If you've never tried mind mapping, then you might be surprised at what it can do for you. You'll make connections and see opportunities that you may not have considered before.

There's plenty of software out there to help you do the job and XMind is definitely one of the better ones with the huge added bonus that it's absolutely free. To get started, you'll have to sign up for an XMind account which is quick and painless. Once you've done so, you have an online space where you can easily collaborate on projects and share them with others.

Using XMind is simple. Just add a central topic and then right-click on it to add subtopics, labels, notes, and much more. Editing the boxes is easy and you can select from a number of styles and fonts. You can also change the structure at any time by right-clicking or dragging and dropping different elements. You can even add audio (although not video) and fishbone charts. XMind is much neater and far more logical than trying to draw a mind map on a piece of paper due to the way it adds elements in a structured order.

XMind is an excellent free mind mapping application that may not be the most sophisticated out there but in terms of ease of use, it can't be beat.