Reading · Identity Diaries

Some people are born lucky.

From the moment they can walk and talk, they begin to show a talent or an affinity for something. This ‘something’ sticks with them till adulthood. It becomes their passion, what their lives revolve around.

They know without a doubt that they were born to do said thing. And when they are put in an environment that fosters this affinity or talent, you have prodigies. Prodigies like legendary American swimmer Katie Ledecky who started swimming at 6 years old and is now regarded as the greatest female swimmer in the world.

Some don’t start out as prodigies, but eventually, they discover a single passion and put their energy into it until they succeed or don’t

Then there are people who had a different answer for ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ every year from the moment they could talk. They have ended up as adults not quite sure what to do with their lives or wanting to do EVERYTHING with their lives (I’m in this category).

Some of us are continuously drawn to experiences and interests like bees are to flowers. And while we often have core interests, they are typically barely related to one another.

Take me for example…

I love astronomy so much and in another life I would aim to work at NASA. I also loved biology so much (and still do) that I elected to do it till I graduated secondary school (as the top student in biology mind you), despite being an art student. I love to write but not just one form of writing. I do content writing, copy writing, and technical documentation nowadays. I’m also a law graduate.

But that’s not all.

With the encouragement of my mother who is very much like me, I’ve learned a lot of handiworks and crafts from tie and dye to bead jewellery making, bag and shoe making, printing, graphic design, and so on.

I’ve also self taught myself Spanish to an intermediate level.

There’s a lot more I’ve not mentioned. I have so many interests that I fear I may not be able to explore them all in this lifetime.

The Problem…

Recently, I realised I had been finding it hard to lock in on a particular goal and pursue it with the vigour and determination that a single-minded person might use to pursue their goal.

In past month, I began upskilling and job hunting. But I also started prepping for a 10km run (my 2nd one this year). I started swimming classes, started learning Thai online for fun and fixed my guitar to start learning again.

There are also three classes I plan to sign up for within the next few months to a year. Some long term, some short term, none of them related to the other in any way.

With my mind in so many places, it’s not hard to imagine that I would find it hard to pursue a single goal tenaciously. The many places my mind is at pull me apart constantly.

But the the thing is that in the current season of my life, I know exactly what my priority should, and that is upskilling and job hunting.

And I risk making little to no progress if I spend my time on 20 other things at the same time.

Multipotentialit…ism?

A couple of years ago I got a name for this ‘condition’ from a TED talk by Emilie Wapnick where she talks about such people being ‘multipotentialites.’

It’s a flattering word but it belies the dangers that lurk beneath.

If you do not pursue any of your many ‘potentials’ with enough laser focus and conviction, you risk never achieving anything. And it is hard to put the required energy into one specific thing when you’ve spread yourself thin doing too many things.

I had a conversation concerning this issue with a friend recently.

I made an analogy where I compared two people; one picking up many skills and interests in life as she goes and the other who focuses on one skill or interest. I likened these two people to people on their way to a destination who have the chance to take survival supplies with them.

The person picking up many skills and interests carries many supplies. If she makes it to her goal, she is better equipped to survive and thrive. But her progress during travel is slowed down by the heavy load she is carrying and she risks never getting to her destination before her time is up.

Meanwhile, the one with one skill takes minimal supplies and travels faster. He is more likely to arrive at his goal since he is not bogged down by the weight of supplies. However, he might get there and find that he lacks enough supplies to survive and thrive.

Basically, those who specialise in a very specific niche early often seem to make faster progress in their careers that those who do explore many fields. But if their area of specialisation ever becomes obsolete, they have nothing else.

Whether you are a Jack of all trades or master of one depends on your personality. There’s no objectively better path but…

This advice is specifically directed to the Jacks and Jills of all trades.

The truth is that you’re much more likely to achieve a given goal when you dedicate more of your time, energy and focus to it than when you share it across several things.

I watched a Youtube video recently that said it is a hopeless endeavour to try to balance all aspects of your life at all times.

This is a fact to be embraced and worked with.

You’re always going to have multiple interests, passions, and dreams as a multipotentialite. And that is a gift, make no mistake about it.

But you really don’t have to juggle everything at every given point. The reality is that the more time you give to one aspect of your life, the less time you give to another.

And if you look closely, you’ll very likely have a goal that needs to be prioritised in every season of your life.

So you need to centre it and only put other things into focus when taking a break from your main goal.

Now, your main goal may change over time.

The idea is to minimise multitasking on a day-to-day basis but try to give things these passions their seasons in your life so that you can properly give them the effort and attention that deserve.

For me right now, that would look like re-prioritising, dropping non-urgent engagements which may be a distraction for now, and filling my leisure time with only one or two activities that complement my schedule.

It’s a good thing to have many interests that keep your life full but I think it’s important not to hinder you from meeting specific goals.

If you choose to share your time equally between endless things, then you will make slow progress or get poor results or both.

Even if it looks like you are managing to cope with juggling so many things, what might end up suffering is your health.

The point of this article is to tell multipotentialites that the sky is your starting point. And while this lifetime may not be enough for the many things you want to be, there’s a lot that you can do if you’re smart about it.

I’ve been inspired by Leonardo DaVinci for many years. A man who was many things despite having no formal education.

He was a true polymath.

A sculptor, painter, engineer, biologist, botanist, inventor, cartographer, architect, philosopher, and so much more.

The legendary Italian painter of the Mona Lisa self-taught himself Latin and was the first person to create a detailed, theoretical design for a human-carrying vertical flight machine that we now know as a helicopter.

He only lived one life but I think he lived it damn well, especially for someone who died at 67.

I like to think that being free from modern expectations of specialisation allowed him to flourish.

Nowadays we have to choose between art or science classes in secondary school, study one specific course in university, and decide on one career path.

But be that as it may, there’s much beauty in being a multipotentialite. You just need to learn how to prioritise during the different seasons of your life so that you can fulfil as much of your potential as possible.

PS: If you guys hear in a few years time that I’m pursuing a music career, please don’t be surprised.

The Trouble with Wanting to Do Everything

Comments