Inspiration
How to Manage Multiple Interests - Odysseas
Idea
I for a long time decided that specializing in one direction is not for me. I was never able to commit to one hobby or skill and practice it to no end like others. In the past that bothered me greatly and I thought I just lack discipline or motivation. Deciding that that’s just not how I want to live was a freeing moment. Since then I learn how to live as a generalist, taking up various interests, but making sure to pursue at least some of them enough to give me benefits or allow me to work using them.
Today I watched the video^ by Odysseas that touches on exactly the same subject, and it inspired me. It has also some techniques and observations that sound very useful.
Decide what to Focus on
As you can’t focus on everything at once, decide which interests to pursue. Order all your interests by how important they are to you, it will allow you to see where you really want to put most of your time.
Plan Your time
Adjust the plan based on the amount of time you can sacrifice for your interests. Fit them into your week in a way that allows you to spend most of the time on the most important hobbies.
Ideal Week
An idea similar to the Ideal Week that I thought of, this one is a time management technique. Create a weekly plan in google calendar or any other planer, where you put all your interests into proper timeframes. See where you can focus on the more important ones and where there are small time windows left for the fillers.
Leave Some for the Future
You don’t have to do it all now, or learn it all now. Push ahead with the ones that are most valuable, and leave the rest for later. The fact that you won’t do them right now, doesn’t mean that you never will.
Learn along the way
Sometimes you don’t need almost any extra time to learn and practice something new. Use the things you’re doing already as opportunities to grow and expand your skills. When cooking - learn how to do it properly, why it works that way and try new recipes. When typing - focus on proper technique and steady speed. Use those little opportunities for practice.
Prepare for Hardship
Mastery at anything requires overcoming challenges. It is not always easy to do the thing you decided to do, but only persevering on your chosen path will lead to great results.
Irrational Comparisons
Often the desire to know more and try everything is connected to the feeling of inadequacy born from watching others showing results of their work and skills they’re good at.
It is good to get inspired and motivated by wanting to also learn and be skilled in your field, but it’s a dangerous trap as well. Such display of other’s effort should not pressure you to change your interest or be as good immediately.
You are not those people and never will be
Actually the only path that will allow you to also reach a point where you will have your own work or skill to show is consistent effort on your own path. By focusing on what’s important and good for you, the results will come.