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Last month, I attended a pretty fantabulus webinar where Seth Godin, marketing genius guru extraordinaire deity, was interviewed about career stability in relation to the launch of his new book, Linchpin. While I’ve yet to read the book, I knew that the overall message was that you need to make yourself indespensible by becoming an expert (read: forsake all other things besides the One Thing). As a Creative, my ears perked up & my brows furrowed when I heard this. Many Creatives are also Renaissance Souls, & not only do they not want to be put in a box, but they experience major Sophie’s Choice-itis when forced to do so. With myself, my clients, & poor Jewish Meryl Streep in mind, I pounced on the opportunity to ask Seth a question:
What if I have so many interests that I can’t decide which to devote expert status to?
His response included some tough love. He immediately mentioned The War of Art, & all the excuses we make that feed Resistance. “It’s the Resistance talking, which is trying to keep you safe! Write down all the things you’re interested in, circle one to do, & do it until you get through it. That’s the purpose of our lives!” Easier said than done, right fellow Creative Renaissance Soul? Well, here are my ideas for becoming an expert while honoring your many loves:
- Find out the ideal conditions for your Renaissance Soul to be happy. For example, I have a client who learned recently that her Renaissance Soul is happiest immersing herself in one project until completion, but only if that project has an end date no more than 3 months in the future – & she knows in advance the next project to switch to. Because of those quarterly goals, she knows she’ll complete 4 projects every year, which is a high (& motivating/exciting!) number for her. Personally, I enjoy having my hands in 2 or 3 projects at a time, working on them each for about an hour a day or longer (when inspiration strikes). If I had to work on 1 project continuously until it’s done, I might go insane. To figure out how you work best, ask yourself:
- How long can I work on something until I get antsy?
- How would I react if I was told that I had to work on 1 thing until it gets done? What about 2 things? 3 things? 4 things? Find your optimal number.
- Where do you feel the biggest sense of accomplishment/happiness/growth: starting a project, working on it, or finishing it? When you have the answer, do some brainstorming as to what type of structure will let you live in that place the longest. I had a client who started projects to prove to herself that she could do it, but once she got to that place (”Knitting a scarf is so easy! I can so do this!”), she abandoned the project & made herself feel guilty in the process. Once I asked her to get her half-finished projects outta her sight, her Guilty Vampire left her alone. She even finished the next project she started by ensuring it was challenging at the start & that it had a purpose (to give the scarf to her sister as a birthday gift) ’til the end. She’s also able to start & abandon projects guilt-free, to scratch that I Can Do It itch anytime she wants.
- In The Renaissance Soul, Margaret Lobenstein speaks of umbrella careers – which encompasses many interests & rolls ‘em up into one career – being great options for us. For example, even though I’m a life coach, as an entrepreneur I’m also a marketer, a writer, a speaker, a publicist, an admin, & a bookkeeper, ehich keeps my Renaissance Soul happy. Except for the math stuff. Blech. To figure out your possible umbrella career, write down all the things that you’re interested
