As the author of Third Circle Theory, it is only natural that I keep an eye on the reputation of my book and doing so means interacting with many of the readers who comment on social networks about my book from time to time.

With over 250 5 star reviews and some who don’t love it or understand it, you would think I would be very happy—and I am—but occasionally I wonder why the latter is there.

It made me think of something that perhaps we never really talk about, which is how we learn. In today’s society we are taught very early on to live based on action and reaction or work and reward. In other words, growing up we always associate any type of work we do with some type of reward.

Rethinking How We Learn

Think about something as simple as going to school: the point of studying for an exam is to get an A; the point is to graduate and receive a diploma; and the point of a diploma is to get a job.

This system that we grow up with stays with us for quite some time, but what we don’t realize is how much we miss in life (in terms of learning) when we continue to carry these expectations forward.

“The reality is that often we miss most of today’s best available education because it does not come with an immediate reward and therefore we forfeit the lessons.”

The reality is that often we miss most of today’s best available education because it does not come with an immediate reward and therefore we forfeit the lessons. Think about this in a very simple manner and how it applies to your own life. Most of the actions you take each and every day are geared around the idea that the information you seek is to fulfill a specific purpose. Very rarely do we seek information outside of a need, to actually help us grow.

I have had this argument many times with students as I assign them books, outside of my own, to read. None of which are related to making money or teaching them a specific needed skill for the moment. Many do not actually read the assigned books, partly because of their need for an immediate reward at the end, which isn’t there, so there is no interest.

Also, it is due partly because they do not comprehend the value of self-education outside of their needs. This is the reason that even though many focus on money; many never learn the correct skill sets to actually make it.

Create and Connect Dots

Then, how can we change the way we learn and increase the chance of actually accomplishing our goals and being successful?

Success comes from our ability to connect the dots, see further ahead, and execute until we get there. This means we have to actually create the dots we are going to connect later on – even if that means simply becoming more aware in the present.

“Success comes from our ability to connect the dots, see further ahead, and execute until we get there, which means we have to actually be able to create the dots we are going to connect later on – even if that means simply becoming more aware in the present.”

It’s a notion I discuss in my book and doing so requires us to be constantly exposed to new information. The idea of exposure is simply to give us a better understanding of concepts and principles so we are able to actually identify opportunities.

A simple example would be someone understanding the car market and how it works so that when buying or selling a car he or she would understand how to navigate the playing field. This newfound understanding also enables one to identify more opportunities in or around that space simply because they understand how it works.

The same can be said for apps or online driven businesses. I still, to-date, cannot code or understand every angle of online marketing, but I certainly have been exposed enough to be able to create Secret Entourage and expand the organizations reach as an online platform.

When I first made money in real estate and finance, my goal was not to learn about those things and go make money. Instead my goal was to learn and expose myself to money from a banking perspective, which included mortgages and money management.

Those skills later played a significant role in my growth. For instance, in 2005 I was able to identify how to flip 72 homes without taking out a loan. The idea is simply to disconnect the need to learn from the immediate need of using the information learned.

The more you learn, the more aware you become—even if there is no need for you to leverage or use knowledge instantly. It also is truly the definition of keeping an open mind, which has also been lost in translation.

Ultimately, it is best to leverage as many resources as we can to learn from, free and otherwise. It would be a shame for you to miss them simply because you believe you didn’t get anything out of reading something—other than more knowledge, of course.

This article has been edited and condensed.

Pejman Ghadimi is the founder and CEO of Secret Entourage, a unique organization which focuses on helping motivate and improve the lives of young entrepreneurs worldwide. He is also the author of Third Circle Theory, a powerful theory which explains how some of today’s top visionaries are made. In his past 10 years, Pejman has held multiple leadership roles at the Vice President level for Fortune 500 companies and has established several successful off-line businesses including Secret Consulting, and VIP Motoring. Connect with @secretentourage on Twitter.

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