the ridiculous pursuit of being well-rounded

Danielle,

I know particularly well how horrible it is to be 'well-rounded', because I suffer from this disorder. Allow me to explain.

As a 'liberal arts' graduate, I majored in a ton of different things, ranging from computer information systems to English to vocal performance. I never have been able to find my niche.

Employers do not take nicely to this. They want people who do specific things amazingly well. Not employers who do a lot of things pretty good.

What advice do you give to those who love learning everything? Should we pick something, or find a way to make it all work to our advantage?

This is genius. Such a simple concept but your way with words always makes things just punch me in the face (in a good way if that's possible). I appreciate your blog for always giving concrete ideas on how to live consciously and work towards a better self. I found you through Style Statement and just recently, after leaving my corporate job, found this space of yours. So glad I did. It motivates me and connects me to an inner self I've been neglecting (not my concept - taken from another great blog I can't remember right now). I'll be using the strong/weak exercise over the next few days.

Danielle, I'm a new reader and the weakness you gave as an example is very true for me, too. Thank you for simplifying for me how much it bothers me when I don't see the point of something that requires my time and presence. Life is way too short not to learn from our weaknesses.

It puts a whole new light on those classic interview questions - tell me 3 of your strengths, 3 of your weaknesses!!! I'm going to do the strong/weak exercise this week - I can see that being an eye opener and confirming a lot of things to me that, deep down, I already know. It's taken a while but I've discovered lately that being true to your self is the key to pretty much everything, but especially in a work-related situation.

Wow. Awesome.

Yes yes yes! Marcus Buckingham is a god in my opinion, I've read nearly everything of his. We're like jigsaw pieces: my shape is severely lacking the administrative talent that enables some people to file their taxes on time, so I pay someone to do that for me. My friend's shape cannot grasp writing, so I draft her business reports for her and she mends and alters my clothes for me. This interdependence is a GOOD thing. It shows us we're fully human, with fully human vulnerabilities and strengths.

You're right. A lot of people, myself included, set these strange goals that we think would make us happy, but really just take us off the path. Being real with myself means that I don't have to become an ultrarunner or a musician. Time to focus on the writing and blogging a bit more.

On behalf of the Ivy Leaguers everywhere :) - Thank you for this brilliant post and this incomparable reminder to be who we are, to do what emboldens us, to ignore the countless voices and the conflicting messages. I am beginning to believe that if we are doing what we should be doing, it should feel easy. It's a process, yes, but I feel myself getting there, slowly but surely.

Amen. Shout it from the edge of the roof!

Nail, on the head. AND, if you hire someone else to do all the crap you're a.) not good at and b.) RESENT (for me, it's coding, SEO, and marketing), you're helping someone ELSE do what they're good at and love to do.

love this post Danielle!

Danielle,
Good stuff--just what I needed to read today. Seems to be happening alot...and doesn't it just make the most sense ever? I totally get you wanting to stop strangers and get a little Amen! from them.
Take Care,
Jill

super article. I was told I'd have trouble getting into a top college because I wasn't well rounded enough! Well, I ended up getting into the school that was right for me. Hey, I didn't want to play field hockey! It's the rare person who is naturally "well-rounded" whatever that means. I'm well-trapezoided.

I spend a lot of time with elite strength people. Men and women who can do things that the human body is not supposed to be able to do. The one thing they all have in common--well, besides psychosis--is that they are each elite at one or two...maybe three things. They can't be good at everything and they don't want to be. They want to be the best and so they are.

I went into librarianship because I like to generalize in terms of knowledge. But when I really want to be good at something, something else has to be excluded.

Danielle, you continue to be the most delightful daffodil on the web.

Great piece! Those two questions are in my coaching toolkit, alongside What expands you? and What contracts you?

I'm one of those Scanners or renaissance souls Erika mentioned, but there are themes running through all the things I've done in my life. They were never done in some plan to become well rounded and they've all come together to help me coach other Scanners. Again, not a niche I deliberately sought. We're just drawn to each other because of those "Me too!!" moments.

Sher compares Scanners with deep divers, who follow one thing and go deep.

I love your fiery passion when you find things you love and resonate with. We could all do with more of it. I come here hoping that some of it will rub off, seeing as I agree with so much of what you say but seem like such a timid wee mouse compared to you!

Like Jeffrey I love to learn, but I can don't like to only know one subject. I absord information like a sponge and love that I can provide the information later in a variety of circumstances. But like him I have found it hard to make that translate to my resume so I continue to spin in the cosmic inertia.