Book Brew 147: What If You Were Never Meant to Pick Just One Path?

“We send signals with every choice we make.” - Seth Godin

What do our life choices say about us?

that describes how I feel about myself so well that I had to share it.

Discovering the Word That Finally Fit

It is multipotentialite.  The term was made popular in a TED Talk by Emilie Wapnick. It basically describes someone who has many different interests, passions, and pursuits, instead of just a single, narrowly (some might even say niche) defined calling.  Think “generalist” not “specialist”.  

Traits That Make Multipotentialites Tick

• Curiosity-driven: Thrive on learning, exploring, and diving deep into many new subjects.
• Skill stacking: Instead of becoming ultra-niched, they often combine skills from different fields to create unique value.
• Adaptable: Diverse interests make them quick learners and good at connecting the dots across disciplines.
• Energized by variety: Restlessness can ensue from doing the same thing for too long, which means they prefer to rotate between projects or fields.

So what does being a multipotentialite actually feel like?

Think Swiss Army knife that has all kinds of tools, allowing you to be versatile and adaptable.  Or a pollinator (like the butterfly that once used Damien as a mineral pool on a sweaty hike...I'll happily share the video if you ask nicely) that can cross-pollinate ideas across fields to bring about innovation.  Or even a braided rug whose strength comes from weaving together different ideas, sewn together with strands of new knowledge and skills.

My Own Multipotentialite Path

If you look at my LinkedIn profile, you will see I have worked across a very wide variety of industries.  The books I read are also equally varied.  The skills I choose to learn are all over the map.  The readers I follow on Typeshare write about so many different topics.  

My way may seem chaotic to some who strongly believe that specializing and niching are the way (they aren’t), but it works so well for me, and I was so excited to find out that there are others out there like me (and Damien) who approach the world “differently”.  

“You are the niche.” - Dan Koe

I may be approaching my mid-40s, but I am finally starting to feel like I am finding my people, my own niche.  

“What you find interesting is a better predictor of success than what you’re good at.  Curiosity isn’t random; it’s a compass.” - Shane Parrish

Ponder This

1. Which of your “random” interests might actually be your secret advantage?
2. If curiosity is a compass, what is it pointing you toward right now?

Books/Newsletters

• Brain Food newsletter - Shane Parrish
• Dan Koe blog - Dan Koe
• Seth’s Blog - Seth Godin