I’ve said a number of times before that I definitely see myself as a jack of all trades but master of none. I like to think that I am “okay” at quite a few things; okay at playing the trombone, okay at writing, okay at photography, okay at design, okay at presenting, okay at hiking, okay at cooking, okay at cycling (I have a tendency to fall off on occasion), okay at etc etc.
But okay is another way of saying mediocre. I am mediocre at a lot of things. And excellent at, well, nothing.
My inability to choose one hobby or skill to learn really well is to blame.
Being “okay” at fly boarding involves heading into the water head first. A lot.
If I did choose one thing, or maybe even two, I could focus and commit, and potentially become really really good. But then I’d not have all the opportunities I have now to try lots of different things. The fact is I wouldn’t know which to pick. And at 34 I think I’m probably too late anyway, I should have chosen when I was 21. I’m sure you can tell me otherwise.
Sometimes I feel like the focus gene missed me out completely. Not only can I not choose one or two hobbies to concentrate on and instead have several handfuls of things I like to do regularly, but also I can’t concentrate on one thing for more than a short period of time. I get restless. I can’t sit still. I can’t even read more than a chapter of a book in one go, I definitely can’t sit on a sun lounger on holiday, and it’s taken me at least three (or maybe four) sittings to write this blog post.
But.
I don’t mind so much. Yes I admit that my in ability to choose means I am very busy and feel like I never have enough hours in the day for all the things I want to do. Yes, having so many hobbies and interests means that I will never win a competition or become a world record holder in one activity (I’m hoping for a group world record sometime, if you’re running one you need an extra body for let me know.).. And yes, I will only ever be in the middle, or lower, when comparing myself to others. I don’t mind, though, because having opportunities to do lots (and lots) of different things gives me every chance to maybe one day find that ultimate thing I can excel at. More importantly, having lots of hobbies and interests, at the moment, makes me happy.
Maybe one day I will actually choose one thing and leave the other 100s to one side for a bit. But in the mean time I’ll take my jack of all trades and have a look at the photos I’ve taken over the last few years for this blog, all the things I’ve been able to tick off my bucket list, even all the things I’ve done this last week while on my jam packed Center Parcs holiday; a post about paddle boarding coming up soon.
Have you chosen one thing to concentrate on in your life? Do you give everything you have to becoming a Master at one very complicated skill? Do you have an ultimate life goal that you are striving for? Then I admire you. You are absolutely awesome in my eyes, and I wish you every success. Or are you a little bit like me – not sure how to choose and even if you did choose, not sure how people commit so completely to just one thing? Share below.