"The most subtle and often most stifling challenge for multipotentialites is the self-doubt we sometimes experience living in a world that doesn’t recognize our strengths (or even our existence)."
- How to Be Everything, page 180
"…we gain confidence in our ability to absorb and understand new things. This confidence, in turn, accelerates learning by making us more likely to take creative risks and step out of our comfort zones."- How to Be Everything, page 23
Wapnick describes a multipotentialite as “someone with many interests and creative pursuits.” There are other terms used to describe people like us—jack-of-all-trades, generalists, and polymaths are a few examples—but the idea is that a multipotentialite will tend to apply their skills to a variety of disciplines, depending on what interests them at the time. A multipotentialite would prefer to adapt to a new and exciting industry and risk failure than do just one thing for the rest of their lives.
According to Wapnick, there are three components of a “happy multipotentialite life:”
"Mix and match the four approaches as you please. Switch models every few years. Be a hybrid. It’s all good."- How to Be Everything, page 62
Wapnick introduces four work models in the book. Of these four, a multipotentialite may resonate with all of them, or just one. These work models provide clarity around how best to maneuver your working conditions based on the model that suits you best.
The four models are:
The Group Hug Approach: You have one job in which you wear many hats. This type of position can be hard to find; it may exist within one open-minded organization, or it may exist deep inside a specific industry. Your best bet in order to score a job where you can, according to Wapnick, “smoosh your interests,” may be to start your own business.
The Slash Approach: Having multiple jobs at one time in order to fulfill your desire to do more than one thing. In order to achieve this type of work model, you may need to be self-employed with multiple businesses, or be employed on a part-time basis by two different companies.
The Einstein Approach: Likely the most traditional model for a multipotentialite, this approach involves having one full-time job that supports you financially, while pursuing other opportunities in your spare time. If you’re someone who needs financial stability in order to stay sane, this model may work best for you.
The Phoenix Approach: Shifting between careers over the course of several months or years. If you’re someone who likes the idea of devoting yourself to just one career or company at a time, this model is for you. This approach allows you to reinvent at your discretion, while giving you the opportunity to dive deep into an industry before disappearing to try something new.
"We can do many things, but probably not all at once. And (you may want to sit down for this one) we can’t literally do all the things."- How to Be Everything, page 147
Now that you know what work model applies to you, it’s time to learn how to be productive within that work model. It’s worth noting that, when you’re a multipotentialite, you can’t just ask how to get things done—you must ask how to get the right things done.
Wapnick offers several productivity systems that may apply to everyone in the workplace, but particularly to multipotentialites. One productivity system in particular addresses how to distinguish priorities from waitlist items, while others address meditation, timing, expectations, and other processes that may have a direct effect on how you get your best work done. With regards to scheduling, for example, Wapnick explains that while some people prefer to plan their day hour by hour, others choose to wing it, and that’s okay. What’s most important, regardless of which productivity system you put in place, is that you know yourself well enough to be able to implement strategies that work.
I used to think that my constantly taking on additional projects outside the scope of my job description meant that I was confused about who I wanted to be. Did I waste money on a degree that, on some days, I don’t ever see myself using? Should I continue to pursue learning opportunities, or stay in my niche and perfect my craft? Was I lazy, unfocused, or just confused?
Emilie Wapnick is a writer, artist, career coach and community leader. She is the Founder and Creative Director at Puttylike.com, where she helps multipotentialites (people with many passions, skills, and creative pursuits) integrate all of their interests to create dynamic, fulfilling and fruitful careers and lives.
