Since the 30-day blog challenge, I’ve been trying to update this blog at least once a week. Inspiration for my topics comes from many places – personal experience, interesting conversations, news items and other blog posts. As I sat in front of my blank WordPress screen determining what topic I wanted to cover this week, it hit me – I have far too many topics that interest me. And being me, that naturally led to another issue.
In order to be great, must you limit your focus to one interest or skill?
There is a saying that gets thrown at me a lot – jack of all trades, master of none. Basically, I am very good at being average at most things. I can put sentences together in way that people comprehend. I can debate on a level that keeps people interested. I can sew, but not make clothes. I can sketch, but not draw works of art. I can take a decent photograph, pass most classes, design a simple web page…the list goes on and on. I can figure out how to do most things, but I’m not truly great at any one skill.
This diversity has led to some difficulty in choosing a career. I could see myself in so many fields: writing, social media, PR, teaching, nonprofits, HR, administration…and I’d be happy in every one of them. But would I be adding value to the profession if my mind is spread over so many interests?
But then I think about the other extreme. I once dated an Air Force pilot while he was going through his flight training. He told me that he had wanted to be in the Air Force since as far back as he could remember. He had gone through life with that single motivation. In college he had done ROTC and majored in aeronauctical engineering. He went straight into the service and subsequently his flight training upon graduation. He told me once he suffered from severe back pain, but refused to see a doctor because it feared they would ground him. Flying was his entire life. Had he been in a accident that left him without the use of his eyes, fingers, legs, pretty much any part of his body – his career and therefore his life, would be over.
I would hate to be in that position. True he is an amazing pilot, best in his class in fact. But that’s all he has. The thought of limiting myself in such a way is a bit terrifying. But does that mean I can’t be great?
I’ve heard that the Great Ones, the best artists/innovators/musicians etc. are one-track people who have little interest outside their muse.
But I think that people who are decently strong in a variety of things, if not THE BEST in any of them, are far more interesting people.
Well, I would first ask myself if greatness is even the goal? And, if it is, then what is greatness, and by who’s measure? There are many ways to measure your life. Greatness is just one.
I think to be great means you demonstrate a consistent level of excellence in some area of performance or skill. That can also be measured by a set of skills.
In your case, your varied talents all link quite well together. Your skills lend themselves to an organization or project where you will manage the responsibility for several different pieces of workflow, including public speaking, small group facilitation, and new media management.
One of my MNpS faculty referred to our age as the hyperculture. He predicts generalists who can most efficiently manage people and information will become more important than specialists who just hold one piece of the information stream.
Think of yourself as an information efficiency manager.