Suffering from analysis paralysis? Too many interests and can’t pick one to go with?

If the worst thing right now for you are too many choices, consider yourself lucky. Embrace the fact that you have so many interests. Who ever said you had to die with just one anyway?

To start, stop beating yourself up that you have so many ideas.

Re-frame.

“I have so many passionate interests and the exciting part is experimenting with which ones will serve me best at this point in my life”.

Oh boy! Choices! So much easier than those with crickets in their head when they think of interests.

I get it. Choices come with decisions you have to make and actually commit to, to be able to see then through (sorry, commitment-phobes).

The truth bomb? There are no mistakes. Only ways to do things better.

That being said, here’s some help I can give you when sorting out how you can pick the right career idea when you are multi-passionate and have too many interests.

Isolate your skill sets

What are you great at?

When was the last time you took inventory of the skills that you have? I bet you’ve accumulated quite a number of great skills from your past and current career. But which of those skills are ones you actually quite value and love, and the ones that you would want to keep in your “tool-belt”?

I can do my own accounting, but do I love it? Hell no. I rather be paying someone to do the numbers for me. It’s more of a “I can do this” rather than a “I actually love to do this”. So do yourself a favour. Make a list of only the ones you want to do, not have to do.

Keep the skills that feel like ease for you.

Notice I didn’t say easy. If you’re like me and love a challenge in my work, this is absolutely OK. Most of us need and crave some challenge in our work, but it can still feel like ease. Ease feels good. Ease feels like flow. You may love writing for example, and it could take you some hours and the occasional writer’s block, but you may appreciate the process and feel amazing after you’ve written something meaningful or thought provoking.

Don’t forget your natural skills as well. You may not realize that your most natural skills are the most important ones. These are the skills that people seem to be envious of you for, or have constantly complimented you on. Perhaps you’ve heard, “You are always so good at empowering others”, or “I love how you can break complicated things down so clearly”.

Your best skills may not always be tangible ones you can obviously see, it may be just how you are “being”. Without these, you will not be you.

Figure out what you’re naturally drawn to

What sparks your curiosity that you love?

You find yourself in deep conversations about these topics. When a story or blog post about it appears on your Facebook newsfeed, you automatically click on it to read it. You’re constantly craving more information on it. You watch Youtube videos of TedTalks about it.

Part of you may say, “I would love to be able to be a part of this solution”. You may even feel that your life experience have led you to give a shit about it.

It moves you to talk to people about this.

When you think about the things that you are naturally drawn to, dig deeper as to why it’s so meaningful for you to be engaged in it. For example, if you love to write poetry or paint, you may ask, “Why is it so meaningful for me to do this?”

Are you drawn to the fact that creative expression is important to you? Perhaps you like that everyone may be able to hear or see something different in art, and can make their own conclusions as to what it means to them? Or, could it be that deep inside you feel that if people would let themselves express in whichever way they feel, they would explore more about what they are capable of?

What is so meaningful and fulfilling for you to be drawn to what you love?

There are times you are even angered by it. Why? Because you give a shit. It may even frustrate you to realize that there are ways to be happier, more joyful, and less pain in the world, and you want to be a part of that solution.

Why are you so passionate about that subject?

A question to ponder on:

I have lived to a ripe old age and I am lying on my deathbed.  I look back with satisfaction over a long, fulfilling life.  I feel satisfied and fulfilled because I did or was what?

The Exchange of Money

What does the world need and is of value?

Money does not have to be a dirty word. It is an exchange of value. It can be an exchange of gratitude and appreciation. If you’re giving me something of value, I would like to offer you an exchange of value also.

Back in the day, people may have exchanged a goat for your chickens, or a basket of fruit for your veggies. In the world we live in, we exchange paper with currency on it to buy us things we value and need to live.

In your career and business, you too, need things that you value in life. And to happily receive the gratitude of money, offer something of value to others.

What does the world need that you can offer to solve a problem?

You could make a list of everything that you are able to solve using your skill sets (yes, the ones you actually love), towards the direction of the topics you care about (what you are drawn to or are passionate about). Who needs it and why? Why are they so hungry to solve this? What pains them so much and keeps them up at night, and you can be their saving grace?

Your ability to solve problems will help determine your ability to make money. Build your business on the basis that you are passionate about easing the pain for others, and creating solutions that are valuable for them.

Choose the problems you are excited to solve, and are inspired to see a difference in the world, with your little dent in it.

I believe entrepreneurship will bring freedom and individual accountability to people in the world. I also believe in one’s creative way to express and serve in their lifetime. I want to be a part of it with all the skills and passion I have about it to put my tiny little footstep in there.

What is the movement you want to be a part of and/or start?

Lead the Mission

Your best career and business idea to start with requires you to lead the way. It is a mission you are proud of and desire to show others the path.

The idea you go with also requires you to be immersed in it, to consistently be learning and challenging yourself in that topic.

You must be willing to live and breathe the solutions you teach and provide.

Whether you are being paid or not, you lead by example. Your stubborn curiosity about the subject brings you to many doors, and you become like Alice, plunging into those rabbit holes.

Are you willing to immerse yourself in the mission of your business idea you choose for the next 10 years? If so, you’ll be far happier during the times of 10 hour days launching something in your business, or spending the time researching all sorts of things for your clients.

Regret is Poisonous

The shoulda, woulda, coulda syndrome. Ay. Not a good feeling. Think failing and feeling bad about it is as bad as it gets? Think again.

You get over failure. It can give you insight on how to make things better. Regret? It’s a lingering feeling that doesn’t ever leave you.

Perhaps the end goal or destination for that “If I don’t do this, I will regret this” idea may seem daunting right now. That is OK. But what can you do today that will lead you to that destination? The bite steps, the small conquers, the work that will take you there.

I met an amazing man last week, who attended the workshop I ran in Bali, and he spoke about a project close to his heart called “Love Coins”.

In a nutshell, he wanted to create a platform and app that allows people to spread the love of their financial spendings to people in need. When they buy something at the hardware store, they can also choose to donate a % to a family in need related to hardware (wood to build a house, building tools, etc.). He wants to spread love and accountability across the human race.

He wants to do this so badly, that when he spoke about it, he broke down in tears. “I just have to do this. I feel the responsibility to do it now”, he said.

How the fuck can he ignore that?

It will haunt him. In a good way.

Yes, it is a mountainous feat. He needs help. He needs to find the people that will support him in this dream. And this idea may not become a reality for years.

But how can he honour the essence of who he is, and what he wants to do? The idea of spreading love and inspiring people to be accountable to themselves and others engulfed him. If you met him, you would see that he was exactly that symbol of love and compassion.

Of course he could still spread his idea. Perhaps not in that vehicle of Love Coins just yet, but he can still infuse that message in the work he does today, with his current skills, his best way of delivering that message with what he has in his tool-belt today.

Could he combine his talents of photography, organization, travel, and project management with the passion of love and kindness? Absolutely. Many ideas came in from organizing traveling photography tours in that theme in Bali, to using his knowledge of 3D printing to create real life mementos of these “love trips” for the people that attend.

Anything is possible.

And he doesn’t have to wait until Love Coins is produced to do this.

Out of your mountainous array of ideas, which are the ones that you will regret NOT pursuing in your life?

You know the one. The one that keeps popping in your head, and you just can’t shake it off.

It may not come into fruition today, hell, maybe not even for years. But you can start it. Yes, today.

Decide to Make a Choice

Here’s a news flash: Your ideas are probably amazing. All of them may possibly change your life.

But, you won’t know if any of them would do that if you don’t start exploring at least one of them.

Get the idea that failing means you are “bad”. Who the hell that has ever created something amazing or impacted the world hasn’t failed? Name one person. I dare you.

Experiment, experiment, experiment, until you are content with going full throttle with one idea with the most legs.

How can you fuse your best skills and most engaging interests, to provide value to others that they are hungry to get their hands on? Are you proud to be a part of it? Does it light a fire in your belly to be associated with this idea? Would you have done it anyway even if you were a millionaire?

If the first idea doesn’t pan out, choose another one. Keep choosing. Keep going and stop regretting.

And, for the love of God, get those ideas out of your head and on paper, or sticky notes, or mastermind it with someone. Stop pondering and start doing, so you can actually see what may come of it.

There are no laws or rules that are preventing you from starting anything. You don’t have to jump in full force right away, you can play with the idea and test it out to see if you like it.

We’d love to hear from YOU…

What are your passions? Which ideas can you start playing and experimenting with? Leave your answer in the comments below! 

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business owner, entrepreneur, follow your dreams, follow your heart, how to choose a career, July 2015 Issue, passions, small business, start a business, women in business