In the modern era of the Internet and the gig economy, many jobs have been made obsolete by technologies like automation and artificial intelligence. However, more creative roles that require mastery of multiple skills and domains have opened up, such as product manager, social media manager, content creator, and others. Excelling in these roles requires a range of deep skills, a trait frequently observed in multi-passionate person.
Historically, “Jack of All Trades” was perceived as a drawback, and many multi-passionate individuals felt left behind growing up. But now, the future belongs to them. Entry-level jobs are being replaced, and recruiters are increasingly seeking candidates with cross-disciplinary skills and experiences. Multi-passionate folks, it is time to recognize your game-changing advantage and learn how to harness your power as a multi-passionate person!
Are you a multi-passionate person?
Multi-passionate/ multipollineate is used to describe people with multiple passions who have difficulties choosing a single career path. My personal journey started off my career as a data analyst, transformed into a lifecycle manager, and eventually led to my current role as a product manager.
Simultaneously, we undertake multiple projects. For instance, I manage small businesses and an app project outside of my full-time employment. We are passionate about so many things and fully enjoy the process of learning and sharing our knowledge and experience with others. Famous examples include Leonardo Da Vinci, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Marie Forleo, and so many more!
Interest vs passion
Interest does not equal passion. Passions are ignited by something that brightens your eyes and compels you to stay awake at night, driven to delve deeper and excel in a specific field. People around you will be able to tell if you are passionate or just keen on some disciplines.
Your unfair advantage as a multi-passionate person
Multi-passionate individuals face a unique challenge when comparing their life paths and achievements to those of laser-focused high achievers, as our journey tends to be slower. It takes us more time to discover our true calling in life. While others follow a straight line, we’re zigzagging through life, gobbling up knowledge from every corner.
However, this seemingly extended exploration of different domains and relentless pursuit of knowledge grants us an unfair advantage – the ability to craft our own distinct path to a fulfilling and successful life! We become these magical creatures called polymaths! We can handle multiple tasks like a boss and bring a diverse perspective to the table. Forget being stuck in one box; we’re the master jugglers of life!
You have superpowers you may not even be aware of.
Being a multi-passionate person is a gift that you must embrace to experience its benefits fully:
- You learn very fast, this is how you can comprehend and excel in multiple domains throughout your life
- You’re adept at time management so you can manage different tasks effectively at the same time.
- It’s amazing how you can quickly adapt to different situations with all your transferable skills. You can apply them anytime and anywhere you need them, like a chameleon.
- You’re great at making innovative connections and thinking outside the box. This sets you apart from specialists who tend to be more focused on their own areas of expertise.
- Your broad array of experiences fosters ease in relating to others, and your empathy is enriched, making you more attuned to the diverse journeys of people’s lives.
- Driven by your curiosity and empathy, your pursuit extends beyond excelling in a singular field. Your interest lies in comprehending how your varied skills and experiences can contribute to making the world a better place.
How to become successful as a polymath
Yes, being multi-passionate is wonderful but how do we become successful in life? The answer is to become a polymath. Polymaths are M-shaped individuals who are experts in a few domains (the down bars of the M) with broad knowledge in other areas (the crossbar).
- Imagine combining a coder, a UX designer, and a copywriter – this forms the ideal candidate to craft a high-quality app.
- Or consider a social media marketer and an investment banker – this combination could potentially pave the way for a new career opportunity as a career coach.
Having multiple passions shouldn’t be our excuse for starting and abandoning projects and going nowhere at the end. Our goal is to become specialized in 2-3 domains and know one thing or two about other areas that interest us.
Hence here are a few tips on how to become an M-shaped individual:
- Be experimental and focused. Don’t be afraid to try out new approaches and experiment a little bit because doing things the same way will not give you a different outcome. And you should give your 100% focus on the present to maximize the potential of your current experience
- Manage time effectively. You like to have a lot of things on your plate and you might get distracted by new shiny ideas and projects, so it is very crucial to keep yourself on track. One effective approach is to create a daily to-do list using tools like sticky notes or apps such as Notion, Evernote, and Goodnotes. To enhance this practice further, consider digital planning which had transformed my life since 2022.
- Keep some downtime. This is to help you regulate your nervous system and avoid burnout. Don’t immediately fill up a slow day with activities and tasks, be with yourself at those moments so that you can rest and recharge. Even an F1 car needs maintenance, let alone you!
- Know when to move on. You have to learn when to say goodbye to a project when the cons are more than the pros. Sometimes, you may also feel that something is not right, even if you can’t quite put your finger on it. Trusting your instincts can also guide you in making the decision to depart from a project.
- Understand it takes time to find your M. If your current deep skills are mismatched, perhaps it’s time to explore the opportunities that have not been discovered before. Your M-shaped combination will come, don’t get disheartened due to impatience. Learn to embrace what is and what is not in your life, and believe the current path is the best path you are on.
Resources for multi-passionate:
Here are several materials that can provide further insight into understanding yourself better and living a more fulfilled life as a successful polymath:
- In Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein explains why developing a broad range of skills will ultimately lead to greater success, using real-life examples. Rather than rushing to choose a specialization, he advocates for taking your time and cultivating flexibility and creativity.
- Emilie Wapnick’s inspiring TED talk is for “multipotentialites” who have many callings rather than just one true passion.
- Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher is a helpful book for “scanners” like us, filled with useful definitions and actionable techniques.
- In her talk on Oprah, Liz Gilbert speaks about how you don’t have to have just one passion, but can follow your curiosities like “hummingbirds.”
It’s a gift and you’re not alone!
Being multi-passionate is indeed a gift. Resilience and innovation are valuable characteristics in this era of extreme change, and cultivating multiple talents is a great way of achieving that.
While having the drive to do many things is both exciting and occasionally overwhelming, many multi-passionate individuals have achieved remarkable success. When you focus on your most passionate interests, you get the internal compass guiding you toward your purpose in the world. Your journey belongs solely to you, infused with an infectious passion.
So, here’s to all the multi-passionate mavens out there – embracing the chaos, owning our quirks, and contributing to humanity in our wonderfully diverse and ever-evolving ways!
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