You Are By Design

Has anyone ever used the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" as a way to shame you for being good at or having an interest in multiple things? Perhaps you've changed careers or functions, and that phrase was used to either hold you back or as a way to say you may not be the "right fit" for a role. And as a result, you hid, or worse, abandoned your other interest so you could fit into a box. Did you know there is more to that phrase?

Back in the day, communities relied upon people being multi-skilled in order to thrive. Someone who specialized in one area only was not as useful to the collective. The phrase was shortened, as most are, for convenience. And as such, it lost its original meaning and has been used to prevent people from fulfilling their potential ever since.

Your multiple interests are not by accident. You are by design, and you are meant to serve the collective.

Childhood Dreams Can Be Very Telling

At seven years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? What about 11? Or 16? When I was young, the professions I chose were singer, model, military, forest ranger, scientist, business person, and teacher. Many of these choices, I think, were connected to something I saw in a movie or on a TV show. Others were things I observed in my community or family. Military service was probably the early legitimate choice confirmed through multiple career surveys.

You can take singer, model, and forest ranger from my list of choices. I didn't have a strong interest in those. But I did show a strong interest in business, the military, teaching, and the sciences. I had an aptitude for science but didn't want to pursue it as a career. The military is complicated. I was a tutor and always loved working with kids. You get the point - all of my interests were intertwined with one another from an early age. If you think back to your childhood, I suspect you will find the seeds of your current interests.

If you read Up Where You Belong, then you know that my first career choice was as a Naval Aviator. That didn't work out. I chose financial services. Then I chose medical devices. Then I chose K-12 education. Then I chose coaching and independent consulting in health, Medtech, and K-12 education. Though I was criticized for being "flighty," I eventually learned that none of these choices were by accident.

Who Told Us We Can Be Only One Thing?

As a GenX'er, I recall being told that I have to pick a major and work for the same company for 45+ years doing roughly the same thing until retirement. If I didn't do that, then I would be a flake or unreliable. We see this phenomenon where if someone has a gap in their resume, they are automatically red flagged without ever understanding their story. Or if someone was at a job for less than a year, they are automatically dropped from consideration. Who made these rules?

The work culture transitioned from communities with multi-skilled laborers and professionals to single-skilled during the industrial revolution. And that transformation began in K-12 schools. Companies invested in schools to teach them to read, write, sit for hours without complaint, and follow instructions without question. That is a formula that has not changed. The book, Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling by John Taylor Gatto, explains this in much better detail than I can.

Companies needed workers to pump out goods, so they went to the public school system to create the workers they needed. Perhaps, then, the Great Resignation or Reset, or whatever name you give it, is simply about dismantling or bucking a system that people are coming to believe is rigged against them.

Being A Willing Employee Is Good

Wait, what?!? So I told you all of that, and now I'm saying it's okay to be an employee. Yes! I'm saying it's perfectly fine to be a WILLING employee who is doing something they like in a culture that respects and values them. If you didn't know, I am a willing employee working in MedTech. I ???????????? MedTech. I also ?? advocating for K-12 education because it's so crucial to the success of the collective. I worked in K-12 for three years and do consulting projects as well. And I ?? financial literacy and investing because it's foundational for people to survive and thrive, and I spent the first seven years of my career in financial services.

We also have to understand that companies have financial responsibilities. And its decisions are not personal (most of the time). Your manager valuing and respecting you is great, but that doesn't change a company making decisions that serve its interests first. The mistake I made multiple times was allowing my employer to become too much of my identity. In the end, what I realized is that I valued the individuals and my relationships at the companies, and I conflated the people and the entity. And now, I'm careful to put the people first.

This is where understanding that you are by design becomes critically important.

But Leveraging Your Design To Create Your Three-Plan Strategy Is Better

No, I didn't mean to use the word prong instead of plan. I encourage people to have three plans for their lives - A, B, and C.

Plan A is to graduate, get a job, and retire. If you've been following me for a while, you've heard me say Plan A was not meant to benefit us, it was meant to benefit from us. Make sure you are benefitting from Plan A by getting paid your value, being in a respectful and safe environment, and learning everything you can. Put your hand up for challenging assignments and development opportunities. When, or if, you leave, all of that knowledge belongs to you. Spend what is left after saving and investing. And stay ready, so you don't have to get ready. Make sure your resume and #LinkedIn profile are always up-to-date. Stay connected and network with people. That said, don't jump at the first sign of trouble. Watch how people problem solve. You may be pleasantly surprised at how things turn out.

Plan B is to use your gifts to power your personal economy. Entrepreneur is a big word. And it's not for everyone. I will never, ever, recommend someone quit their job and start their own business. If you tell me that's what you want to do, I will ask you 100 questions and support your decision either way. Instead of thinking of it as starting a business, use those multiple talents or interests to create a side hustle. Are you great at making PowerPoints? Sell your services on Upwork to make vacation money or to invest. Volunteer with a local organization that supports small business owners.

Plan C is to invest and build your wealth. Make your money work for you. Remember that Plan A requires you to spend what you make to keep the cycle going. Understand all of your options and how to protect your wealth. Wealth is defined as having the resources to create the life you want. This is more than money; it's your health, wellness, and mental well-being for yourself and those you care about.

Never let anyone tell you that your interests make you a jack of all trades without illuminating for them the true meaning of that phrase. Even though it may seem strange to others, and maybe to you, you are not by accident. You are by design to enhance and contribute to the collective. And when you suppress your talents, you suppress the collective.

You are not by accident. You are by design to enhance and contribute to the collective. And when you suppress your talents, you suppress the collective.

I'm neither a political person nor do I consider myself to belong to either party. I'm a person that sees patterns and connects dots. My personal opinion is that the barriers people face in education, health care, and wealth generation are not by coincidence. At 22, I believed I would always work in finance\business. I didn't set out to work in all three industries. I have, and not because I'm flighty, but because these three align with my core values, and I'm meant to positively impact the collective. I am by design.

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