As a child, I grew up watching the “Super Friends” every Saturday morning. My favorite Superhero was Wonder Woman.
Whenever we were bored, my friends and I would spend countless hours reenacting this cartoon. I would always choose to play Wonder Woman. Little did I know that my fascination with her would unconsciously transfer into my adult life. She has to be the catalyst for why I seem to have this idea that I can do anything and everything!
Since I was young I’ve had multiple interests. As a teenager, I remember saying I wanted to work in the medical field, work in psychology, become a teacher, and ultimately a reporter.
I don’t know what sparked the desire for most of those interests. I know I wanted to become a reporter from the time Oprah hit the national scene. The others are a mystery to me.
I’m also fortunate to have a diverse set of skills and talents. What I know now is this can be a blessing and a curse.
A blessing because I can do a multitude of things. A curse because I can do a multitude of things. Yes, you read that right. It’s not a typo. The ability to do multiple things can make it difficult to choose which direction to go. Consequently, it can make you feel stifled.
I’ve never felt the need to choose one talent over the other. At least not until recently. I’ve always tried to do it all and now that’s taking a toll on me.
The past few months I’ve felt stagnant. As I’m trying to transition to the next level in business, I’m overwhelmed with options. There are several things I do well, and also happen to enjoy. I’m finding it difficult to integrate everything.
What do you do when you love a lot of things?
Even looking at the list of jobs I mentioned earlier, they’ve all played a part in what I’m doing today. I’ve actually worked in each of those areas. I became a Hospital Corpsman when I was in the Navy. While working in that capacity I obtained a specialty in psychology. For years I worked in a setting that allowed me to counsel people.
After the military I went to college to become a news reporter. I worked in that field for nearly 10 years.
As for the teaching, I’ve been teaching people all of my life. Of course, I offer workshops through my business. But in my personal life I’m always trying to share knowledge with everybody around me. My personal philosophy is “each one teach one.”
As I’m trying to solidify the next steps in my life, I’ve learned a few key lessons.
1. You can’t give 100% effort to any one thing if you’re spread too thin. Sometimes you have to choose an area of focus and then totally commit. Once you establish yourself in one area, you can then venture off to other areas.
2. I’m NOT Wonder Woman. I don’t have super powers. We have to know our limits. Once you reach the limits, you have to pull back.
3. Perfection is an unrealistic goal. If you wait to reach perfection before you do anything, then nothing gets done. Just start where you are and know that it’s enough. You’ll have what you need when you need it.
4. I don’t have to do everything at the same time. Choose what works for you in the particular season you are in your life. Determine what’s most important in this season in your life and design a life that supports that. Set a list of priorities and then establish timelines for when you want to pursue those goals. You don’t have to do it all at once.
5. Enjoy the journey – stop worrying about the destination. Too often we make the end game the main focus. It’s not so much about reaching a specific goal. It’s about the work that goes into accomplishing the goal, and the feeling of satisfaction you get once you accomplish it.
So, these are just a few of the key lessons I’m learning in the midst of this process. Just outlining my thoughts in this blog has helped me get more clear about my next steps. Thank you for being my sounding board!
Now, I’d love to hear from you. Do any of these lessons resonate with you? If so, which ones and how?
