Mind maps are more about using your visual cortical skill. You have to give importance to visuals that attract your eye brain as much as possible.

So where can we apply mind maps? As such there is no limitation on where a mind map can be used, its limited only by your imagination to where you can apply. The following are some of the areas where you can apply mind maps.

1. Brainstorming - Also called as brain blooming, using mind maps for brainstorming helps you dump your thoughts (can be used in a team) on a particular context. Once you have a mind map of what you have brainstormed, you can look at it as a whole and pick out what is relevant and prioritize.
2. Notes Talking/Meetings - Next time you are in a meeting or a presentation or seminar, try mind mapping instead of trying to write down. You should be able to capture a lot rather than writing down the notes. Mark important key words and also associate them with what your brain brings back on those key words. This is a fantastic exercise that will help you improve on mind mapping and also improve your creative skills.
3. Remembering - The whole concept of mind map is about remembering and bringing it back in your mind whenever you want. The mind map your produce itself is something that your mind maps it to the overall context. So if you practice it regularly you can bring the map whenever the context comes into picture.
4. Preparation for exams - Fantastic use. I have reaped the benefits of it. All you have to do is create mind maps of every chapter or every important topic. Then you revise only the mind map and not the book and you can keep refining your mind map to include images, colors and shades to make it more interesting and thereby helping you to remember it. All you have to do is bring back the mind map in your mind when you are writing the examination and put down in text.
5. Project Activities/Planning - Use a mind map to plan, schedule and fix milestones for any sort of projects. It is a one piece paper that can help you put the entire plan and also mark then and there milestones and the progress.
6. Decision making - Another fantastic area of use. You can draw a mind map when you are confused to decide on a situation. Start listening to your mind and draw a mind map. 99.99% of the time your brain will bring out lot of associations on the decision that you have to take and you will be convinced with what decision you have to take just by looking at it. Try it out, you will be delighted.
7. Training - Are you going to take a training? Prepare a mind map of your presentation and then convert it into presentation slides. You will present everything you have prepared without forgetting anything.

I gave a training on Iterative development couple of years back. Here is the mind map I prepared on it. Dont worry if you do not know anything about iterative development, but just look at the way it is represented and the images associated to the context. Click on the image for a larger view.

Finally a small piece of history, the mind map technique was invented in the late 60’s by Tony Buzan. Here is a good interview article with Tony in management consulting news.