A multipotential is a person with many interests who is not fulfilled by pursuing a specialized and linear career
A multipotential is someone with multiple interests, talents, curiosities and doesn't give up on the idea that a single work identity is enough. He doesn't believe that choosing to specialize in a subject can be the only option for self-fulfillment professionally and in life, and he thinks it's possible to put his various skills to good use. A multipotential is attracted to things that are unrelated to each other and can adapt with ease to different tasks. The way in which it expresses this characteristic can vary; we can imagine a chef grappling with the kitchen to get an idea. He will be able to choose whether to put several pots on the fire at the same time, with the same flame, at the same speed, or to give priority to one dish and cook the others over low heat, without haste. Or, we could imagine him in front of a big bonfire with a single pot boiling. Regardless of the ways in which he wants to live this propensity, a multipotential will not move in a straight line in his working career; the lines he will travel will be rather transversal, he will exploit his skills by applying them in various disciplines in an unusual way.
The superpowers of a multipotential: synthesis, overview, quick learning, adaptability, empathy
If we are multipotentials, the ability to synthesize is one of our superpowers. We know how to join two or more concepts or ideas, put them together, mix them and then create something new. Thanks to this gift, it will be easy for us to find creative solutions to problems, because we are used to drawing from different perspectives and various sources.
Another feature is the speed of learning, the ability to develop new skills in a short time. We know very well what it means to be a beginner, it is something we experience several times in our existence. In reality, even when we learn something completely new, we never start from scratch, because the knowledge we have acquired from other disciplines comes to our aid.
We are also extremely adaptable, we can feel comfortable in completely different scenarios and environments; we are resilient people who can move with ease even in an unstable and rapidly changing economy. We are able to see the connections between interiority and the external world, between different subjects, and to assume a position away from things that allows us to have a holistic vision.
We love relating to other people and helping them empathize with each other. We are like an orchestra conductor who knows the potential of each instrument and each musician and knows how to put them together to create collective harmony.
To live happily you need a life plan that can guarantee money, meaning and variety
There is no single career model that fits all multi-potentials. More often than not, we're not looking to build a career, but rather a life plan that can provide money, meaning and variety.
There is little to say about money, it is useful for living, not having it could create serious difficulties. It can be considered one of the ingredients for a happy life, but it can't be the only element to be desired. Once each of us has established how much he needs to live peacefully, he must also think about making sense of what he is doing. Giving a deep motivation to our work can be of great help in times of difficulty and when we have to make complex choices. Let's remember that it's fine to have more than one why, more than one motivation, and that it's equally fine to do something just for fun or just for money; the important thing is to have enough money and meaning in life to allow us to live well, motivated and happy. Besides money and sense, we need one last ingredient, variety. The amount needed depends on each of us and on the different moments of life. There will be times when we feel the need to have 5 or 6 projects boiling in the pot, in others one will be enough to motivate and excite us.
To put these three ingredients together in the best way, the most effective thing is to imagine our ideal day. Having an idea of how we would like to live is a precious clue for building a rich and fulfilling life plan.
Basically, there are four working models that can satisfy multipotentials: the Group Hug, the Alternation, the Einstein approach and the Phoenix.
The Group Hug is a working model that brings together several interests and passions in a single professional activity
It is a multifaceted type of work, which allows you to cross multiple interests at the same time; in this way we are able to satisfy the need for meaning, money and variety with a single activity. It's a kind of fusion, where we bring together our various passions and hold them together in a metaphorical embrace. It is a model that we can create ourselves or find in reality that already exists. We can work in a sector that is interdisciplinary by nature, such as urban planning, for example; or, we can go in search of sectors in which other multi-potentials work, such as scientific dissemination, a sector in which it is necessary to make complex concepts understood by non-experts, and therefore for a non-specialist this is an advantage.
The Group Hug mode can also be achieved by working for open-minded companies and organizations, which well understand the importance of flexibility, adaptability and creativity that a multi-potential can bring to the team. Or, another strategy may be to diversify our current work, as well as consider starting our own business.
Alternanza is a model in which two or more part-time jobs are carried out on a regular basis
It is not a model that unites like the previous one, but it keeps our passions separate, still allowing us to live them, cultivate them and make them grow simultaneously. We work in rotation in different fields; it must be an intentional choice, not forced by necessity, it must please and satisfy us completely. It must be a pattern that we follow on purpose and with great motivation to achieve personal and monetary goals. It's a great choice for anyone who feels an independent or entrepreneurial spirit; it is as if every single job satisfied a different part of each of us, allowing us to exploit different skills, experiences and abilities. It is a widespread way of working in the world of artists and suitable for those who are refractory to the way of working of structured companies and do not particularly like authority. How to get there? Often moving from a full-time job to its part-time variant, seizing unforeseen opportunities or engaging in many activities, which we will perfect along the way.
The Einstein approach: a single full-time activity that is enough to support us and leaves us free time to pursue other passions
He bears the name of the great physicist, because for almost ten years he worked at the Swiss government's patent office. And just in that period, Einstein managed to bring to light some of his most important works, including the theory of relativity. This approach is suitable for those who feel a strong need for economic security and stability, and are willing to do a “good enough” job to feel financially secure. They accept the compromise of a non-exciting job, and pursue their passions in their free time, feeling lighter because they don't have to profit from their interests and curiosities, nor do they have to account to anyone or justify themselves for what they are really passionate about.
To be "good enough", the work we do must in any case guarantee us a certain interest and a certain stimulus, a salary that satisfies our economic needs and leave us enough free time and energy to devote ourselves to what we like best.
La Fenice is a way of working in which we engage for a period in a single sector, and then reinvent ourselves in a completely new career
Those who are gifted for this model embrace a single passion for months or years, giving themselves body and soul to it, with total abandonment. Nothing else exists, until one day, overnight, we start to feel no more stimuli and the desire for something different is born in us, which pushes us to abandon the old for the new. Like the Phoenix, we are reborn from our ashes and are ready to embark on a completely different career.
The difficulty for those who feel close to this way of working is understanding when the time has come for renewal. If we continually compare ourselves with ourselves and pay attention to the body's signals, it won't be difficult to understand when it's time to change. When boredom sets in, when our souls are no longer lit with passion, it means that we have reached a point of no return; it is important not to pull the rope too much, not to arrive at the big jump too stressed. The transition from one career to another is best done gradually, that it is the result of reflection and planning; it will certainly be more pleasant and fluid. Serial entrepreneurs fall into this working mode.
Productivity means knowing what to focus on and act on to achieve our goals
For a multipotential, productivity above all means committing to the right things, knowing that you have a good plan to achieve what you want, and knowing when it's time to abandon one activity and move on to a new one.
One of the hardest things for a multipotential is figuring out what to focus on and what interests to develop, what is the right project to devote yourself to. If we find ourselves in this situation, the first thing to do is not to see the choice as a constraint, but to consider it as an experiment, a test, with the idea of exploring interests and passions with a mixed attitude of wonder and amusement. We could start by making a list of priority projects and those waiting behind the scenes; the former are those that excite and excite us and that we are pursuing in the present moment. In the second list, we will put everything that we are passionate about, but that we are not yet cultivating. This strategy will allow us to visually have a clear understanding of everything that is boiling in the pot, what ignites us with passion and is more in our comfort zone. If we happen to come across other subjects and ideas that excite us, we could happily add them to behind-the-scenes projects; the important thing is to always allow yourself the freedom to take new paths.
Manage time by recognizing the importance of a routine and to indulge your energies
For good time management, we should allocate the most important projects to those moments of the day when we feel most energetic and fit; if this is possible for us, we will have many benefits and we will achieve our objectives more effectively. If instead, for various reasons, it were impossible for us to dedicate the best moments of the day to the most important projects, it is still not a good excuse to give up everything. To put our creativity to good use, the important thing is to build a routine over time, get used to the constant daily commitment, whenever possible. There are those who have managed to set up a business by planning it entirely during lunch breaks; why shouldn't we do it too? Without exaggerating by demanding too much of ourselves, allowing ourselves the luxury of being kind to ourselves, we will be able to create rituals, sacred moments in which to work on what is dear to us, and the benefits will also come in terms of productivity.
Manage time by recognizing the importance of a routine and to indulge your energies
For good time management, we should allocate the most important projects to those moments of the day when we feel most energetic and fit; if this is possible for us, we will have many benefits and we will achieve our objectives more effectively. If instead, for various reasons, it were impossible for us to dedicate the best moments of the day to the most important projects, it is still not a good excuse to give up everything. To put our creativity to good use, the important thing is to build a routine over time, get used to the constant daily commitment, whenever possible. There are those who have managed to set up a business by planning it entirely during lunch breaks; why shouldn't we do it too? Without exaggerating by demanding too much of ourselves, allowing ourselves the luxury of being kind to ourselves, we will be able to create rituals, sacred moments in which to work on what is dear to us, and the benefits will also come in terms of productivity.
The desire to change comes when things become obvious, boring and lack stimuli
A multipotential gets tired of a job and feels the desire for change not because things are going badly or there are particular difficulties. Conversely, it is precisely when things get too easy and the stimuli are lacking that a multipotential begins to lose interest. He has achieved what he wanted and feels the desire to go further, he no longer perceives any enthusiasm in what he does, and many times this means changing direction and shifting his attention to other interests.
There is only one risk in this situation, that of exchanging "resistance" for the achievement of one's goals. It may happen that we block ourselves not because we have reached the goal we wanted, but because a force within us, which would like to protect us and keep us in our usual comfort zone, is boycotting us. In this case it will be enough to stop for a moment and listen to the emotions that overwhelm us. Usually, resistance comes quickly and suddenly it wants us to stop, flooding us with fear, anxiety and lack of self-confidence. However, if we listen carefully, under the blanket of these not beautiful emotions, the flame of passion is always hidden. In this case, it's just "resistance," a momentary block that can be overcome.
Some tricks to get started: start in a good frame of mind, use a timer and break projects into small chunks
The fundamental action, capable of unleashing people's productivity, is to get to work. For a multipotential it is even more important to do it in a good state of mind. A good idea might be to intentionally create the right inspiration; to do this there are many tools that can help us, including meditation, movement and practicing gratitude. We can help ourselves by visualizing our projects, imagining how we will feel when we have achieved them and making sure that the environment in which we work favors the flow of creativity.
Once this is done, we can imagine the various steps into which to divide the project and then think of a small first step to take, shifting our gaze from the idea as a whole to a simple and feasible first action. The timer is an effective tool and its potential is often underestimated: we can start by aiming it for half an hour, in which we will work in a state of flow. In this state of mind, we will feel completely immersed in what we are doing, concentrated, involved, full of joy, so much so that we do not feel the passage of time.
The biggest challenges for a multipotential: lack of security, always feeling like a rookie and imposter syndrome
In general, we are immersed in a culture that prefers specialization to multi-potentiality, a culture that requires us to be good at just one thing, which we will carry on throughout our lives. Many of us have internalized this message, so it's easy to feel destabilized in the face of our superpowers pointing in multiple directions.
When it happens that we get tired of something and have the desire to embark on a new professional adventure, we may feel a sense of guilt or shame.
Let's try to stay calm, the desire to abandon the old for a more exciting future is completely normal; let's not lock ourselves up in a reality that no longer stimulates us and that has become too narrow for us. Let's appreciate our changing nature and remember that we are not ultimately what we make.
Another typical discomfort of multipotentials is that of always feeling like a beginner. In this regard, let's remember that incompetence is a mandatory step when we want to learn something new; you always start from scratch to become good. Every time we make a little progress, write it down; it will help us.
Another common problem is imposter syndrome. Let's reflect for a moment: if we really were imposters, we wouldn't have this syndrome! Doubting yourself from time to time is perfectly normal and a sign of a personality that wants to do its best. There are many of us who experience this difficulty, to go further let us always focus on the effectiveness of what we do, on the contribution we make, with a good dose of joy and lightness.
Criticisms are faced first of all by understanding who they come from
When we face external criticism and judgments about our professional choices, we first of all pay attention to who is the person who is criticizing us. If it's a person we care about, let's stop and think; otherwise, let's ignore it completely, let's avoid wasting time on explanations When we answer the fateful question: "And you, what do you do?" we take into account the interlocutor. If it inspires us and we want to continue the conversation, we can dare a slightly more comprehensive answer, which intrigues us, which is a hook to start a chat. If, on the other hand, we are not interested in the person who asked us the question, we can simply respond with a dry description of our main activity, without going into the details of our many interests.
In general, we should feel pride in our "quirk" and show it to the world with joy; in a reality made up mostly of specialized people, being a multipotential is simply equivalent to having our own uniqueness.
Hug You!!
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