There are four high-income skills we all need to develop if we want to attract wealth into our lives, and here's how to develop them.
The first three skills are writing, speaking, and design.
The fourth skill can amplify the other 3 so we'll cover that one later.
Thought Experiment
To explain the 3 main skills, here's a thought experiment for you.
Let's say you have to give away a nugget of gold to a stranger and you have to convince them to accept it. But here's the catch, you can't give them the gold directly. You will give them a rock with gold inside. But a stranger needs to chip it to uncover the gold.
How can you convince people to accept this simple-looking rock? Not only that, but to invest their time to chip away at the rock to uncover the gold.
For this experiment, let's say we have to approach people's doorsteps. Let's consider the potential strategies we could use.
Strategy number zero is the worst, here we leave the rock on people's doorsteps.
They'll wonder, why is this rock here? Did someone leave this here intentionally?
Everyone will see the rock and they'll kick it to the side. No one's going to invest the time to chip away at the rock to find the gold.
So that's a flawed strategy.
Strategy 1: The Skill of Writing
With strategy number 1, you still leave the rock on people's doorsteps, but now you introduce the skill of writing.
You can now write something persuasive. This time, we'll leave the rock by their doorstep, and there will also be a letter next to it.
Your writing can persuade them. It can make them believe there is gold inside the rock. This will convince them it's worth their effort.
Some people are going to believe it, and they'll find the gold you have to offer.
Strategy 2: Design
For strategy number 2, let's add the skill of design. Design is the ability to make things look more appealing.
So, how about this… Instead of just putting a rock by their doorstep, what if we put the rock inside of a box? We have somehow already improved the presentation, this might intrigue some people. The box creates a sense of curiosity.
As they open the box, they'll see a rock and they'll think "Oh someone played a prank on me." This means the box is not enough.
But what if we take it a step further and we put wrapping paper around the box?
Suddenly, they will think, "Oh, a gift? That's interesting." They'll open the box and find a rock. They'll pause before tossing it. The nice design of the box makes them think, "Hmm, there could be something to this rock." Some people might inspect the rock and later find the gold.
Design has the power to evoke a sense of trust. For whatever reason, when things look better, we trust them more.
Strategy 3: The Skill of Speaking to Improve Persuasion
With strategy number 3, how about we use the skill of speaking. This time, instead of leaving a rock by their door, we knock. We bring our presence, and our ability to add tone and build trust as a human.
Let's now go deeper into each one of the skills: writing, speaking, and design. Skill number 4 will boost all of these, so we'll get back to that one later.
The Skill of Writing
Let's break things down in more detail. Why is writing important? Writing is the skill to think clearly. It is also the skill to present your thoughts in a shareable way.
Writing is about capturing your thoughts and storing information. You do this in the simplest form - the written word.
The beauty of writing as a foundational skill is its adaptability. As you'll see later, it can transform into various outputs.
Mastering Writing Means Mastering Thinking
Write as you learn and reflect on your daily experiences. Writing about them can help you refine your thinking.
Writing lets you edit and revisit ideas. It allows for drafting and refining.
Redefining Writing
Many of us dislike writing because of how school conditioned us to hate it. Writing is often seen as a task, not a pleasure.
However, if you can redefine what writing means to you, you can begin to practice it.
An effective way to do this is to write as you speak. Don't worry about the judgment of accomplished writers or snobbish readers.
Today, much of our writing is online. It can be casual and personal if you want.
The key to writing online is to start recording your thoughts. I know you're busy and may not have time to write. But, can you spare a moment to record a voice note for yourself? If you can, then you're already writing.
Exploring AI Dictation
To write as I speak, my top tool is AI dictation. I use Whisper, a product from the creators of ChatGPT, OpenAI.
I have a video on my community showing exactly how to set this up in a tool like Obsidian. You can join my free community here, and you'll find a tutorial on the Classroom section.
AI dictation can significantly make writing easier and faster. From there, you can begin the process of editing your work.
If you're curious about my editing process, I use AI to speed things up. But, I maintain the integrity of my thoughts. If my process interests you, you can read my previous newsletter. I went into more detail about it there.
Writing as A Conversation
When choosing what to write about, start by sharing any idea you consider worth sharing.
Think about something intriguing that you've found or experienced. Imagine you're talking to your closest friend. You want to write as if you are simply sharing your thoughts with them.
Unleashing Potential Through Writing
With just writing, you can start a newsletter, blog, or Twitter X.
Writing on platforms like Medium or Substack is great for beginners. It helps you start easily and quickly.
This could be your first step as an entrepreneur. Writing truly unlocks your potential. It allows you to establish yourself as an online thinker and a thought leader. You'll be someone who thinks about life, reflects on it, and shares it with others.
Here's a powerful idea to keep in mind as you write… Writing is about making others understand you. But, persuasive writing is about making the reader feel understood.
So, we'll examine how writing assumes such a pivotal role in the next skills.
The Skill of Speaking
The second skill is speaking, which is the ability to articulate your thoughts on the spot. Speaking efficiently is a step up in writing. It allows us to convey tone and intention.
This classic phrase is key: "It's not what you say, but how you say it". Both the content and delivery of your message are crucial.
Consider the huge power of speeches. It has started and ended wars. It built and destroyed civilizations.
The Power of Words
As the Bible states, "In the beginning was the Word." Regardless of our religious beliefs, it's undeniable that the power of verbal communication has been present since the beginning of human civilization. Words can speak thoughts into existence.
Think about medieval wizards and witches. They were dangerous because people believed they had the power to turn words (magic spells) into actions.
Well-phrased words in the wrong hands are dangerous. Evil dictators of the past have proven this many times.
We can use speaking for good. The distinction between persuasion and manipulation lies in your intentions. When you express your ideas well, you can influence people to take positive action.
If your goal is to help others, your persuasive skills can positively impact their lives.
The Art of Persuasive Speaking
Speaking is rooted in the idea that while thinking is for oneself, speaking is for others.
That's why every time you speak, it should be with the intention of being heard and understood. Never speak in a muffled, unclear voice.
Efficient speaking comes from good writing. You can research any speech that greatly influenced humanity, they have always been pre-written.
That's why writing is a key skill you need to develop. As you get better at writing, your thinking improves. Adding speaking skills on top of your writing skills uncovers a new layer of persuasion.
When you find yourself struggling to let conversation flow, it means you need to write more. It makes you a better thinker. This better thinking will show in your speaking in conversations.
Building Trust Through Your Words
If you share your voice online on platforms like YouTube or podcasts, you are able to attract an audience and build up your reputation.
Think about anyone with influence in the world. For instance, celebrities owe their influence to their reputation, not just their talents. That's the most valuable real estate we can own today, reputation.
If you build your reputation solely on writing, it's a good start. But consider someone you follow on Twitter X versus someone you follow on YouTube. Who do you trust more? Who do you feel more connected to? When you can hear their voice and grasp their intent, this makes you connect with them more. That's why speaking is essential.
The Skill of Design
The third skill is design. I'll define design broadly as the ability to enhance aesthetics.
For instance, advertising is entirely about design. You have the main message which starts with writing, but then you repackage it through the art of design.
You can design in apps like Photoshop, Illustrator, Blender, or any other designer's tool.
And suddenly you have something that is now appealing to people. We end up with something that looks great. Humans are drawn to aesthetics.
But how do you acquire design skills? The fantastic thing about design is that it's just a few tutorials away from you.
Discovering your preferred design skills
All you need to do is identify which aspect of design you find intriguing.
That's why I'm using design as a broad term. It is the ability to make things more appealing and beautiful. You can delve into many areas.
Here are some ideas for you: Typography, the art of choosing the perfect font. There's also web design, Photoshop, and digital drawing. There's video editing, animation, and 3D modeling. There's even AI art (spoilers for what we'll cover in the fourth skills).
This offers a broad spectrum of skills that you can hone.
Choose one from those mentioned. It should be something that captures your curiosity. Then, start looking for tutorials.
Design was one of the first skills I acquired. It began with a desire to learn Photoshop to create cool effects. This led me to visual effects on video. This then got me interested in filmmaking, which is what I studied in college.
Since then, I've dabbled in everything, from 3D rendering with Blender to CGI visual effects and animation. I'm deeply fascinated by the ability to make things look good.
Learning design is easy these days. Just watch a few tutorials and start learning to make things more attractive.
You can apply your design skills to create YouTube thumbnails, websites, ads and social media posts. There's so much you can do once you unlock the skill of design.
The Fourth Skill
Writing, speaking and design. These are the top 3 skills, but what is skill number 4? I've been hinting at it throughout this piece… The fourth skill is… technology, or better put "technological mastery".
It's all about understanding the latest technologies. We need to identify how they can enhance all our other skills.
Let's break it down.
Tech in the Skill of Writing
Let's understand how technology can enhance writing.
Consider the old ways of writing, like pen and paper or typewriters. These old methods make writing hard to revisit, rearrange, or copy-paste things. It's also hard to search for what you need.
A big leap is writing digitally, which is now obviously the norm. However, there are levels to this as well.
You might be able to write in Google Docs or Microsoft Word. But, these platforms have limits. If you go further and use a better writing tool, you can use tools like AI grammar correctors instead of doing it yourself.
Enhance Writing with Note-Taking Tools
Pair this with note-taking systems. There are great apps that will help you save your best ideas and all the info you'll need when it's time to write.
Note-taking tools can really elevate things. Writing is not just about the act of writing. It's also about the place where it happens. And technology to make writing better is part of it.
People often underestimate the complexity of organizing large amounts of text. They assume a simple Google Doc will do. However, managing text, particularly in large volumes, can be quite challenging.
Having a robust system in place for this has been a game-changer for me. Before, I found writing daunting. But now, with the right tools and cutting-edge tech, including AI, it is a lot smoother.
If you're interested in finding the best tools for you, reach out on my free community. I've spent the last years of my life making content discussing the best apps available today.
Next, let's discuss speaking and how technology can enhance it.
Tech in the Skill of Speaking
Consider the traditional methods of speaking and communication.
Meetings used to be face-to-face. They often required travel. This was true if the people were in different cities, countries, or continents.
Technology has revolutionized this process, with platforms like Zoom enabling virtual meetings.
Sharing ideas with many people once needed a physical platform. This could be a TED talk or a conference.
Now, all you need is a camera or a microphone to record a podcast or video. You can reach hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people at once, with much less effort. Tech can greatly amplify the power of spoken communication.
If you use the best current technology, which is AI, you can now use tools like AI dictation, which we already discussed.
For communication, you can also use your voice to talk to others through voice-notes or videos.
Next, let's talk about design.
Tech in the Skill of Design
Traditionally, design required pen and paper. You would draw on a canvas or paper. Things have drastically changed, especially with AI.
We moved away from traditional artistic mediums into computers, then to tablets. Then we got Photoshop and many tools to help us create digitally.
As things went on, 3D modeling, animation, and visual effects became more popular. They also became accessible to the average person.
Things have been greatly changed. The biggest leap has been AI art. Despite its controversy, it's a new innovation in art, and it's the direction we're heading. My personal belief is that you should get good at it.
I've always had an artist's heart. I want to create things that are appealing and beautiful. But the world is shifting into a new era. That's why I'm more and more interested in entrepreneurship. I want to help others understand how to become a modern digital polymath through tech.
AI Art: The Next Leap in Human Evolution
AI art is a significant part of the upcoming human artistic evolution. Historically, art has always been influenced by technological advancements.
Consider old-school painters. They spent years perfecting their craft. Then, they saw the rise of photography.
This must have been so frustrating for painters all over the world. They had spent years mastering their craft. Only to see a photographer capture an image in seconds.
Photography itself then became an art form. Then came Photoshop, for photo manipulation. It likely frustrated photographers because it allowed for better images with less effort.
This evolution is inevitable. Art has always been disrupted by the latest technology of the time.
Adapting to Technology or Risking Obsolescence
It's unfortunate that many artists spend years refining their skills, only to be threatened by tech. They have to choose whether to keep honing their traditional skills or embrace the latest technology.
Just like many artists throughout history, one can adapt or risk becoming obsolete. Alternatively, one could consciously decide not to use the latest technology. However, to survive this choice, one must be a true master of their craft.
If you're casual about your craft, and choose not to adapt to tech, you risk becoming irrelevant.
But if you're truly exceptional, I believe you can withstand the technological changes.
Final Thoughts
Technology can greatly improve our skills at writing, speaking, and design.
This is the fundamental reason why the combination of skills is so important in the modern age.
If you're curious about how to use technology to amplify your skills, join my free community.
Hope to see you there!
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