What Are You Thinking?

3 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR INTELLECTUAL DIMENSION

 

Curiosity is one of life’s best traits.

It’s what spurred early villagers to set sail for unknown shores — and thousands of years later, to launch astronauts to the moon. In our own lives, it motivates us to step outside comfort zones and encourages us to better understand the people around us.

Another valuable characteristic? A thirst for knowledge.

What if Thomas Edison hadn’t hoped to light up the world? Or the Wright brothers hadn’t wanted to decode flight? A thirst for knowledge drives us to seek new understanding and fresh perspectives, to seize ideas that can build our professional and personal lives.

And one of the most powerful traits is a desire for wisdom, which demands that we intentionally bring our knowledge and experience together to develop higher ways of thinking and living.

Think of how history’s wise thinkers like Jesus, Socrates, Gandhi, Marie Curie, and Abraham Lincoln have helped shape the world. Picture your own life without the wisdom gained from your knowledge multiplied by your experiences.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR INTELLECTUAL DIMENSION

 

When we put these kinds of traits to work, we expand our Intellectual Dimension, accruing intellectual assets that include:

• Systems
• Methods
• Traditions
• Alliances
• Ideas
• Skills
• Reasoning
• Critical thinking
• Knowledge
• Wisdom

When it comes to wealth, many people tend to think solely about their Financial Dimension. It’s innate for just about everyone to spend much of their lives earning and (hopefully) setting aside money for today’s needs and tomorrow’s security.

Others also understand the value of their Foundational Dimension. They realize it would be impossible to enjoy stronger relationships, faith, talents, and connection to community without pouring time and energy into strengthening these assets.

But the Intellectual Dimension can be an easy one for people to overlook. They often assume that once they get that diploma or professional certification, their learning is done.

But for a truly abundant life, we all need to establish what I call your LLC, or Lifetime Learning Commitment.

 

EXPANDING YOUR PROFESSIONAL LLC

 

When you reflect on your Intellectual Dimension, start by asking yourself, “How have I made learning a priority in my professional life?”

Here’s why: maintaining an LLC can return big dividends. I’ve invested more than $1 million in my professional LLC (participating in mastermind groups), which has transformed my career’s trajectory.

I’m humbled to have been able to take everything I’ve learned and pay it forward, with the intellectual assets I’ve gained going on to impact literally hundreds of thousands of people through my books, YouTube channel, podcast, social media, webinars, magazine, professional training programs, on-demand courses, speaking engagements, blog, and former radio show, articles, and newsletters.

See the list of ways I’ve communicated over the years above? Here’s something to point out…

In my early days, my marketing relied on newspaper ads and articles. As interest in print media began to wane, I launched what would become a long-running 60-minute national radio show. In the last few years, I switched media channels yet again to focus on YouTube, my podcast, and social media.

For client acquisition and engagement, my team and I used to focus on in-person events and masterclasses, and we now primarily interact online, with webinars and on-demand courses.

How was I able to make those transitions at just the right time to keep my momentum going? You guessed it: the mastermind groups.

As I’d gather with other high-level entrepreneurs, we’d exchange ideas and hear from industry insiders about evolving technology and customer trends, connecting us to the people and platforms that could help us stay ahead of the curve.

If I hadn’t been participating in those groups, I might have held on to newspaper or radio far too long, losing my connection to an evolving audience and watching my business dwindle.

This is why in my professional development book, “The 10 Keys Transformation,” I recommend that you redefine your business every seven years, particularly in marketing and innovation.

To put it plainly, you have to adapt or you’ll be left in the dust.

So as you look to accelerate your own professional LLC, consider the following:

• Masterminds
• Masterclasses
• Continuing education courses
• Certification programs
• Postgraduate degrees
• Expert YouTube channels and podcasts

ELEVATING YOUR PERSONAL LLC

 

Now as you look at your personal life — ask yourself, “How am I focusing on learning?”

The goal is to consistently pursue new ideas, knowledge, and skills, and there are countless ways to do that.

If you look at learning from the angle of what intrigues you (or what can broaden your horizons), consider categories like history, science, or biographies.

Or maybe it’s storytelling, where fictional tales can add insights, empathy, and interest to your life.

Or maybe you want to expand your skills, which can include anything from languages to the arts, personal development, and even pastimes like gardening or DIY projects.

Personally, I’m brushing up on Korean, a language I spoke fluently in my early 20s thanks to a two-year religious mission to South Korea. Sharee dabbles in art classes, and together we push ourselves to learn new things, like genealogical research or different workouts (where I’ve recently found myself one of the only men in a water aerobics class!).

For ways to maintain your personal LLC in any of these areas, you can turn to:

• Books
• Podcasts
• YouTube
• Apps
• Online courses
• Community education classes
• Plays, musicals, and movies
• Community organizations

ENRICHING YOUR FAMILY’S LLC

 

And now for the final question to ask yourself: “How am I enriching my family’s LLC?”

It’s always important to remember that when hoping to pass on a legacy of 3 Dimensional Wealth, we can’t assume our children and grandchildren will pick up our values and habits just by osmosis.

We must be intentional.

Some of the best ways we’ve found to ensure our children and grandchildren are maintaining their own LLCs is to reinforce it at key moments.

We’ve included our dedication to maintaining our LLC in our family Values and Vision Statement, which we revisit regularly at family gatherings.

We also weave learning into the fun of our Family Retreats With a Purpose and Grandpa’s Camp.

And we invite family members to share things they’ve learned at family get-togethers and events.

TOOLS FOR YOUR LLC 

 

I’ve developed a few tools to help you and your family strengthen your Intellectual Dimension:

• Habits of Abundance Assessment – This life-defining scorecard can help you gauge your progress in four key areas of each of the 3 Dimensions of Authentic Wealth. (For more on using this tool, see the article in “3 Dimensional Wealth Living” magazine, pg. 28.)
• My Intellectual Dimension Goals – Use this tool to set specific goals in four areas of your Intellectual Dimension each year — making your LLC progress (and enjoyment!) easier.
• The Life Balance System™ Guide – This tool helps you time-block your calendar to ensure you’re focusing on five critical areas of your life: Earning, Learning, Organizing, Strategizing, and Re-Creating.

How we all pursue learning will differ from person to person, family to family, but whatever your style, just be sure to make your Intellectual Dimension a priority.

One of the laws of lifetime growth I often quote reminds us that we want to make our future bigger than our past, and there’s no better way than by maintaining our LLC.

 

 

 

> Want to access the tools that can elevate your Intellectual Dimension? Find them all in the free 3 Dimensional Wealth Toolkit today! Scan the QR code or click here.