Episode 33 - Smart People Problems - Picking and Sticking to One Thing
This is number three in a series on ‘Smart People Problems’ - things that are challenging especially for humans with smart minds.
This week, I'm looking at the challenge of picking and sticking to One Thing.
How do you pick a career, a subject, a niche when, basically, there are an infinite number of things you could do?
When you're a multipotentialite, multi-passionate, 'interested in almost everything' human with a smart mind?
It all starts with a flawed assumption:
That you should pick and stick to ONE thing.
David Epstein's brilliant book 'Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specalized World' which very successfully debunks the myth that you can't be successful if you don't focus on one thing - I share some of his research on the podcast.
You'll also learn why you have bought into this paradigm for so long - and what you can do to step out of it without ending under the bridge all alone.
So tune in for tips on how to design, pursue and tell a story about a life that works with your unique smart mind.
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Full Episode Text
Episode 33 - Picking and Sticking to One Thing
Welcome to this episode of the managing the smart mind podcast with Master Certified Coach Else Kramer, a.k.a. Coach Kramer.
This is number three in a series on ‘Smart People Problems’ - things that are challenging especially for humans with smart minds.
In the previous episodes we looked at smart shaming and boreout. Today’s topic is actually connected to boreout.
We’re looking at the challenge of picking and sticking to One Thing.
So many people have asked me to do a podcast on being a multi-passionate or multipotentialite and how to deal with it, well, here it is.
How do you pick a career, a subject, a niche when, basically, there are an infinite number of things you could do?
This question stresses out smart humans in all phases of life.
I talk to students worrying about whether they’ve pickted the right degree - and what would be the best career step for them.
I coach business owners who spend countless sleepless nights worrying about their target audience.
And I work with people in successful careers who wonder whether it is possible to keep it interesting OR to pivot without losing everything they have.
Underneath all of this anguish lies a simple assumption:
You should pick and stick to ONE thing.
If you don’t you’ll lose.
You’ll be unemployable.
You’ll never be successful.
No-one will hire you.
You won’t be able to explain your crazy CV.
Etc.
This is what we’re told from a very young age.
“A Jack of all trades is a is a master of none.”
Or, the fun Dutch version, which goes something like:
“Twelve crafts, thirteen accidents.”
Sometimes by well-meaning parents and teachers.
Sometimes by not so well-meaning peers, managers, recruiters.
Their agenda is for you to adjust yourself to ‘normality’.
And we all tend to buy into these stories, especially because they’ve been drilled into us and are still so pervasive.
But what if it simply isn’t true?
What if you could have your multipassionate cake and eat it?
What if the unedited version of ‘A Jack of all trades’ applies to you:
“A jack of all trades is master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
There is definitely a place in the world for swiss army knives, in addition to single-purpose knives.
You CAN be, do, work at a lot of different things - and still have an amazing career and life.
That’s my message to you today - and it’s not just an opinion. It’s actually underpinned by research.
It turns out, that the people who get predictions wrong most often, are hyperspecialists.
Who get hired most as executives? Generalists.
I learned this - and more from David Epstein’s excellent book ‘Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World’ which I recommend you read, if only for the all the inspiring stories of how smart, multi-talented people achieve success (and David, if you’re listening to this - I can’t wait to have you on the podcast).
People who don’t restrict themselves to one discipline tend to come up with the most amazing solutions.
No, they’re probably not the best hires if you want more of the same.
But if you want innovation, creativity, change, outside the box thinking?
Get. The. Generalists.
Ok.
Maybe your brain is still objecting.
If my CV looks like Swiss Cheese noone is going to hire me.
If I just follow my passion I’ll never make money.
Or even: if I keep changing direction I’ll never REALLY master anything.
Let’s get some perspective here.
What’s really going on?
You could have an interview with an HR person or manager who doesn’t know how to read your CV.
That’s all.
So you have to help them - by finding the red thread that’s relevant to them.
By telling the stories that show you are perfectly cut out for the job you’re applying for.
And you have the perfect brain to do that!
Will it exclude you from certain professions?
Probably. But if you really wanted to be an extreme specialist deep down inside you probably would have become one by now.
Ok.
So maybe…just maybe…you don’t have to solve for the question ‘What ONE thing should I devote myself to?’
Maybe you DON’T have to pick and stick to one thing.
Maybe you just need to stop listening to the opnioins of people who don’t have a brain like yours on what you should do with your life.
Might be a bit scary. Because you could do it your way and fail.
But what’s the alternative?
Do it their way and be miserable.
It’s simply not good enough (and if you're still doubting this check out the previous episode on boreout.)
So how do you ‘adult’, how do you build a life where you can have the things you want and need, and do stuff you love, if not through picking one thing?
You try shit.
Evalute.
Tweak.
Try some more.
Evaluate.
Tweak some more.
And so on.
It’s just like building a business.
You are designing, crafting a masterpiece: a life and livelihood that works with your specific, unique brain. It’s OK if that takes a while - it’s to be expected.
Also: you want to be careful of long-term visions that blind you to what is possible for you in the here and now.
We love to think that we can predict the future - but we’re actually crap at it (and if you think you’re not, let’s go and play the stock market together).
Sure, you want to have a crazy fun long-term goal - like friendly world domination, being able to buy all the LEGO you could ever want AND having room to display it, building and growing a business, inventing something insanely useful that makes you a multimillionaire so you can invent even more insanely useful stuff, etc.
But because these goals are big, our brain has a hard time seeing the steps to get there. Which makes sense, because we have no idea HOW we’re going to get there.
And then an unmanaged mind could conclude: well, this is never going to work - I better pick something sensible and predictable to do.
So you want to start thinking differently.
What can you start doing today, this week, month, quarter - that would be at least one of these things:
Immensely enjoyable
educational
Profitable
Fulfilling
THAT is how you build a career and a life - by starting with the NOW.
Instead of dismissing invitations, opportunities, etc. as ‘not a great fit’ because you can’t yet see how they fit in with your long term goals, get curious.
Does it sound exciting?
Does it tickle you?
Can you say ‘YES’ without going bankrupt or having your children taken away?
Then why not DO IT?
This will teach you one of the most important skills that you need to craft a life that works with your smart mind: flexibility.
That ability to improvise, to make the most of what you’ve got to work with.
And it’s something that tends to suit humans smart minds extremely well - because they love to solve extremely difficult puzzles.
So create some fun puzzles for yourself - and go solve them.
Start a side hustle (Chris Guillebeau has an insane amount of material on this).
Volunteer.
Say ‘yes’ to a position that sounds thrilling, but is not at all what you thought you’d be doing at this time in life.
But what about the money?
Ok, you may say, that’s all very well - but I have a mortgage to pay.
I can’t just say yes to fun things, I’m kind of stuck here.
I’m working a 60-hour week, not a lot of room for a side hustle.
For you I have three questions:
Do you like your job (even if you don’t like all of it), the company, the people? If so - you can redesign it so that it energises rather than exhaust you. I’m an expert at helping people do that so hop on a call with me to discuss.
If the answer is ‘NO!!!!’ - are you willing to take a temporary hit in income to have a better life? I’m not saying that’s going to be necessary, but just in case, is that a price you’re willing to pay?
If the answer is still NOOOOOO! Then you have to be a bit more restricted in your experimenting. As in, your first priority should be to find a similar job with better conditions so you can recharge, regroup, refind yourself and THEN think about next steps.
In all other cases?
Stop thinking about it so much and GET CRACKING!
Ask yourself ‘what do I FEEL like doing?’ - and listen to the answer to that question.
You always know, deep down inside.
You just need to learn to trust the answer - and to trust yourself to run with it.
But if anyone is equipped to create what you, in your heart of heart want to create, it’s YOU.
So start dreaming, desire, and then doing ALL THE THINGS.
Not all at the same time of course - that will just result in burnout.
This year, as I’m building up the podcast, I’m not giving myself a lot of time to create art. But I still play with paint almost every day. I just put zero judgment and demand on my output.
The result: I’m having a shit ton of fun AND learning new things about colour, contrast, layering on a daily basis. With zero pressure.
Something like that could be a first step for you.
If there’s something you’d love to pursue start low key.
Take a couple of classes.
Start mingling with people who do that thing.
Play around.
And then see where that takes you - with an open, curious, non-judgmental mind.
Oh and there is one more inner question we need to address.
‘How do I know I’m not flaky? How do I know starting something new isn’t a copout because the current thing is getting too hard?’
My simple solution?
How does it feel?
If you know how it feels, you have your answer.
It’s the difference between running away from a scary thing vs running towards something (or someone) you love.
They’re very different feelings.
If you’re running away from a hard thing - stop running, so you can figure out why it’s hard and scary and learn how to do it anyway.
If you’re running towards something you love?
Keep running.
Have a beautiful week,
Else a.k.a. Coach Kramer
Want to craft the perfect life and career for your smart mind? I can help you. DM me on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook to learn how you can work with me, or email me via podcast@elsekramer.com.
Thank you for listening to the Managing the Smart Mind Podcast, I love that at
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