So, it's a shared experience at this point and I simply cannot in good conscience send out a VSS-based newsletter that is hurled outward via my own tunnel vision cannon. I need YOUR input so I can ensure each time you receive an e-mail from me it's chock full of content that benefits you. Again, please bombard me with comments about what you want to see.

Kyle is a Dancing Bear

Need a Youtube video of me doing inverted cartwheels? Leave a comment. Need to know more about using the VSS Template Set icons to give you database-like functionality in MindManager? Leave a comment. Want video or written text? Leave a comment. Need a recipe for killer cheesy potatoes? Leave a comment and I'll tell someone who knows what they hell they're doing.

Sign-up now and be sure to download the free VSS templates while you're at it. It's all here.

And if you're feeling truly grateful for the hard work I do, you should pickup a t-shirt to support the Free T.I.! campaign, as my creative juices couldn't flow without the hits like 'Top Back' and 'What You Know'.

Sign-up for the Visual Strategist Newsletter now.

Technorati tags: Humor, VSS Template Set, Visual Strategist Newsletter, Mindjet MindManager, T. I., Kyle McFarlin, Cheesy Potatoes

MindManager Users, Live By the Following List

My buddy Chuck Frey just put out a list of massively useful tips on improving your visual maps in MindManager. These tips will change the way you map, even for advanced users.

Especially for any of you who are making a mapping project out of your holiday break:

1. Print the list out
2. Download the free resource at the end
3. Refer back to the list frequently

Here it is:

The Mind Mapping Software Weblog: The 8 best ways to improve your mind maps

Technorati tags: Chuck Frey, Visual Strategist Solution, VSS Template Set, Kyle McFarlin, Mind Mapping Best Practices, Mindjet MindManager