Comments on: Is a Polymathic Career Path For You?

By: TheAndySan

TheAndySan — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:50:49 +0000

I’m definitely a polymath. I would always get frustrated wherever I worked and when I would change to a different job, it would be the same thing a couple of months later.

To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in what I was doing at work to begin with (Wal-Mart cashier, making fast food at McDonald’s and Toxic Hell, etc). I have many interests that I want to pursue and I’d like to focus on all of them instead of one at a time. If I do get bored with something, I could just give that thing a rest and focus on my other interests.

By: Agata

Agata — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:36:32 +0000

This is wicked!!! I was always looking at myself and thinking: hmm, I have a ton of interests and a ton of skills, I just need to focus on ONE thing to get good at it! But that never satisfied me and now I understand why. Thank you for posting such an awesome article and for finally giving me a sense of calm with the fact that I too, am a polymath Cheers!

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Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:10:29 +0000

[...] Is a Polymathic Career Path For You? [...]

By: Vik Dulat

Vik Dulat — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:58:45 +0000

I think everyone has more than one talent inside of them. It is just a matter of getting that out. I am an accountant but I know I can become a pretty darn good sales person. Maybe I will give that a try

By: Jeremy Day

Jeremy Day — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:57:22 +0000

I agree Paul. I think most of us need to become more like Renaissance men and women. Varied interests make a more fulfilling life. And I agree people should definitely start looking at part time ways to produce income. This is a very good post to create discussion. I still think it is worth writing a couple more articles about this idea because it is a big one.

By: John Lessnau

John Lessnau — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:25:02 +0000

One think I love about creating websites is that there are so many different ways to make money with them. Even if a site makes $50 a month, so what, just create 100 sites using the same model and make $5000 per month. Of course, services that automate the money making process like kontera.com, TLA, http://www.linkxl.com, adsense, and various affiliate programs is key.

By: Simon Stapleton

Simon Stapleton — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:23:57 +0000

This is an interesting way of looking at a groove many people, including myself, have found themselves in. It sounds like a scary prospect, and it is, because the single career is for many of us a comfort zone and it’s easy to stay in that comfort zone. It takes courage to step outside it! More than anything it takes belief. Perhaps your recent post on the Law Of Attraction is just the ticket for any of us that need to build Total Belief in order to make the step?

By: Paul Piotrowski

Paul Piotrowski — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:06:39 +0000

@May and Jeremy: The important thing to remember is this. If you are already 100% doing what you love and making money with it, meaning you’re already happy with your career path and are already an Inspired Money Maker and you’re focusing on doing just one thing, that’s awesome! This article isn’t meant for you then, as you have already found your path.

However, if you still work at a “job” or are even running a business that you don’t enjoy and know that it isn’t part of your “true path” in life, then it MAY be part of your path (even if it’s temporary) to switch from a SINGLE income stream, to MULTIPLE income streams for a period of time. For some, that may be 2 income streams. For others it may be 5. For others yet, it may be even more.

The logistics of how that comes together is something that can be figured out, and isn’t anywhere near as important as first making the decision to allow a “Polymathic” career path option to be even considered. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but what I’m saying is that society wrongly conditions us (especially schools) to specialize and “make up our mind” on what to focus on.

You notice that in elementary school kids are perfectly fine and capable of learning language, math, science, music, art, physical education, etc. all at the same time and most kids are very capable of excelling at all of them at once. It is only later on when the shift turns from “Educating a Human Being” in elementary school to “Creating a Worker Drone” in College/University that we are forced to focus on only one thing so that we can enter the “work-force” as a “productive worker bee”.

Ask yourself, if you could for one second forget about the logistics of how it could work, what 3 or what 5 activities that provide value for others could you do throughout the year and enjoy?

By: May

May — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:56:04 +0000

I have tried doing several “occupations” at once and found it hard to focus in general. But that isonly my personal experience. I think once I found some level of clarity in terms of where I want to go, it is easier to choose a path to give 100% of my attention to. But that does not mean I am oppose to multiple streams of income, that’s a great idea Thanks for the response Paul.

By: Jeremy Day

Jeremy Day — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 04:50:27 +0000

Hi Paul,

You are right. I wasn’t saying go to them in the same day. I am just saying it takes a lot to shift gears. I don’t know if you can gain much traction in anything if you do something completely different everyday.
The two examples you used would both be considered businesses, as you said. And as you saw from May and I, we both don’t like the word “job”. It does have a lot of bad connotations. With all that said, I think we are mainly arguing over semantics more than anything.
I also understand 5 is an arbitrary number you used just for the sake of discussion. I definitely believe in pursuing multiple careers, having multiple businesses, or having multiple sources of income. It does help if they are related though. If you happen to good at and enjoy hairdressing and bookkeeping by all means go for it. I mean, you should already be doing some bookkeeping if you are a self-employed hairdresser anyhow.
Hope that all makes sense…

Cheers,
Jeremy