A Complete Map of Every Thought You Think

What if you could completely externalize your brain and all its contents? Your thoughts, ideas, opinions, beliefs, systems and processes for thinking and doing? 

In his raw explanation initially published in 2003, A Complete Map of Every Thought You Think, Lion Kimbro explains exactly why you should do so, and how to get started with such a system. And while it may not appeal to everyone, there is a certain type of person that feels giddy thinking about how such information could be organized and updated on a regular basis. 

The Main Idea

The whole idea of this map is not only to clarify your thinking, but to do so in a way that is engaging and fruitful. When you make your map, you're offloading your intelligence onto a very reliable system of notes. And when you continuously update it, you're revisiting prior information to see how your thoughts and ideas have changed over time. 

In essence, Kimbro admits this system is work-intensive. But he suggests the payoff is high for the right type of person. Your memory recall is sharpened and your ability to link different, though seemingly counter-intuitive, ideas together is vastly improved.

One of the many benefits of one's map is the ability to think in a non-linear fashion, with specificity and precision. 

Kimbro makes the comparison of indulging in Shakespeare vs. navigating a globe. In Shakespeare, one has to really sit through the whole experience. To jump around out of order takes away from the entirety of the piece and will result in a less prominent effect. On the other hand, if you want to explore a destination on the globe, one doesn't have to go through every place to get there: simply pick the destination you want and arrive. 

This kind of free-flow thinking and intellectual exploration is similar to the Zettelkasten system developed by Niklas Luhmann. The comparative benefits are described by Kimbro when he references the use of his Maps of Contents (MOCs) instead of Tables of Contents (TOCs). Whereas TOCs give you context only above and below the content you're currently reading, MOCs give you context in seemingly un-related ways, by linking and referencing materials that could be find in totally inconspicuous places. 

An important note is that this system not focused on action, or on the "doing" part of productivity. Instead, it revolves more around the collection, organization, and integration of information. A kind of personal knowledge management system. 

Making Your Maps 

If you want to get started with your own maps, click here. There are too many nuances to cover within this post and it would be hard to do it justice.

Also keep in mind that this was written nearly 20 years ago before all these productivity apps came out. So there may be a better way to implement this kind of system digitally. In any case, it would help to understand the core principles and methodology used. 

Remember, intelligence is a matter of having relevant information available at the right time and in the right place. Making a map of every thought you think is just one of many ways to enhance your intelligence. 

Overall, if you want to improve your time management and become more effective, you're going to need a way to manage your knowledge.