You can’t be everything. That's ok.

This is a re-print of an old newsletter from 2022. Nearly three years later, it still holds true.

A few nights back, I got inspired. I got mad. I thought about time wasted avoiding decisions, trying to be good at a million things rather than mastering one or two. So, I did what people do in 2022. I put it on Facebook. I know, boomer stuff. Here are the posts.

“Anyone who says that your life is a failure if you aren’t in x job, making y dollars, by z date…is not your friend.”

“Life is tradeoffs. Much of contemporary culture is pretending that we can all be good at everything at the same time. Nope.”

These posts are recognitions of this: Time is the most finite resource.

Other things are at least partially renewable or more can be accessed. Time is not that way.

Your resume is like that, too. Nearly all of us are not simultaneously Navy SEALs and doctors and astronauts. Only Jonny Kim does all that.

We have strengths and weaknesses. We can build our strengths and improve in our weak areas. But the idea that we can cover every hole or optimize every ability is overwhelming, and ultimately paralyzing. It is self-defeating.

You don’t have to be perfect to deserve praise, love and support.

Ultimately, we all have to pick a path, and be ok with the decision no matter the outcome, knowing that we made the best decision we could at the time with the information we had.

We must not worry ourselves sick trying to meet everyone’s expectations.

With clients, so much of the work is helping to find the right path and getting our feet moving on it. It takes faith and courage to stick with things, even when it’s hard. Even when the rewards don’t appear right away. Even when you see the grass on the other side and think that it might be greener.

It’s ok to put things down that don’t suit you. It’s ok to say no. It’s ok to specialize. It’s ok to love your unique skills. These aren’t just ok, these are great!

What the powers of decision and specialization tell us is that we all need each other. When we work together as a unit, I am confident that if I play my role, the group will succeed because other people are putting their excellence to work.

Don’t get me wrong. Try different things and aim to learn.

But trust that you don’t have to be perfect to be great.

Michael Kane is still helping folks with career changes and job searches on nights and weekends. E-mail him at [email protected] if he can be useful.