I’m a Multipotentialite!… Now what?

It can be a huge relief to learn that you are a multipotentialite. Suddenly all of these patterns you’ve noticed in your life start making sense. You realize that you aren’t a scatterbrain or commitment-phobe, you’re something else, something good!

What’s more, you aren’t alone. There are thousands of other people out there who share your experience. You may still have imposter syndrome, but at least you’ve started moving in the right direction.

Now what?

It’s nice to be self-congratulatory and pat ourselves on the back for being multipotentialites. And it’s true that this knowledge alone is life-altering. But discovering that you’re a multipotentialite is really only the beginning. Now the real work (and fun) begins.

Here are some ways to get started embracing your multipotentiality and integrating it into your life.

What are your goals?

The direction that you should take upon discovering your multipotentiality depends entirely on what your goals are. Here are a few of the most common scenarios, and some resources for each:

• You’re a student trying to figure out what to study or how to stay sane in a specialist field. Try looking at interdisciplinary fields, pairing together majors and minors, or checking out liberal arts schools.
• You need a change of direction in your career. Maybe you have a full-time job that is too narrow or is otherwise unfulfilling. Take a look at what other multipotentialites have done to create fulfilling careers, and start thinking about how your skills and interests might fit into each model.
• You want to start your own business but can’t come up with a topic that is broad enough. Or maybe you already have a business or blog, and you want to expand your focus or make it feel more cohesive. Check out the numerous posts on Puttylike on combining many subjects into one business.
• You are content with your work and are happy pursuing your many passions on the side.  But maybe you are having trouble finding the time to fit your many projects into your life. It might be time to start putting together your own productivity system.
• Lost. You’re just plain lost. If you know that you need a change in your life, but have no idea where to start, then some brainstorming and feedback from your peeps might be very helpful.

Start brainstorming

In each of these cases, I would recommend using a journal or spreadsheet and jotting down your thoughts about the sort of life you want. What does it look like on a day-to-day basis? What sorts of activities will you have in your life? How will you feel throughout the day?

It’s okay to dream up multiple lives. You can always cycle through them or smoosh them together. Don’t limit yourself or think about any “practicalities” at this stage.

Make a list of your skills, interests, experiences, and curiosities, and start looking for patterns. What has drawn you to various fields? When do you tend to lose interest in an area?

Treat this like an experiment

Most of us grow up with the absurd notion that we’re supposed to know what we want to do with our lives at the age of eighteen, and that we’re supposed to then proceed in a linear path. Unfortunately this perfectionist attitude (figure it out first, then take action) stays with many of us, even when we know better.

Now that you know you are a multipotentialite, try to catch yourself when you become interested in an area and declare it the end-all-and-be-all. Try to shift your focus from the end goal to the goal of simply getting what you came for. Approach it with an attitude of experimentation, stay open, see where it goes, and remember that many skills are transferable across disciplines so it’s okay if you change paths. It’s all part of the journey.

Although it’s essential to figure out the money piece of the equation (nobody needs to be going broke, least of all multipotentialites!), remember that exploring your curiosity has inherent value, whether or not it produces income.

You have plenty of time

You don’t need to do everything this very second. Trying to pursue all of your passions and projects at once will likely lead to major overwhelm and analysis-paralysis.

As you brainstorm and figure out what directions you would like to try, remember that you have plenty of time to pursue your various projects and interests. You can choose a handful to start on right now, and get to the others in the months or years to come.

Get some help from your community

Feel free to reach out to the great community here at Puttylike. Connect with people who leave their Twitter handles in the comments, pop over to the Facebook page, or meet a bunch of fantastic multipods in the Puttytribe. There’s a very good chance that what you’re going through is something many of us can relate to.

Your Turn

What advice or action steps would you give to someone who has just learned that they are a multipotentialite?