I have always struggled with knowing what I want to do in life. I never had an answer as a child for the adults' constant questioning about my future plans. After high school, I started an unintentional whirlwind tour of university degree programs. In two years I jumped from architecture, to chemical engineering, to nursing, to physics, to bio-physics (yes, that's a thing), and then to philosophy. In hindsight, I think what I really needed was some time off. I got my degree in philosophy, went on to law school and have been practicing law for two years. But now I am getting the itch again. I don't know what, but I want something different.
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Have you always (or maybe just recently) felt like you missed the jump onto some hidden set of train tracks that others are riding? You have probably heard dozens, if not hundreds, of stories about people who always just knew that they would be doing this one thing. Well what do you do if those stories don't resonate with you. After all "a jack of all trades is a master of none." Right? Sure, there is some validity to that, but is there nothing between "jack of all trades" and master of only one?
The economic model of training future workers to decide early in life what it is they will be doing for the next 40 years was an important underpinning for the industrial revolution and the subsequent century. But we're not in that age anymore. Maybe you have seen it first hand. Employers and employees have a diminished sense of loyalty to each other. Many jobs do not require or reward staying there for 40+ years. Couple that with the explosive accessibility of quality information and training, more and more people are deciding to make dramatic career pivots.
Still, there is a problem with the way we talk about this. We have a tendency to look at everything before the pivot as a mistake. We say that weren't doing the thing that we should have been doing all along. The thing we were made for. And maybe that is true for you. What if instead, that language is just a way for us to try to justify our transitions to ourselves and the onlookers around us? What if your calling, the thing you were meant to do, could be more than one thing?
This is an idea that I have been coming across a lot lately on some of the fringes of entrepreneurial resources and it has been resonating with me more and more. Oh I forgot to mention, on top of the list of educational jumps that I listed above, the rest of my life has been evolving as well. In the last six years: I have had five kids, taught myself woodworking, been elected to the board of directors for a small school in Detroit, started a non-profit with my friend, become a cryptocurrency enthusiast (and trader), started blogging, and begun training to lead people through emotional healing care groups. I like to do a lot of different things, to say the least. While that is often viewed as a weakness--e.g. "master of none"--I don't think it has to be.
I have been inspired by three different entrepreneur thought leaders that are pushing against this idea that doing many things is always bad. If this idea speaks to you, check out these resources. You won't regret it.
The Limit Does Not Exist
The first example of this multi-faceted career life that I came across was a podcast from Christina Wallace and Cate Scott Campbell called The Limit Does Not Exist. The show hosts believe that STEM and creativity should be much more co-mingled than our society has often allowed them to be. The have this label that they use in every episode called "human Venn-diagrams." If you're unfamiliar with a Venn diagram, just google it. As applied to our lives, imagine all of your different interests, skills, history, experiences, temperaments, connections, etc, as a separate circle. You are likely the only person who has this unique overlapping and intersecting of qualities. And that makes you valuable. It is your job to find the space to live into, and sometimes combine, those many parts of you.
The Portfolio Life
Jeff Goins is very well known for his blogging and video course success. He made a dramatic change and started exploring something totally new to him. He has now published several best selling books and continues to crank out quality content on his blog, his podcast, and various courses/webinars. Jeff encourages his audience to build a portfolio, a variety of skills, interests, and experiences. Something that you can present as your life's work. That means taking a second look at the time spent at that "dead end job" and considering how to repurpose that time and experience.
Puttylike
I actually discovered Emilie Wapnick through an episode of The Portfolio life, but have quickly become smitten by her content. Emilie actually invented a word for those of us who feel like they still don't know what they want to do: "multipotentialite." Sound it out, multi-potential-ite. She runs the sit Puddylike.com and recently published a book titled How To Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don't Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up.
So what's the big deal? First of all, your mental health and happiness matters. That's not up for debate. Second, the world and your community need you to be doing what you are meant to be doing. Whether that is one thing, a series of transitions, or multiple things at once, it matters that you are pursuing what fits.
Let me know in the comments if you identify with this place. What has your story looked liked up to this point, and what are you dreaming for the future?
Until next time, be blessed.
Sam
Image Sources: Tangled
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