12 mind map examples worth copying
A blank canvas is not inspiring when you are already overloaded. Start with one of these structures, then delete anything that does not fit your situation.
Updated 2 August 2026
Examples for getting organised
Centre: This week. Branches: Must happen, Work, Home, People, Health and Waiting. Put only commitments under Must happen; everything else can move.
Centre: My life now. Branches: Work, Health, Money, Home, Relationships and Play. Add what is active, not every possible goal.
Centre: On my mind. Branches: Do, Decide, Remember, Worry and Maybe. The categories turn mental noise into different kinds of action.
Examples for work
Centre: Project outcome. Branches: Scope, Deliverables, People, Milestones, Risks and Open questions. Every open question should eventually become a decision or task.
Centre: Meeting purpose. Branches: Context, Questions, Decisions, Actions and Parking lot. Give every action an owner and date before the meeting ends.
Centre: Launch. Branches: Product, Audience, Message, Channels, Operations and Measures. Add a pre-mortem thought under each branch: what could make this fail?
Centre: Person + date. Branches: Wins, Blockers, Feedback, Growth and Commitments. Keep sensitive detail in private notes rather than crowded labels.
Examples for thinking and learning
Centre: The choice. Branches: Options, Must-haves, Trade-offs, Evidence, Unknowns and Reversible steps. Separate evidence from assumptions.
Centre: Subject. Branches: one per major topic, with concepts, examples and unanswered questions underneath. Write questions instead of copying headings.
Centre: Book title. Branches: Main claim, Key ideas, Evidence, Disagreements, Quotes to revisit and Actions. Summarise in your own words.
Centre: Reader promise. Branches: Problem, Context, Argument, Examples, Objections and Conclusion. If a branch does not support the promise, cut it.
Centre: Observable problem. Branches: Symptoms, Causes, Constraints, People affected, Experiments and Measures. Do not let a guessed cause masquerade as a fact.
How to adapt any example
Keep the centre specific, limit the first level to roughly four to seven branches, and make each branch answer a different question. Add detail only where it helps you act or remember. A useful map is allowed to be incomplete.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good first mind map?
A weekly map or simple brain dump is easiest because you already know the material. Use four to six clear branches and stop before it becomes decoration.
How many branches should a mind map have?
Four to seven main branches is a useful working range. More can work, but the overview becomes harder to scan.