If you consider yourself an intelligent, highly capable, and confident individual who has many interests and skills then you’re probably a capable dabbler. Capable dabblers are an interesting breed; despite their many strengths and interests, they have difficulty picking something to focus on. People who fit this category tend to have an ever burgeoning pool of interests and a desire to do and experience everything they possibly can. This is something that I’ve been dealing with all my life and though I’ve gotten better at managing my dabbling tendencies, it’s still a challenge I face every day.
Having been born and raised in America during the latter part of the 20th Century, I was raised with the belief that I could do or be anything I wanted so long as I put my mind to the task and worked really, really hard. The manifesto of limitless possibilities and grandiose dreams was a cultural 180 from what my parents grew up with in post WWII Taiwan. Instead of Nike commercials telling us to “Just Do It”, my parents were raised with the “Don’t Do It” mentality that’s common among East Asian societies. I remember numerous moments in my childhood when my parents would say something along the lines of, “You don’t know how lucky you are to be in America. When I was a little boy/girl my parents…” The conversation usually continued with my parents sharing harrowing stories about beatings involving sticks, paper back books, belts and backscratchers for not excelling in every subject. My parents would tell me, with a hint of envy, how lucky I am to have been born in America, the mecca of opportunity.
I am very glad that I was born in America sheltered from the horrors of pre-modern Confucian society. I am grateful that, if I so choose, I can make a living picking garbage or selling my personally designed collages online. And yes, I love the enthusiasm that fuels the American manifesto “follow your bliss.” These are all great reasons to want to live and grow up in America.
But I wonder, is all this “choice and freedom” a good thing for everyone?
From our very first breath of life, opportunities start coming our way. Some toddlers exhibit exceptional motor skills and their parents wisely shuffle them into a variety of sports programs or, better yet, stick a club or tennis racket in their hands. In time exceptional talent bolstered by exceptional effort pay big dividends. Look at the Williams sisters or Tiger Woods or any pro athlete; the story is usually the same, they start playing golf, tennis, basketball, etc. while still in diapers and by the time they hit twenty, they’re pros. If a child shows an early precociousness that leads them to devour books like candy corn, they are ushered into gifted schools and classes. You notice your baby wiggles his or her finger when listening to Mozart. Well piano it is! Kids who show talent early on seem to have an easier time figuring out what to do with their lives. It’s a combination of talent, hard work, ignorance of other opportunities and loving nudges from their parents.
Discovering Talents
But if you’re like most people in the world, you probably went through your younger years wondering whether you were even decent at anything, let alone talented at one thing. Perhaps you’re still wondering if you have the goods to make something of yourself. Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point and staff writer for The New Yorker, wrote an interesting article comparing late bloomers, people who don’t achieve notable success until late in their lives, and prodigies. Check it out here.
Unfortunately, we’re not all Picassos, Mozart or Tiger Woods. Some people take time to develop their talent; some people never find it; and others who have, don’t spend enough time to master them.
Dabbling - The Talent Killer
For people eager to discover their talent, dabbling is expected. It makes sense to test the waters and see what you might be good at. As a teacher and mentor, I always try to encourage my students to try anything and everything out. The old adage, you never know until you try, holds a lot of weight because it’s straight up common sense. Dabbling is a short term solution to a long term problem. It should help you figure out what you are good at and enjoy doing. The problem with dabbling is that it can go on indefinitely; rather than focusing your energies on one or two areas, you spread it out over a wide range of activities, honing a number of talents rather than one or two. This is what happens when you tend to be good at a couple of things or, at least, you think you are talented in a number of different areas. People with either mindset may end up in a life long cycle of dabbling.
Dabbling + Long Term –> Lost Potential
I’m a big believer in career changing and finding work that one can excel in, be challenged by and enjoy. Figuring this out may take time, but it shouldn’t take your entire life. I generally find that trying something for three to six months is usually enough time to answer two important questions:
- Do I enjoy what I am doing? Can I be good at this?
- Am I good at what I am doing?
If you don’t think you can answer these questions after six months, then you’re either not truly asking yourself these questions or you’re afraid of the truth. Some people have dreams of winning the Olympics or writing a best selling novel, but the reality is not everyone has the talent to do the things they dream about. Be honest with yourself, assess your abilities and potential or ask someone you trust and is talented in your area of interest to do that for you. Dabbling is a fine strategy in the short term, but since you can’t do everything, eventually you just gotta pick something and stick with it.
Closing Doors
For the consummate dabbler or jack of all trades type, it may become difficult to hunker down and focus your energies on one thing. It takes discipline, commitment and a lot of door slamming. Attractive opportunities will come your way and you will have to decide whether those opportunities are worth pursuing or not.
I’ve always considered myself capable, perhaps even talented, in a number of different areas. I’m pretty good with numbers, designing and conceptualizing, writing and speaking. When I started job searching, I interviewed for jobs all over the spectrum from consulting and wealth management to teaching and recruiting. I’ve worked in marketing, international education, foreign language translation and interpreting, journalism, labor organizing, and film making. Most of the jobs I felt I could be good at, but I didn’t enjoy. I opened tons of doors, but I closed many as well.
Sticking With It and Taking Off
It wasn’t until I started traveling during my last two years in college that I discovered my love for writing. I blogged about my travels in China, about the people I met and the conversations I had. It was a surprisingly enjoyable and challenging endeavor. People told me they enjoyed reading my reflections on life in China and wanted to read more. I didn’t mind taking time out of my day to write an entry or two and the attention certainly didn’t hurt. By the time I finished college I realized that whatever career path I chose in life, writing had to be part of the job.
It took me a lot of searching and dabbling but eventually I figured it out. There are days when I wonder whether or not I should have continued studying engineering and followed the path that many of my classmates followed. But I shut those feelings off and refocus my energy on writing. I could probably have focused on another skill, but I’ve chosen writing so I need to stick with it.
Once you figure out what you enjoy and are good at, it’s time to take off. There will be opportunities that may appear enticing and conjure up fond memories of old dreams. Resist them. Dabbling and jumping from one thing to another won’t lead to mastery in anything. If monetary success is one of your main goals in life, you’re going to need to master a skill. If you don’t believe me, read any biography of any wealthy individual. Whether sports phenom, marketing guru or world class chef, all require mastery of a skill, usually one but sometimes two or three.
Remember you can’t do everything, so pick something you’re good at and stick with it!
Related Articles
If you liked this post, make sure to subscribe to my feed via RSS , or via e-mail.
If you found this post helpful, please consider leaving a donation to support this site!
Tags: Career Development · Twentysomethings · Words of WisdomNo Comments
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.