Tag: multipotentialite

Inspiration & Motivation

How to Successfully Manage Multiple Goals at Once

by amandakaybradley21 Comments on How to Successfully Manage Multiple Goals at Once
How to Successfully Manage Multiple Goals at Once

January is the month for goal setting and this post on how to manage multiple goals at once is dedicated to a specific set of the population. If any of the following rings true for you, keep reading because I’ve got the answers you never knew you needed!

Are you someone who dabbles in a little bit of everything? Do you have such varied interests that people raise their eyebrows a bit when you describe them all?

Maybe you switch careers and hobbies like you switch your socks because you become bored so easily. Or maybe you have given up hope of ever making significant progress in any one area.

You long to just find that “one thing” you were meant to be and do but somehow it always evades you. Each new thing you try promises to be that “one thing” but it never really pans out that way.

And the thought of sticking with one career for an entire lifetime terrifies you.

If any of this sounds familiar, first know that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with you. There’s actually immense value in having wide-ranging interests in today’s world. Your perspective is unique and worthy of celebration!

And understanding how to manage multiple goals simultaneously requires an understanding of just how valuable you are.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see our full disclosure for further information.

Why Having Multiple Interests is a Strength

Have you ever heard the term “multipotentialite?” The term describes someone who has multiple interests across a wide range of topics. Up until several weeks ago when I stumbled across this life-changing book, I had no idea this was even a thing.

I thought there was something wrong with me because I could never stick with one thing for very long. My first undergraduate degree (yes, I have two) was a long and winding road which has essentially nothing to do with my current career.

And my hobbies which range from dressage to piano to quilting also offer unprecedented diversity. If you’re interested in hearing more about my story, make sure to check out last week’s post!

But after reading this book, I have come to realize that having multiple interests offers huge advantages. The first is that having multiple interests means you’ve mastered the art of being a beginner. Because you’ve started so many different things, you’re completely unafraid to try new things. This also means that you’re open to new experiences and most importantly, ways of thinking.

The second advantage of having multiple interests is that you’re able to draw on diverse background knowledge to solve problems. Your perspective is entirely unique which means you’re not stuck in the rut of thinking which traps many specialists. And by “specialist” I mean someone who sticks to one career or hobby and hones it deeply instead of the “generalist” who tries everything.

The third advantage is that having multiple interests is the mark of intelligence. It’s a sign that you’re curious and interested in the world around you. You desperately want to learn new things and grow as a person.

But with the strengths also come challenges. One of the biggest being how to manage multiple goals simultaneously.

Why It’s Difficult to Manage Multiple Goals

At first glance, it may seem as if the ability to manage multiple goals at once is easy if you also have multiple interests. And for some multipotentialites, goal attainment may be fairly simple and straightforward.

But for others, learning how to manage multiple goals at one time is a learned skill. Without this skill, you could easily resign yourself to the fact that there’s too much on your plate and you should just quit everything.

You may also feel that because you are doing so much, excelling in any one area is completely unattainable and therefore not worth your time.

Or maybe you feel overwhelmed by the amount of time required to make progress in any of your areas of interest.

Maybe you’ve abandoned interests in the past for these or any number of other perfectly legitimate reasons. Achieving goals is tough, even for people who set their sights on only one thing over an entire lifetime. It’s especially tough for those of us who have seemingly conflicting aspirations.

But time, overwhelm, perfectionism, and a range of other reasons don’t have to hold you back any longer. Remember that multiple interest advantage about being open to new ways of thinking? You’ve already mastered it and are well-equipped to change your mind set about your ability to manage multiple goals! Let’s get started!

Pace Yourself

I think sometimes we have a tendency to think that because we have all these interests, we MUST do each of them daily. I’m here to tell you that if you’re anything like me, doing everything every single day would be IMPOSSIBLE.

Give up the pipe dream that you can do ALL THE THINGS on all the days. It’s not only a lie but it’s a fast track to burnout. And if you’re burned out, being your awesome self is impossible. You (and the world!) deserve more.

Learn to flip the narrative around by looking at your time from a larger perspective. Instead of pursuing your interests on a daily basis, consider mapping out a week or a month at a time. Sit down and carve out chunks of time for all those interests in advance.

Dividing your interests up also offers the benefit of rotation and thereby decreases the risk that you will easily become bored. It’s a win-win all around!

Prioritize

In line with pacing yourself is the vital concept of prioritization. There will be times when one particular interest is more important or relevant than at others.

Learn to become flexible and follow your intuition.

Both pacing and prioritization continue to be personally challenging for me but I have learned to accept the fact that I simply can’t do everything. But as long as I fit one of my interests into each day, I consider it a win.

One thing which has helped me with both pacing myself and prioritizing my interests is having a planner. This incredibly useful planner facilitates daily, monthly, and longer term planning involving multiple projects at the same time. And when you’re trying to manage multiple goals, this is the planner for you!

Don’t Fall for the Myth of Immediate Gratification

We live in a world of immediate gratification. The answers to any question you can possibly think of are at your fingertips whether it’s 1 in the afternoon or 3 in the morning.

If you suddenly have the urge to talk to someone you haven’t talked to in years, all you have to do is hit them up on social media.

And if you’re wondering what your favorite celebrity is up to right now, simply consult Instagram.

All this immediate gratification sometimes fools us into thinking that EVERYTHING can and should be immediate. It has us believing that if something takes longer than 5 minutes, it’s not worth our time.

But the truth is that true accomplishment, the kind you feel down to your very core, takes time. And for those of us interested in everything, this is a tough lesson because there may be times we’re tempted to move on rather than put forth more effort.

Sometimes moving on is exactly what you need to do. But there will be other times when sticking with it for the long haul is your calling. Getting clear on your why is usually key in determining whether to keep pressing on or abandon ship.

And when your venture is to manage multiple goals, getting crystal clear on your why is crucial.

Become Indistractable

When you have multiple interests, the obvious answer to pursuing all of them simultaneously may involve multitasking. After all, doesn’t doing more than one thing at the same time improve efficiency?

As I learned in this book, it actually does not.

Humans are incapable of multitasking. Need proof? Try to keep reading this post while multiplying 362 x 586 in your head. Notice how you really can only focus on one of those tasks at a time?

We actually become more efficient when we focus on only one thing at a time. And the fewer interruptions while we complete the task, the better the outcome and the more efficient we become.

Each distraction shifts your focus away from the task at hand and it takes more time and energy to re-focus than staying honed in on the task in the first place would have taken.

Find ways to protect your time and you will be amazed at how your ability to manage multiple goals at the same time also improves.

Time Batching

Along with becoming indistractable is the idea of batching your time to improve efficiency and thereby your ability to manage multiple goals simultaneously.

Time batching involves doing all similar tasks at the same time and then moving to the next set of similar tasks. A simple example of this would be blocking off an hour of your day to address all email-related tasks instead of responding to each one as they filter in throughout the day.

It may seem counterintuitive but responding to messages as they come in shifts your attention from whatever you were doing before. This means you not only didn’t finish that other task but you require additional time and energy to re-focus after responding to the message.

It also increases the chances that your attention will be drawn even further down a nonproductive rabbit hole. As an example, let’s pretend the email is advertising a sale at your favorite store. The temptation will be to immediately check out just how cheap those jeans you love are.

Pretty soon you’re checking out tops, shoes, and jewelry. Then dresses and skirts. And then you realize it’s been an hour and you’ve made zero progress on whatever you were doing before that email hit your inbox.

Been there, done that. Which is why I now batch my time and have seen gigantic improvements in my efficiency and ability to manage multiple goals at the same time.

Other Thoughts on How to Manage Multiple Goals

I simply can’t emphasize strongly enough the importance of embracing all that comes with having multiple interests. There’s a freedom which comes with knowing it’s completely normal to have wide-ranging interests. Not only is it normal but there are incredible benefits to being a generalist rather than a specialist.

Give yourself the gift of flexibility. Know that your interests will shift more rapidly than those of specialists and that’s ok. You may find that there are certain interests which stay relatively stable over time while others change quickly.

And that’s ok too.

Keep exploring, learning, and growing. Avoid rigid time frames for your goals because this only contributes to frustration and stalled progress when deadlines are not met, especially when you have multiple goals and interests.

Never underestimate the value of being able to apply what you’ve learned in one area to another. You never know how what you’re doing now will benefit you or others in the future.

Your contribution is unique, amazing, and worthy of sharing with others!

It’s Your Turn

I truly hope you found this post inspirational and are more motivated than ever to manage multiple goals simultaneously! Remember that there are so many other people out there who are also torn by having multiple interests and that it’s not only completely normal but a desirable quality to have.

Learning how to maximize this quality in yourself takes time but is well worth the effort. This book was pivotal for me and completely revolutionized my outlook on having multiple interests. If you’ve never read it but this post struck something inside, I highly recommend you read it!

And for a high quality planner which supports the unique needs of someone who has multiple interests, check out this one:

Lastly, you can improve your ability to manage multiple goals by reading this book:

And as always, I’d love to hear your perspective on this post and whether you have tips for how to manage multiple goals at the same time. Until next time, stay safe, healthy, and motivated to be the best version of yourself!

Inspiration & Motivation

Why Having Multiple Interests is Your Greatest Strength

by amandakaybradley20 Comments on Why Having Multiple Interests is Your Greatest Strength
Why Having Multiple Interests is Your Greatest Strength

Have you spent your life frantically searching for that “one thing” you’re “supposed” to be doing? Do you have a hard time honing in on one path in life because you have multiple interests? Are you easily bored?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you’re not alone!

Until recently, I felt that there was something tragically wrong with me for having multiple interests. I was constantly down on myself for switching interests, majors, careers, and even hobbies! The result was a constant sense of guilt for being unable to just hone in and focus on one thing. And I felt as if I was somehow “behind” in life for the many twists and turns I’ve made, both personally and professionally.

Let me catch you up to speed on a few of those twists and turns.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. And as a member of the Amazon Affiliates program, I may earn a small commission from purchases. Please see our full disclosure for further information.

My Story

In my younger years, all I ever wanted to be was a veterinarian. I grew up on a farm and loved all types of animals but specifically wanted to be a large animal veterinarian.

All through high school, I focused on math and science classes. In my junior year, I chose a college with an excellent track record of preparing its students for the study of veterinary medicine. And then, not even a week into my freshman year, I did a complete 180. I suddenly found myself majoring in music, of all things!

At first glance, it may seem like a completely random change. However, I had actually taken piano lessons since the age of 7 and had a sincere passion for the instrument. But I had never considered music as a career until the first week of my freshman year at the university.

Studying piano at the college level was challenging in many ways. Despite the challenges, I found so much value in what I was learning and was incredibly motivated to improve my own playing abilities. It was, at first, all-consuming.

But then, at some point, my tendency to explore kicked in again.

Blazing New Paths

The summer after my freshman year, I worked as a camp counselor at a camp which featured horseback riding. I loved it so much that I spent the entire summer re-evaluating my decision to pursue music. And by the end of the summer, I was again signing up for ALL the math and animal science classes.

During the fall of my sophomore year, I spent time shadowing a large animal veterinarian, a prerequisite for veterinary school. In my head, I had this vision of what being a veterinarian was all about. And although the science fascinated me, the realistic daily life of being a veterinarian was polar opposite from my vision.

I found myself once again switching majors. This time to pre-law.

I honestly have no idea how I landed on this one but I did have some vague understanding that lawyers do a ton of reading. And I LOVE to read so somehow that seemed like the logical next step for my life.

My pre-law phase lasted exactly 1 semester and my transcript was officially starting to resemble some crazy squirrel desperately searching for buried nuts.

Multiple Interests Collide

Since my business law grade certainly didn’t reflect a passion for that field, I again dedicated myself to music. Even despite all the major changing I had done over the past several years, I had continued to study piano. I also had taken a position accompanying a church choir in my college town and even took up studying organ, something I had never in a million years considered doing before.

As graduation grew closer however, I grew more and more anxious about how I would actually make money after college. My degree was not strictly a teaching one but had more of a broad, liberal arts emphasis. That meant I would have to be creative about making an actual living. Not a great feeling when at your core, you are a type A planner who NEEDS a plan to survive.

I did briefly consider studying piano at the graduate level however at the time had very deep-rooted doubts about my talent and playing ability. Combined with significant performance anxiety, it didn’t seem like the best option at the time.

And so, once again, I did a complete 180. I finished out my music degree and ultimately graduated with a bachelor of science in fine arts but after graduation, set my sights on nursing.

Again, this may seem like a complete deviation from everything thus far except on two counts. One was that my mom was a nurse and I therefore had a somewhat cursory understanding of what the job entailed. The second was that I had a TON of science classes under my belt thus far.

Trouble finding clarity in your life? Check out this post to find yourself again.

What the …???

Over the next several years, I gradually finished up a 2 year nursing program, worked a variety of different nursing positions including as a floor nurse and in management, and finished up a 4 year nursing program. At which point I began asking myself, “Now what?”

Once again I began feeling restless.

Ultimately these feelings culminated in pursuing a graduate nursing degree and eventually, a career as a nurse practitioner. Although I enjoy the flexibility this position offers, I continue to long for new knowledge and experiences in completely unrelated fields.

And I have continued to foster music in my life through various accompanying gigs, an occasional piano student, and a full-time organist position at a local church.

Even beyond nursing and music, I also started a blog and took up the sport of dressage in recent years.

At this point, you’re either nodding your head because you have a similar story or are asking what the f*** is wrong with me.

And I sincerely hope you are the first because maybe you too have felt behind and confused about your multiple interests. Maybe you’ve been frustrated by your lack of significant progress in any one area. Or perhaps you feel annoyed that you just can’t seem to follow one thing to completion.

Your Greatest Strength

This next part is 100% for you. I see you and feel you because I was you until I discovered this book which changed EVERYTHING. And after a bit more research, I discovered that there are actually people out there wired just like me. People with multiple interests in seemingly unrelated fields, called by some “polymaths” and “multipotentialites” by others.

Regardless of the term, I discovered the truth that there’s NOTHING wrong with having multiple interests. And not only is there nothing wrong with multiple interests but it actually could be your greatest strength!

The Myth of Specialization

From an economic standpoint, specialization makes sense. Specialization, or the focus on one specific task or field, results in greater productivity. It also enables the ability to become really good at something because it’s the only thing you focus on.

And specialization is emphasized even from our earliest years. Specialization is expected from the minute you are first asked what you want to be when you grow up. At that moment, the seeds of being “one thing” above all else are planted.

As we grow older, we are expected to fall into some type of category. We either fall into the doctor, the factory worker, or any number of other “one thing” categories. And by doing so, putting everyone into neat and tiny boxes becomes infinitely easier.

But what if you don’t fall into a specific category? What if having multiple interests means you are constantly on the search for that next thing to fully engage and fascinate you? And what if you never felt that “one thing” calling?

Well then, my friend, you are very likely a “polymath” or a “multipotentialite.” You have the unique ability to morph into many different categories and provide the type of insight no one else has. Having multiple interests is your super power and your greatest strength.

And you most certainly are not alone.

Real Life Examples

Throughout history, there are dramatic examples of people who have multiple interests and never specialized in any one thing. Leonardo da Vinci, for example, was a painter, inventor, and early engineering genius who made lasting impacts on a wide array of fields.

Nikola Tesla was a mathematician, inventor, and humanitarian who also spoke 8 different languages.

And Helen Keller made profound achievements in activism, as an author, and as a lecturer all over the world despite her significant sensory challenges.

Clearly, there are profound benefits of having multiple interests even if society would have you believing otherwise.

Creative Problem Solving

One of the most significant benefits to having multiple interests is the ability to creatively problem solve. Instead of pulling from a very specific and narrow knowledge base, you are able to integrate ideas from seemingly unrelated topics. This offers a completely different perspective to problem solving.

Although I’m not denying the fact that there are times when a specialist perspective is required, multipotentialites are in a much better position to solve truly complex issues. And as the world becomes more and more complex, we need multipotentialites to synthesize information which may never have been connected before.

We need people to reach out across disciplines to advance technology and our understanding of ourselves.

Check out this book for even more fascinating examples of how multipotentialites bring a unique perspective to problems old and new.

Variety

Another significant benefit to being a multipotentialite is the variety which comes from having multiple interests. You’re not afraid to try new things and branch out because you’ve done it 3 million times before.

I would also venture to say that you’re deeply connected to yourself and have a solid understanding of your interests.

You’re likely to be one of those people with 15 different simultaneous (and seemingly unrelated) projects but wouldn’t have it any other way!

Overthinking on overdrive? Check out this post to find out how you can clear your mind.

One Step Closer to Success

In a specialized world, giving up on something before you’ve seen it to fruition very much seems like failure. It seems like a complete waste of time and effort.

But what if I told you that every failure is a step closer to success? What if I said that quitting something early on actually means you are that much closer to true success?

Instead of wasting your time on projects or hobbies you’ve lost interest in, you’re free to move on to the next thing. And yes, there’s something to be said for sticking with something to the bitter end but there’s also something to be said about having the courage to move on.

Even if your progress seems small, we can’t predict the future. There’s no way to know the impact that small progress will have on your or others in the future. No effort when done for a noble pursuit is a waste!

Never be afraid to move on because you never know the success hiding around the next bend in the road!

Check out this book for even more stories of how “giving up” is a good thing.

It’s Your Turn

At the end of the day, having multiple interests is a spectacular quality which opens countless doors for you. It’s true that you’ll probably never find your “one thing” because you’re destined for “greater THINGS.” Your contribution is an outstanding one which we need in this highly complex world we find ourselves in.

I honestly had zero understanding of just how powerful having multiple interests is prior to stumbling upon a book written by David Epstein called ‘Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.’ Prior to reading this book recently, I felt that I was doomed to continue wandering around aimlessly searching for the “one thing” which is my destiny.

His book completely revolutionized my outlook and left me asking, “What next?” Where else can I contribute? What are the other areas where I can make an impact?

If any of this rings true to you, drop what you’re doing and grab ‘Range.’ I guarantee that it will erase all the guilt you’re carrying around and enable you to triumph because of rather than despite your multiple interests.

And as always, I would love to hear what you think about this post. Tell me all about the winding path your life has taken thus far and what you’ve come away with as a result of failing to stick to the beaten path.

And never forget that you are amazing with incredibly unique gifts to share with the world!