They’ll show you how to make to do lists, categorize them with 1, 2, 3, or A, B, C and try to get you to eliminate tasks off your list.

These methods can be helpful for some, but if it’s not working for you take a look at mind maps.

Mind maps are simply visual representations of ideas. You’ve probably used them before to organize your thoughts on a business project, or back in school when you were thinking about writing a research paper.

There are plenty of mind mapping software programs out there, from free to expensive. All have their own merits, but my favorite one to use is Freemind.

This won the medal for me because it’s simple, uses a hierarchical structure, exports maps as images, PDFs, and text outlines.

Let me give you an example of my (pretty typical) to-do list from this weekend.

• Mow the lawn
• Write an email to subscribers/clients
• Twitter a bit
• Email
• Work on sales page for Discover Freemind
• Create survey for IM Success Workshop
• Send inner circle members note about Sunday night call
• Watch Olympics
• Straighten Office
• Friend requests on Facebook
• Check fantasy baseball roster
• Post lesson on Freemind to blog

Now if I were writing this on a piece of paper as they come to me, this is the order they came out.

Traditionally, I would then either rewrite my list, or designate each task as a 1, 2, or 3.

But with Freemind, I can actually move these things around based on categories I determine.

So for example, a regular to-do list map would look like this…

And I would then set up categories of Home, Office, Just for Fun, and put each task into a category.

(Alternatively, I could use things like morning, afternoon, evening)

Just this step alone of categorizing and shifting tasks into slots helps me tremendously. And if I make subcategories to group things by similar processes (i.e., social networking, online/offline work, etc.), I can make sure I am efficient, too.

Another cool feature within Freemind is when I’m focusing on a task, I can make the other tasks “disappear” so I am not distracted. That little circle next to a category means they’re still there. Just tucked away.

I use this same process whether it’s a daily agenda, a workshop, a product launch, or teleseminar – anything that benefits from strategic planning is a perfect fit for mindmaps.

One final tip – color helps me in my organization. So I will often use Freemind’s formatting tools to help my brain make sense of the map even more. So the map above turns into this…

By the way, another reason I like Freemind is it’s free! You can get it as part of the membership at IM Success Library, and choose to learn from my video tutorials (optional) to learn how to use the software today.

I hope this lesson helps you rescue at least an hour of productive time every day like it has for me and the others I’ve introduced it to!

Bob Jenkins

p.s. Are you using mindmaps and/or Freemind? Share your results below with a comment!

p.p.s. Sometimes the simplest things can have huge impact in multiple areas. Use mindmaps for yourself, but show it to teachers and students you know – it’s a life saver for lesson planning, organizing homework with extracurriculars, or even developing long range plans for college!

I call it, “Lighting Your LAMPS.”

The first is internet marketing gives you incredible Leverage. You can do something once and you can be paid for it over and over and over again. You can use technology to reach thousands of people in this same amount of time it would take you to reach one.

You also can use internet marketing as a matter of Attraction. You can bring people towards you instead of you chasing them down. This is incredible for you to really live the life that you are look for and impact people in massively important ways.

You also are able to harness the internet marketing power of Messaging. So that you can control what people know about you, what people can benefit from your message, what they get to know from your expertise.

You also have an incredible opportunity for Profitability. Unlike brick and mortar businesses and other types of commerce in the world that we live in today, internet marketing is highly profitable. That’s because it’s not as expensive as traditional forms of marketing but you can get your message out to as many people as possible and you can again attract those people that are really most targeted to work with you.

Finally internet marketing allows you a high level of Systemization. You don’t have to recreate the wheel all the time and you don’t have to spend endless hours doing things that have very poor results. Instead you can plug into a good system. You can use it again and again and again and the scalability factor of internet marketing can really help you out.

Are your LAMPS well lit, or are you out of fuel?

I’ve built the IM Success Library to help coach and teach you to greater success. Get inside today!

Bob Jenkins

p.s. Have I already helped you with 1 or more of the LAMPS areas above? Post a comment below…

I love teaching entrepreneurs how to market their own businesses online. And the IM Success Library’s on-demand courses and live coaching sessions are here to give business owners all the strategies and skills they need to succeed online.

However, many entrepreneurs would rather have a virtual assistant do most of the work for them instead. That’s where you come in.

If you are a Virtual Assistant, you’ll get a lot out of this site. First and foremost, I can teach you how to market your VA business through teleseminars, social networking, information products and affiliate marketing.

But you can also learn new skills that you don’t currently have, but your potential clients want and will pay you more for.

Let me explain this more…

For example, you may already know how to work with your clients’ Aweber account, but do you know how to monetize their list building for them? Or create e-newsletters based on their blog? The Discover Autoresponders course (Module 5) will show you how.

Maybe you want to learn how to run a teleseminar for your client, and help them turn their recording into multiple products. The Teleseminar Formula course will show you how.

Or perhaps you know how to set up a simple shopping cart, but not an affiliate program. Discover Butterfly Marketing will show you how.

Recently, I was a guest on Meredith Eisenberg’s radio show talking about these types of skills – in particular Butterfly Marketing.

You can listen to the interview below.

Create your account at the IM Success Library now, and let me help you grow your virtual assistant business!

Bob Jenkins

p.s. With the skills you will learn in the IM Success Library, you should be able to raise your VA fees by 25-50% or more.

p.p.s. For more VA business building tips, be sure to connect with Meredith.

Ready to jump in? Choose the membership level that works best for you.

Bob Jenkins

p.s. Remember, the IM Success Library is your one-stop shop for live mentoring from me as well as on-demand courses to help you profit from internet marketing.

p.p.s. Have a question about how live coaching with me or the on-demand internet marketing training works? Post it below, and I’ll answer.

These changes will take place in a few phases.

Phase 1 (Expected Completion – November 3)

• Easier to navigate and access training
• More free training for Silver members
• New affiliate program
• Merging of IM Success Tribe group coaching program into the IM Success Library.
• Monthly live training for Gold and Platinum members

Phase 2 (Expected Completion – December 1)

• Availability of individual coaching sessions and mastermind teams
• Diamond level added to include 1-on-1 private laser-coaching sessions
• Availability of individual courses for sale a la carte

Phase 3 (Expected Completion – January 1)

• Addition of members only forum for Gold members and above