Today I want to throw out a challenge to the Puttylike community.
I want you to reflect on a project you’re either working on right now or have recently completed. Make it a project that fires you up inside, where Hard Work regularly transports you into a state of absolute presence.
Got the project in mind? Okay, now ask yourself this question:
What random skills from “past lives” do/did you use while working on this project? Link them up to useful outcomes. List even the smallest, most basic skills.
Here’s an example:
The Project: Puttylike
- Law school: Registered my trademark on my own, without having to hire a lawyer.
- Film school: Knowing the Rule of Thirds and basic lighting techniques allows me to make videos that arent terrible.
- Web design: Basic knowledge of CSS allowed me to hack a free WordPress theme and make ongoing design tweaks.
- Audio production: I knew how to get good sound out of a cheap USB mic for our podcast.
- Personal Development: Heightened intuitiveness that helps me be a better coach.
These are all really basic skills in their respective fields, not by any means advanced stuff. But that’s my point. You don’t need to master a field for it to have practical application in the real world. There are times when being “kinda good” at something is enough.
Try it for yourself
The dots connect. Sometimes you just have to dig a bit deeper to see how.
How have random skills from your past become useful again in a new project? Describe one example in the comments.
I like it!
Project: Launching Cloud-Coach
-College Major: Gave me background in training development (instructional design) and eLearning production
-Freelance Web Design: Played around with WordPress after college and got a hang of how it all works
-Basic Photoshop: Took a course in college- I’m terrible at creating custom graphics but was able to get everything done that I needed!
Awesome, Ethan! A true “Renaissance Business.” š
Love it.
Project: pursuing my muses, cultivating identity, creating online platform for my interests.
– Piano lessons, age 7-12: forgot most of my classical training, but played in a band for a few years, and now I put up free instrumental piano music (wwww.theshekinahproject.com). It’s raw and noodling, but lots of people have downloaded it.
– Visual art interest: painting has lead to some solo exhibitions and commissioned work. Put up some of my art for sale as prints (www.artofjohan.com), which I’m still tweaking.
– Public speaking class: I recently took acting & improv lessons. Having experience in public speaking helped in performing in front of people.
The general project is, of course, broken down into several smaller, and they all connect. I’m using knowledge, skill, and experience from all of them, in all of them.
This is fantastic. You make a good point too. Our projects are sometimes well defined, but more often than not, they blend into each other. Following your passions and seeing how things fit together is one of my favourite things about being a multipotentialite.
Thanks for sharing, Johan.
My project is not yet well defined, but thought I would contribute here anyway. In the next few months, I want to launch a green business.
– Grad School: (currently) is helping me learn about different environmental issues and connecting me to a network that I can utilize as a student.
– Language classes: I am almost fluent in another language. It helps me communicate better, even in English.
– Web communication: took a web communication class in college and then worked as a web author for an academic project where I researched ‘high level’ info and created .
– Social media: Learned this from doing and engaging. Facebook, twitter, blogging, etc…
– Travel and living abroad: makes me comfortable with change and my ability to navigate through the unknown.
– Puttylike community: makes me feel good!
Thanks Emilie for the outlet and the exercise to reflect on. I needed it!
Oops, sometimes I delete things by accident when I write with this computer (grr, trackpad!).
But up there in web communication I meant ‘created content in simple English.’
Ou I’m excited to see what you create, Jessica. That’s a neat list of random skills you’ve got there. (And thanks for the last point. š
Contributing to communities even when ‘projects arent ready’ is an awesome trait, and tells me you’re on the right path.
Thanks so much for sharing Jessica!
I find this to be more and more true every day. It’s really strange, sometimes, how a once-upon-a-time seemingly irrelevant task or project allowed me to learn a skill that would be very useful further down the road.
I use the frequency at which I find these connections as a guide to let me know I’m working on the right project. The more dots I can connect, the better I feel about what I’m doing. =)
“The more dots I can connect, the better I feel about what Iām doing.” Exactly. š
Sounds like a product:
Creative Souls: Connect The Dots & Create Your Confidence!
Project: make and teach music, sell it to people, and do cooler stuff with my life.
I suppose I should be specific so for the moment I want to throw together a new age type CD and have my massage therapist friend sell it for a stocking stuffer and at least get out there a little bit.
Music school: taught me how to be a better musician and songwriter, and now learning the business stuff
TaeKwonDo: besides learning to be a ninja and be nice to elders and make the world a better place, I learned to never give up, no matter how many times I get knocked down. If I’m really bummed out I can just pop in Karate Kid (both old and new are good) or ride my bike or play my guitar or whatever. Then I when I get up, I win.
Self-development: gave me more confidence and ambition, make more friends, interact better with society while still being true to myself, and now have the drive to learn business.
Writing classes, photography: I can blog
Basic html: I think I forgot the code, but I’m familiar enough to take on some kind of web design project though I’ll probably use a design program of some type.
Years of dead end jobs: taught me character, and of course what I do not want to do with my life.
Muppets, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, etc.: learned to not take life too seriously, and just be more funny and creative and awesome.
Thanks again for the exercises and encouragement and book recommendations. I need this stuff.
(Okay, why am I spending so much time here? I need to get to work!)
Josh
Awesome!
I love your idea of combining music, new age stuff and blogging. My friend Mark Powers does some really cool stuff with his drumming. He has a Renaissance Business where he combines music, teaching, traveling, social entrepreneurship, creativity and various other things. Great guy, you should get in touch.
Thanks for sharing, Josh.
Mark Powers is really cool, I heard him on your podcast.
Hey I think I figured out that I’m a music multi. I dabble in many genres and leave a lot of unfinished projects. But now going by your theory, I can wear different hats and make small projects as well as teach. I can be three or four little indy bands instead of one. Cool huh? Now if I could just focus on one and actually finish. Trying to figure it all out right now…
For SpiritSentient I’ve created 95% of every graphic, theme, typography, podcast, video, website myself.
Copywriting, fiction, poetry and more all plays a role.
I`m very Leonardo Da Vinci-ish, with high levels of proficiency across the board.
My youth spent as a super-popular kid with a large family set me up for managing teams and groups.
I’ve been supporting myself for 7 years through graphic design, web-design. consulting, coaching, etc. until I amalgamated it all into my success & creativity coaching.
I`ve used my rock-climbing and bouldering skills to write personal development and ascension articles.
I`ve used my love of pop culture, celebrity, and media to put a wild new spin on spirituality.
I`ve created animated promo videos for Kiva. I`ve created gorgeous photographs of models for model-mayhem. I`ve laid out magazines + books in InDesign. I`ve written a 377 page book.
Goodness, I could go on.
All my skills always come into play, and I`ve actually found that I succeed more when I turn over and delegate those tasks, despite being exceptional at them.
Interesting, eh? š
Fantastic Jason! You’ve really got it figured out man. I love your background, dots, projects, everything. So inspiring!
You and I actually have quite similar backgrounds, especially with all the media stuff.
And I too am very “Leonardo Da Vinci-ish.” š
Thanks for the comment!
Yay! š
Oh I’ve noticed… I resonate with so much of your posts, ideas, newsletters, comments, and community.
I adore those ‘match made in heaven’ kinds of feelings, whenever they show up, in any collaboration!
Rock on!
Agreed! š
That’s so funny. I always refer to myself, my notebooks and my workspace as “like-Davinci” š
Project: My audio podcast about my favourite artist – Kate Bush
Years of listening to her music- has given me a nuanced and unique perspective on her songs
Voice and singing classes – have given me a flexible speaking voice
Songwriting – gave me microphone skills and skills in Garageband which I use in the podcast.
Law degree – given me the ability to endure legal jargon regarding music licensing for podcasts.
Depression and self analysis – has given me the ability to empathise and relate to the deep themes in Kate’s music.
š Thanks Emilie, and if you are curious about the podcast, its at http://www.katebushradioshow.wordpress.com.
Ang
Hi, I recently came across your site and I finally feel validated, so thank you so much for that. It’s great to know I’m not the only one who has way too many interests to make sense of them.
I have a question though – what if you don’t have a project that fires you up? I’ve found it extremely difficult to actually complete something I’ve started. One reason being I’m stuck for most of the time working a job that I don’t like in order to pay my bills. But a major part of it is because I’m unable to hold my attention on one project for long enough to complete it. How would you recommend dealing with this?