As you may have read in my other article "I am multipotentialite", my professional life has taken on many colours over the last 5 years. Before leaving abroad, I had spent 4 years doing the same job in Paris: Event Project Manager. But since I left the capital, I think the longest period I've spent in the same company is 7 months... Since my arrival in Canada, everything is a bit different. For reasons of long-term visa and lack of Covid, I had to look for a job that I liked, that was qualified and in which I had to stay for an indeterminate period of time. It's the last straw when you think of the 'freedom' that expatriation is supposed to offer you and the reality of the chains that come to be attached to your feet as soon as you take steps to stay... If sometimes it still triggers many storms of dissatisfaction and frustration in me, staying in the same company for the last 10 months has really allowed me to learn a lot about myself, professionally speaking. If I hadn't undertaken this conquest of my hypersensitivity, I would certainly never have put my finger on my multi-otentiality (which are very closely related traits). In fact, I would probably still say to myself over and over again, "What the hell is wrong with me?" (and ok, it still happens (:)
It's been many years that I've been feeling more anxiety-ridden at work. Years of having to oversell my CV for fear of looking abnormal or out of place. Years of riding waves of indecision and unsatisfaction that take me down a new career path each time, making me believe that "this is it! I've found my dream job!" until I tire of it again and think "maybe not." I hid those difficulties and those feelings for a loooong time just out of shame... because "others don't seem to have these problems". Worse, others don't understand why every time I become "good" at something, I need to change and move on to something else... In the meanwhile, I have been killing myself in job interviews trying to explain how easy it is for me to adapt thanks to all this... that I learn very quickly, that my curiosity is a golden asset and that thanks to my different fields of expertise, I manage to be very creative, whatever the field of application... For a long time I thought that all this only applied to me. That I was the only one who was a bit weird. And if I had known that in fact I was not alone and that these patterns are common to many MPs, it would have allowed me to make peace with myself long before I was in my 30s...
So, whether it's because you're in the situation I was in, you've discovered your multipotentiality but don't know what to do with it, or your curiosity simply makes you want to understand more about this profile... Multipotentialite, burden or superpower ?! Let's look at it closer !
MULTIPOTENTIAL : A BURDEN ?
Let's start with what we don't always want to hear: the obstacles and difficulties encountered by multipotentialists (and by those who live or work with them)
Difficulties in making choices: It is normal for us to be unsure of how to choose. Our indecision and dissatisfaction can often be perceived as instability, especially in professional environments that value specialisation. Making a choice can actually be a huge source of anxiety, since the multi-potential person is, by nature, interested in very different fields.
Time Management and Burnout: Because the struggle to making choices is real and that we want to do everything at the same time, we can burn out more easily than others. The multipotentialist always has a thousand projects on the go and finds it hard to get them all done. This can lead to a repetitive feeling of incompleteness, which also leads to a feeling of failure. We may simply never finish everything we start, due to lack of time or rapid loss of interest. (And that's okay!!!) It can also lead to a feeling of shame, as we change our path once again, when our original mission was to find that ideal job, to have the stable life we dreamed of... (when in reality, it is the society in which we live that has instilled this idea in us...). Basically, we make expertise our quest, when we will never achieve it and this triggers burnout, feelings of failure, shame and disappointment.
Imposter syndrome: In a world where specialists are kings, the multipotential person rarely feels legitimate, even if he/she/they has all the required skills... The absence of an official diploma to exercise an activity can be a brake, generating imposture as a system of thought. We feel like eternal beginners and this can be problematic for earning a living, and can trigger permanent states of doubt and questioning. Basically, as MPs, we have everything to succeed, but we are the last ones to believe it.
Intolerance to boredom: This is my favourite one because it's the one where I thought "VOILA! I'M NOT SO CRAZY AFTER ALL!" In reality, boredom has always been my worst enemy. Except that for a long time I confused it with loneliness. Every time my boyfriend announced at the last minute that he would be coming home late, I would panic. What was I going to do with all that time alone? Two years of therapy, two different counsellors and my brain kept thinking "there must be something wrong with me because despite all their exercises, I still can't be alone". When in fact I've never had any problem with being alone. No, what blocks me is the sudden boredom. Since this gives my brain a space that it rushes to fill with a huge flow of thoughts. These thoughts trigger anxieties. These anxieties paralyse me and I don't know what to do with my time alone, despite the 42 different passions I have at hand. "Simply put."
Intolerance to repetition: This is a consequence of the previous one, a repetitive job will cause boredom which will cause anxiety and will end in a letter of resignation on the boss's desk... I thought this was the same for everyone, but no, some specialists love repetition. Same process for a passion or a creative project. And for me, this also applies to routine. My HSP trait requires me to have a minimum of routine, while my multipotential personality requires constant novelty. If I am bored in my daily life, I don't feel alive. And if I don't feel alive in it, I fall into a vortex of anxiety, dissatisfaction and even depression.
Misunderstanding of others: Faced with the judgements of others, we are often plagued by doubts. When we don't know that we are MPs, we can quickly feel "out of place" and lost or even completely misunderstood. Our tree-like AND effervescent brain makes links between subjects that do not always seem obvious to others and this can also make communication difficult at times.
Hypersensitivity. Last but not least, hypersensitivity. Yes, a MP usually experiences his/her/their emotions much more intensely than the norm, due to hyper stimulation of the senses. This means that our moods are very changeable and can be very difficult to live with for others, but hey hey!, surprise! it can be just as difficult to live with for ourselves (especially when we don't understand where they are coming from.) In short, it can be a fast and difficult roller coaster ride for everyone.
If it sounds like being an MP could feel a little heavy, let's have a look at all the hidden assets that most MPs have.
MULTIPOTENTIAL : A SUPERPOWER ?
Curiosity and Boldness: this constant quest for new activities and new passions makes MPs curious and bold adventurers! We are real explorers who are not afraid to step out of our comfort zone, who experiment and who feed on all kinds of discoveries. A hat that many envy us.
Connections and Creativity: this tree-like brain connection allows us to get a global view of the world (or of a subject) and to connect areas that, to others, seem completely unconnected. With our multiple knowledge, we create something new, at the intersection of several existing domains. This often results in creative, original and unexpected ideas. Basically, we MPs have a HUGE creative potential and we also have a lot of fun sharing all our ideas. A superpower, isn't it?
We adapt easily : because of this wide variety of skills and knowledge, MPs adapt very easily to different teams, groups, interlocutors, clients, collaborators or companies. And since we have probably all worn several professional hats in our lives, we can say that we are somewhat of an expert in this area...
Fast-learners : Here too, we could say that we have become experts in the field, since we have explored new areas many times, we are not afraid of the beginner's label (although it also brings us the imposter syndrome mentioned above). In addition, our tree-like brain makes rapid connections that engage our memory and allow us to learn faster than average.
Determination: When we are interested in a subject, we throw ourselves 200% into it, with determination and passion. This means that it sometimes occupies our mind 24/7. This in itself can be a very good asset in the professional world as a project, if it is exciting, will then occupy the mind of their full-time MP employee (and in my opinion, the best ideas are always coming from the time spent outside the office!).
Initiative-taking: this is a quality that is formed halfway through the previous ones as it is thanks to this boldness, this tree connection, this speed of learning and this determination, that MPs will be able to take initiatives to solve, improve or perfect a project or a subject. Basically, we are not afraid to try and this allows us to dare more easily than specialists!
Inspiring: Finally, because of the enthusiasm we have for different passions, because of all our initiatives and because of this ease of switching, we are inspiring beings for others, for whom this kind of action seems much more difficult to undertake! Did you ever heard a few times from some of your friends that you inspired them to start a project or a new activity ?!
To sum up, the key to success for a multipotentialist (and for that matter for a specialist too) lies in the ability to know oneself. As I mentioned in the introduction, multipotentiality and hypersensitivity seem to be closely linked, cerebrally speaking, and in a world in search of specialists who are, "not too sensitive", it can sometimes seem really difficult to fully blossom or even to simply find one's place.
Being aware of one's inhibitions, learning to manage, control or simply accept them, and getting to know these assets are the first steps that lead MPs to personal and professional fulfilment. For me, this has allowed me to define my needs a little more precisely, and to try out different tools, trying, as best I can, to thrive in this world which does not always seem to be very suitable. If you are interested, I could share my list of "needs" and some of the tools I use or have tried in a future blog post.
In the meantime, if you are a multipotential and you read me, I want to say : "Keep exploring, you might not have ONE vocation, but you have MANY vocations, and they are just waiting for you". If on the other hand you are not an MP but you have been curious enough to read me, then I challenge you to try something completely new, completely crazy, something that attracts you but scares you. Honestly, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain! (oh and tell me about it in the comments!!! really, I'd love to hear about it!)
Take care,
Love.
Co.
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