Is it possible to create "2-way links" between topics in the latest MindManager?

Ah so you need to have hover over the second topic for c. 2 seconds...

Yes, this is extremely cool. :))

However is there any way to do the same reciprocal linking thing between topics in different map files?

Why don't you look into the MindManager academy info first.

http://www.mindmanager.com/en/resources/academy?utm_medium=contentsyndication&utm_source=mm_community&utm_campaign=mm-channel-all-customereducation&utm_content=other-gated-en-academy&utm_id=701rq00000bllmwyaj

You will find that that are many more goodies, like the SEND TO feature, Mapp Roll-up etc etc.

I can't find an form of search on MindManager Academy
(https://www.mindmanager.com/en/resources/academy/library/ )
And I can't see anything called SEND TO. (And if you are expecting me to read the whole academy before going any further... I'm afraid that is not a reasonable request!) I am aware fo Map Roll-up, but I don't think it will help me.

Obviously I could:
A) put all of my projects into a vast FreeForm MindManager file,
B) and then for each task within each project, I could create a duplicate, reciprocally linked copy of that topic which I could then drag around my large area of screen area .

To get clear, the 2-way linking would help me quickly see the big picture (project hierarchy) view of the project that the task is part of, and then jump back to my (freeform) Importance vs Urgency matrix.

However I given that I am likely to have quite a large number of both tasks & projects, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to keep one file per project? I mean if I have say x50 projects (albeit some of them quite small) surely it will become difficult to quickly locate any given project.

Back to my question: Is there any fast & easy way to do reciprocal linking between topics within separate MindManager files?

Thanks

J

Hi John,

You can try the following -

1. Open the maps in which you want to create the reciprocal links.

2. Use the Detach Tab button in one of the maps and tile it so both maps appear on the screen.

3. Drag a topic from Map A to another topic in Map B and wait for the hamburger menu to appear and then choose Insert Link.

4. Repeat the same the same step from Map B to Map A.

5. Save

See attached video for example :)

Best,

-Marian

Hi Marian

Yes, using the Detach Tab does make it slightly easier even though I would still much prefer to have the "Insert Reciprocal Links" functionality in a one-er given that I will (potentially) be doing it quite so often!

But thank you so much for that video. :)

J

Hi John,

I prefer creating one map for each project and having a mast map linked with all my project maps.

Creating the master map is easy with drag'n drop the prject map files into the master map.

To get an overview or even the gantt chart of all my project I use "Linked Maps" in [View] 😁

Try it, it's cool

Regards, Andreas

Hi Andreas
Thank you for your thoughts.

OK... so if you drag & drop a project file into a master map that will create a (one-way) link from the master map file to each of your project map files. (I would much prefer a 2-way link, but yet better than nothing, and 2 way linking to a Project only happens once per project so that's not too hard to set up...).

And yes, I agree that: View ==> Linked Maps - which shows a thumbnail is quite a nice feature...

But how do you control manage all of the tasks at once?!

I need a single interface where I can see all of the tasks at once. And manage their relative importance(s) and urgency(ies)... [If not, then it's extremely hard to know which task from which project I need to do next, and it's all too easy to stay busy doing ... what turns to be the wrong things!]

J

Hi John,

try "Combine All" - this will create a new map, copied all the information from the linked maps into a new map.

Then you have Gantt chart from all your project-maps and all your task.

This new map can me saved for documentation of the projects. I use this very often to freeze a project status.

The master map will not changed in any way by Combine All.

Voting is still open on the suggestion I made a few months ago for the reciprocal link facility to be extended to making two-way links between topics in separate maps: https://community.mindmanager.com/topic/2062-allow-the-reciprocal-link-facility-to-create-two-way-links-between-topics-in-different-maps

Excellent. I have just voted for it. :)

Hi Andreas

[Aside: It took me a while to find "Combine All". It is under "View" tab ==> "Linked Maps" ]

To get clear, you say that all the information is "copied". If so then presumably all of the changes to the individual projects will not automatically cause the "Combine All" map file to be updated. (And likewise any changes I make to the map file created by "Combine All" will be overwritten if I need to update it...)

No, I think what I need is a different view of the task data that is live... meaning that I can edit or delete the master copy of the task using whichever view of the same data I choose.

J

John, don't think that complicated.

I know what you whant and there are different possibilities to get it.

The Combine all is a great feature for project managers to create a combination off all the project maps that they have to overlook.

Map-Roll-up can clone specific branches or whole maps into an master-map.

Important is, that you don't try to collect all your maps in ONE single project map.

Maybe we can do an TEAMS session or you browse the MindManager webinar about project and task management.

Is there a good reason to NOT put all of my projects into one MindManager map file?

I was planning to move around it all of my projects using local (reciprocal) links...

BACKGROUND

Let me explain why I am doing all this.

Over the years, I have experimented with a fairly large number of task management & project management systems.

e.g. I have tried: GTDNext, MyLifeOrganized, TomsPlanner, WeekPlan, WorkFlowy, Trello, Nirvana, Zenkit... (I have recently 'flirted' with using Clickup and even Fibery)

I am a self-employed entrepreneur. As such I need to move fast and be hugely adaptable because I have rapidly changing priorities. For most of my work other people do not need to look over my shoulder.

And for each of the task/project management applications that I've used (see above), after a brief honeymoon period I have quickly found that I hated each of them. In the end I have always found that the technology just keeps getting in the way!

I have tried things like the Getting Things Done method (which too me a longggg time to realise was dreadful for me personally... primarily because as a creative personality type, I could easily write a list of things to do that was several thousand tasks long!! Worse, being semi-dyslexic further adds to the problem of just reading the damned things to 'review' them!)

USE OF PAPER

If in doubt... SIMPLIFY !

I have found that for actually getting tasks done, a simple PAPER notebook using erasable ink (Blue-black Frixion with a Synergy Tips is best + a bit of colour to mark things up. I mostly work on a daily list, (occasionally 2-day or even weekly lists) and I flag up tasks on yesterday's page (in colour) any items that have not been done - esp. if they are important and/or urgent.

Also (when I am working on paper to manage my life), about once every 2 or 3 weeks I completely re-prioritise my entire life but re-writing my list of major projects that are currently live... from scratch. This takes about 1 - 1.5 hours and I find it very energising.

USE OF MINDMANAGER

However the only other system that works for me is MindManager, but I do use it in a weird way. [ASIDE: I find it invigorating to rebuilt my planning on a new system after a few months. And I am just moving back to MindManager now, having used paper for a few months...]

A) My Tasks
I put all of my (x150 or so) tasks on to a "Free-Form" map as "floating topics". Further left means more urgent, further up means more important. i.e. It's a sort of freeform version of an Eisenhower Matrix. It's incredibly simple and it works extremely well at helping me keep control of my life. i.e. It helps me only execute the 'best' things. (And never execute the less important/less urgent things!)

B) My Projects
I also use mindmaps to lay out each of my current (x10 or so) live projects. This helps me see the big picture. For this I tend to have a master map that links to separate map files with each of them being a major project. (And yes I rebuild it from scratch every 2 or 3 weeks)

The problem is connecting the two systems!
i.e. Although I try hard to NOT clutter up these project map files with smaller tasks (because they live on my Free-Form Eisenhower Matrix) this can be difficult.

So I am now experimenting with putting all of my projects into my Free-Form tasks management matrix, because this would let me let me create 'reciprocal links' not only between projects and the master list of live projects, but it would also allow me to set up reciprocal links to let me jump between floating individual tasks (on my freeform matrix) and the project that they belong to.... and back!

J

PS
Btw, I am not scared of having a double-entry and many of my tasks will be in two places. No, this is NOT a problem. I carry the scars of trying to find an automated system that lets you have both a (massive) free-form Eisenhower Matrix AND a hierarchical project view, with the same item able to appear on each. I don't think anyone has written such an application.

PPS
Btw, I have also tried using apps that have a Gantt chart view but I have found that just causes clutter and chaos to have smaller task on them too. So my projects currently go on a completely separate Gantt chart that is currently just a basic Excel spreadsheet with a time-line and coloured cells.