The Struggles of Being Multi-Passionate

It wasn't until my mid-twenties that I learned this word: multi-passionate. Pretty self-explanatory, but I had never come across this word before - not until I became a certified Life Coach (it's a widely-used word in the coaching realm!). "Multi-passionate" explains my personality so well, and I am so grateful this word is now a permanent part of my vocabulary!

Being a multi-passionate individual - someone who loves or has an interest in multiple things - isn't all sunshine and rainbows, unfortunately. For most of my life (and, if I'm being honest with myself, I still feel this way at times), I considered myself a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. Growing up, all of my friends each had a thing ... and I had no clue what mine was. (I've started to own WRITING as my thing for over a decade, but I still have so many interests I yearn to explore or try to "master".)

If you are multi-passionate, or someone you know is multi-passionate, this is what I've learned about myself - and maybe you or your loved one can relate?

We cycle through obsessions ...

I am notorious for not finishing a television show, especially if it is a longer series that's been around for awhile. It's not that I ever stop loving these shows, but rather I find a new show to obsess about (shiny object syndrome) in the midst of me watching the first show. I do eventually get back to my other shows ... but by then, it's been so long that I have to start over from the beginning. My fiancé ("J") gets annoyed by this.

J and I watch a couple episodes of a show every night with dinner, so thankfully I have finished some series. It's when I'm watching on my own, however, that I struggle to finish. (Truth be told, I've been in the middle of shows with J, and secretly want to switch ... again, longer series are a struggle for me, and at the rate we go, it seems to take much longer.)

I go through phases where all I watch are television shows, then it's movies, and then I decide I need to read more, then I get into a reading slump so I go back to television or movies ... you get the idea, right? It's not that I suddenly hate books or movies or anything - I'm just OBSESSED with one particular thing at a given moment. (It's worse when it's MULTIPLE things!)

We try to do ALL of the things ...

On the flip side, I also tend to try multiple passions at once. Right now, I am working on a Card Reading certification - I've been interested in oracle cards for quite awhile, and now I finally have the confidence to start reading them. Working on this new part of my spiritual identity and becoming inspired to add more ritual to my life, it is taking all of my strength to not go back and relearn what Yasmin Boland taught me about Moonology AND read Cassie Uhl's books AND finally learn how to interpret astrological charts ... if I try to incorporate ALL of the spiritual interests right now, guaranteed I will not finish my Card Reading certification. I'm needing to constantly remind myself it's okay to focus on one thing at a time.

I've also been considering going back to school, as I'm trying to find my life's purpose and career path ... but, being more self-aware than I used to be and recognizing I may burn out quite quickly, I am waiting until AFTER my wedding and honeymoon so that I can focus my energy on planning right now (and card reading - okay, the one-thing-at-a-time is still a work-in-progress). Then, when I come back from the honeymoon, I should have little to no life distractions, meaning I'll be able to put my all into studying something new.

We have no time ...

When we try to do ALL of the things, our schedules fill up easily - at least, mine does. And also, my schedule/routine is constantly changing because my obsessions change. Also also, having to work for a living gets in the way ... and then there's social commitments, and other responsibilities ...

It's not exactly that we don't have time, but rather we struggle with how to prioritize - believing all of the passions are important and wanting to incorporate all of them into a daily/weekly routine. Or, when it's one obsession at a time and they're changing frequently, perhaps bowling is Tuesday nights but dance is Wednesday nights - hence the constant schedule changes.

We need to do things NOW OR NEVER ...

The career I'm interested in pursuing right now may not be there for me next year. What I mean is, I was 3/4 of the way through my teaching degree when I lost my Grandfather and was encouraged to take a year off from my degree to grieve. A few weeks later, the pandemic hit, I had more time to think about my life, and well ... it's been almost three years, and I do not have a teaching degree.

So, I feel that if I don't pursue this particular career RIGHT THIS SECOND, I'm going to have a completely different path in mind by the end of June. (And maybe that'll be okay? Who knows?)

We face challenges while finding a career ...

When I met J, I was studying to become a Teacher. When the pandemic hit, I switched my focus to Life Coach. Running my own business was a challenge, so I got a part-time job at my local library, which led to a promotion, guiding me to go back to school for library-related studies ... until I realized how toxic my workplace had become. I am now currently in a part-time job that I love, but I know it is not a long-term solution (finances-wise), thus the wanting to go back to school. So, in less than four years, you can see how many career path changes I've made ... this has been my entire life since middle school (when I started researching university programs)!

It is debilitating to the ego, not having a life purpose (or, thinking you've found your life's purpose and then having it not work out). How many careers are there that encompass MULTIPLE interests? ... Seriously, what's the answer? I'd love to know!

We are misunderstood ...

Trying to explain being multi-passionate to someone who has only a few very specific interests is a challenge. I would love to know what goes through J's head every time I say "I want to take this course and try this new career". (If it's the same feeling he has when I switch television shows, he's probably mentally groaning over the career changes, although he is outwardly very supportive.)

This is why I wanted to write this article: We're not flighty. We're not indecisive. While it is fun to learn new things, it can also be overwhelming (and yet we do it anyways). We want to stick to one focus, but it's not always easy.

I didn't know there were other people like me until my mid-twenties. It has been rewarding to find these individuals, and knowing more about myself now has given me a new appreciation of me, myself, and I as I am. I still face my own struggles and challenges, but awareness has been the first step in learning how to adapt my life to fit my personality (and NOT the other way around!).

If you are a multi-passionate individual, take this opportunity to reflect on how you can make your multi-passionateness your greatest strength. If you know someone who fits this description, take this opportunity to reach out and tell them "I get it now" or "I want to learn more". The struggles are real, but being multi-passionate is still a gift to cherish.