3 Unavoidable Truths I Had to Learn As a Multi-Passionate Person
And How They Changed My Approach to Cultivating My Interests
When I discovered there was a name for the way I had been feeling for most of my teenage and young adult years — “multi-passionate,” “multipod,” or “generalist” — I also realized that I had a lot to learn on how to manage to being one.
And by “a lot,” I mean I had come to a point where I found myself questioning every decision I had made thus far, feeling guilty for not pursuing the path I had dedicated years of study to, and mistakenly convinced that there was always something better waiting for me on the other side (or in a different interest).
I always felt the odd one for feeling so restless about my pursuits:
- I wanted to be a fashion designer for the longest time;
- I ended up pursuing an academic career in psychology;
- I specialized in migration and intercultural relations and took internships in the field;
- I pivoted to the field of urban regeneration;
- I made another pivot to the field of HR and project management at public institutions and startups;
- Meanwhile, I taught myself SQL and Tableau, exploring the field of data analysis;
The list of my diverse pursuits could extend all the way back to my elementary school years.
However, in the midst of these pursuits, I had to come to terms with three important realizations:
1. Choose Your Battles Wisely (Mark Manson)
In life, all pursuits come with challenges.
However, some challenges will feel burdensome, while others will motivate you to push forward. It’s crucial to select the battles that you care about and are willing to fight.
Something that has helped me was carefully reflecting on the things I was naturally drawn to as a kid: some of my favorite activities were drawing, writing, and playing with Barbies.
Excluding playing with Barbies as a hobby (lol), I rediscovered my curiosity and passion for writing.
As adults, we are often burdened by thoughts about societal acceptance or financial gain. But as children, we naturally gravitated towards activities that brought us fulfillment.
For me, writing was one of those activities.
2. If You’re Not Getting Better, You’re Getting Worse (Chris Guillebeau)
There is no shortcut to it.
Besides enjoying the journey in all its ups and downs, accepting repetition as part of the process is fundamental in order to see some results in your new pursuit.
As a multi-passionate individual, I have often been misled when running into repetitive tasks thinking that if it felt boring, it was likely a symptom I had to change interest.
There could be no bigger misconception.
Repetition is an undeniable aspect of innumerable pursuits, you just have to find ways to make it feel more pleasant.
With regard to this, Medium has some amazing articles to power up your motivation and grit, such as the ones below:
Thanks to these resources, I have found joy in motivating myself to continue pursuing writing, even when I feel like giving up. I believe that daily or periodic actions will eventually compound into something beautiful.
Furthermore, to embrace repetition, I have learned to transform every repetitive activity into a ritual that I look forward to. For example, I look forward to making my coffee and writing, or writing at night when the house is quiet.
3. Do Not Delay Gratification
As a multi-passionate person, it is crucial to find your own hooks or moments of gratification.
In other words, I believe it’s important to experience splashes of dopamine in order to replace the shiny object syndrome multi pod are often affected by.
One example is that while I enjoyed learning SQL and Tableau, I found it challenging to apply these skills as they were not related to my daily job. I was uncertain about how to showcase them and didn’t feel 100% committed to to transitioning my career into data analysis.
Platforms like Medium, on the contrary, provide an opportunity to build in public and receive immediate feedback, which can result in a little dopamine rush. This feedback, in the form of likes and comments, is what eventually makes you feel hooked to an activity.
The sense of community and occasional validation play significant roles in this experience, too.
Conclusions
I won’t say that I hacked the multi-passionate code, however, reflecting on these truths has greatly benefited me in the consistency I can put into my interests, and provided a deeper understanding of my multi-passionate nature.
On the other hand, it is also essential to cultivate acceptance and let go of projects or interests that no longer nourish you, without feeling guilty. And if an interest becomes burdensome instead of fulfilling, it is okay to set it aside.
Need a little more inspiration? 🌟 Check my other articles out:
- An Anecdote on the Distractions I Came Across on the Journey to my Goal
- Becoming a Digital Nomad is Anything but Easy.
- How I Got An Interview Invitation For a Remote Job Every 3 Applications
ALSO, for regular bimonthly emails on all the things remote work, traveling + time & location freedom, join my newsletter Freedom Focus
