I've been using something similar called XMind for a few years. It's a lot more visually appealing to me, and the customizable relationships are a big plus. The first month I had it, a huge backlog of ideas were freed as I made dozens of maps covering all kinds of ideas I had been having difficulty articulating up to that point. It helped me plot out goals and track my progress through school, helping me to graduate early and wind up doing something I love.

For me, the most useful aspect is how I can express a thought in a very thorough manner, and form several related thoughts I've had into a unified structure.