Are You a Multi-Passionate Beating Yourself Up For Not Finishing Projects?
You Might Need a Change of Perspective.
A few months ago, I was preparing my backpack for a one-month workation in Portugal.
After sorting out the clothing, I moved on to the devices and other tools.
“…Laptop, charger, one or two pens, my journal.”
As I looked at my journal, I thought how funny it was that I always bring one with me wherever I go.
This is part of a consolidated journaling practice that has stuck with me since I received my first one as a ten-year-old girl — a cute, fur-covered diary.
Many years later, I still haven’t abandoned that habit.
It has become second nature to me, something so natural and mindless that I can hardly notice it.
The Struggles of a Multi-Passionate
As a multi-passionate individual, often referred to as a multipod or generalist, we often beat ourselves up with thoughts that sound a lot like these:
- “I’ve tried so many different careers and hobbies, and have gone nowhere.”
- “I can’t seem to be able to focus on just one pursuit.”
- “I’m tired of losing interest in things.”
All of these thoughts come down to the same issue — lack of consistency.
So, here’s my question for you:
What if consistency didn’t mean completing external projects or achieving a specific career, but rather, how we approach these things in life?
Let me explain.
When packing my journal for my trip to Portugal, I realized that I had been doing this for a very long time — over and over again.
Journaling, and writing in general, is my way of bringing clarity to my mind, making decisions, and solving problems. That’s why I carry a journal with me every day, regardless of where I am.
In other words, even though my external and internal circumstances were changing through different seasons of life, tracking my feelings and observations has remained steadfast. It’s like a common thread that runs through everything.
My consistency lies in how I approach things, rather than what I do.
The Common Thread That Each of Us Has
Each of us has at least one common thread that has accompanied us throughout our lives.
It could be something like:
- Listening to music while tackling certain tasks;
- Reading books to unwind;
- Meditating;
- Working-out as a way to decompress;
- Writing our thoughts periodically;
We all have at least one repetitive action that we barely notice but brings us joy or that helps us tremendously in our day-to-day.
The Competitive Advantage
The fact that you have been consistently incorporating one or more of these actions into your routine for months (or even years!) already gives you a competitive advantage compared to those who are just starting out.
In other words, you are likely an expert or have a fair amount of knowledge in one of these areas, be it the albums of a specific band, a meditation practice, or romantic novels!
Going back to my journaling example, the fact that I have been writing my thoughts on paper since I was 10 years also has made me more competitive when it comes to finding topics for my Medium articles or expressing my ideas effectively.
Monetization
Now that we understand that there is at least one thing that you effortlessly enjoy and that has benefited you greatly, let yourself be guided by that particular thing for your hobbies or side hustles.
I’m not here to tell you that you should monetize it forcefully.
However, if you decide to do so, you will have the competitive advantage of having that action already be a part of your personal system, and it will not feel so foreign to you. For example:
- Journaling and writing articles on Medium boils down to writing.
- Similarly, if you love working-out and want to help people stay fit, you would already know how to advise them because you have experienced it yourself.
- If you wanted to teach people how to achieve greater focus through meditation, you would already have knowledge of the obstacles they will encounter along the way.
The Newly-Found Consistency
When analyzing the actions you have repeatedly taken for yourself, you’ll find that consistency is easier to maintain when it’s already a part of your system.
Writing, for example, doesn’t feel like a one-off project, unlike many other interests I’ve pursued in the past. Since I took it up as a personal hobby and side hustle, I have been extremely consistent, thanks to its familiarity with an action I had been doing up until that point — journaling.
This process is similar to the mnemonic technique that helps encode new information by connecting it with something you are already familiar with or know. It gives the new information meaning and makes it easier to remember.
Likewise, choosing a hobby or side hustle related to an action you are already familiar with will increase your chances of success.
So, what is ONE thing that you have been doing as part of your normal day-to-day routine?
📚Want to read more on the topic? Check out the article below: