How to choose when you have too many ideas? 🤯
At the Back to Me workshop, one of the participants asked how to decide on / follow just one or two ideas when your brain is full of different possible paths.
I get it. Especially as a multi-passionate person, I know it can feel uncomfortable to try and narrow down possibilities. Also, having too many ideas often leaves you inspired and excited for a hot second before your head quickly turns to something new.
You feel fickle and capricious, even a little guilty or embarrassed for being unable to focus and stick to one thing.
And it can leave you paralysed by indecision and uncertainty.
If this is you, I want you to know this:
1) Being multifaceted is beautiful.
All those different parts of you, those unique combinations, your 'Both Ands', while they might seem completely unrelated, are what makes you YOU.
You are the only person with this magic combination, expressed through your personality, your life experience, and your outlook. No one else can be you when you embrace all those facets of yourself. These unique connections breed innovation.
Write down all your different passions, ideas, possibilities, skills, gifts, and curiosities, and think about the connection points. What are new and interesting intersection points? What might be something new and exciting you could create out of these?
2) You get to express yourself at work AND/OR outside of work.
Who you are is not the sum of the roles you play in your life. While culturally we have been conditioned to hold a dichotomous view of our identity at 'work' and in 'life', the lines have started dissolving.
This is a good thing because it means that you don't have to wear a different persona for work, for home, for social life, for family, etc. Instead, you can invest your energy in being a whole, more integrated version of yourself.
It also means you don’t have to pursue all of your passions in one 'role'. You can pursue some of your passions or aspects of your passions at work, and it may extend to other areas of your life and vice versa.
I have a passion/curiosity for yoga, mindfulness and Eastern philosophy -- some aspects I blend into my coaching work, but a lot of it gets to be expressed in my day-to-day.
I have a passion for art, and interiors, and an appreciation of beauty, some of it gets to be expressed in the 'behind the scenes' work in my business, and some gets to be expressed in my day-to-day -- in the choices I make for our home, in the way I set the table, in what I do in my free time, etc.
I have an interest in nutrition, holistic health, and food as medicine, which used to be expressed through my work when I started my coaching journey as a health coach, but now it's mainly expressed in my day-to-day life.
All these different aspects of me don't have a clear-cut division between professional and personal. They permeate through different areas of my life - motherhood, work, personal, social life, etc.
3) Find the common thread
My career history is a perfect mishmash of seemingly disparate jobs.
Security airport interrogator. Artist. Yoga Teacher. Making and selling Mala bead necklaces. Graphic design gigs/Freelancer. Coach.
At the time, none of it made sense. It felt like I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
But when I took time to reflect, I found the pattern, the theme that tied together the work I have loved most or been most drawn to.
What was it that all these jobs had in common?
A connection with other humans.
I realised that I was constantly pulled toward work that allowed me to help people to harness their courage so they can live their truest expression.
And the jobs that didn't fit the pattern? Those were inevitably the ones I didn't enjoy or felt like it wasn't 'it'.
'Supporting people to live their truest expression' -- it isn't a job title. Nor a career path. There is no qualification for it. But it's what I do. Or more accurately, it's who I am. At work and outside of work.
When I identified that thread, I felt much clearer about what to explore and what to consider. Even with a wide range of possibilities to choose from within that theme.
Try writing down all the work you've done that you really enjoyed -- jobs, voluntary roles, projects, internships, events… whatever you can think of that felt really satisfying.
What's the common thread between them? What's your theme?
4) Experiment. A lot.
You won't get clarity if you don't get your hands dirty. If you have plenty of ideas, and possible directions, buzzing in your head, go out into the real world and take action. Do a lot of little experiments. Clarity doesn't come from 'thinking about it' it comes from action.
Start doing something. Anything. Get your hands dirty. Take little steps towards a direction. Test out the waters.
Finally...
I remember so clearly what it felt like to be awash with possibilities and yet have no idea where I was headed. All I wanted was for someone to take my hand and tell me: "Go there, this is your direction"
The thing is, all of your ideas are the starting points for many possible paths. But the truth is, what you'll end up doing probably isn't something you can even envision right now.
All you can do right now is stop waiting for the best idea or answer to become clear and dive in, with an open mind.
You're at a moment in time where you are creating something very special here. Give it time, energy, and space to evolve. Nurture it, and it will grow into the most beautiful experience.
If guidance and support around this feels like your right next step, I would love to take you on this journey. If you're interested in connecting for a chat to learn more and see if we are a good fit you can apply for a free 30-minute consultation right here.
Love,
Naama
