A jack of all trades might be a master of none, but that’s not the only way to look at it. Evidence shows that a lot of successful people are actually good at more than one thing. So is this age-old belief actually valid and that too in today’s world? Let’s find out!
Unlike the older times, information is available to anyone who knows where to find it. What matters today is how you use that information to create something meaningful or solve a problem. For example, you don’t need to go through special training to know how to fix a computer. You can learn by watching a video on YouTube. The future is for the people who know how to find knowledge and apply it most effectively. If you do choose to narrow down your focus only on one thing, you will tend to lose out in the long term. An engineer by profession who gets an A throughout might not be that successful as an average person with a broader range of knowledge. He/she will have better exposure to opportunities and thus a better chance at winning. So how to become such an all-rounder?
1. Plan your day:
Most of us are time-squeezed, feeling that we don’t have enough time for all the things we want to do. However, there are always some people who can manage to do it all. Do they have more time? No, but they know how to time-box their tasks. So instead of skipping those basketball sessions, plan them at a specified time. The rest of the time can be utilized for studies and daily activities.
2. Do what you enjoy:
In life, you cannot always foresee the future. So you might underestimate the importance of certain things that might not show immediate results. If you like art, music or sports, give the necessary time for it. Do not sacrifice them for scoring good marks in your exams. These activities are very important from the point of view of your overall development.
3. Learn from an application perspective:
You don’t need to undertake a Microsoft Excel course to know how to use spreadsheets. But you can easily learn a part of it, say if you look up how to make a line chart out of your test scores. This is what is known as application-based learning. For a lot of skills, you don’t need in-depth research to get good at them. Learning from an application perspective is good enough for expanding your skill sets.
4. Do not feel left behind:
A lot of parents train their kids from a very young age on specific skills like maths, piano, cricket etc. Of course, there are child prodigies who become a huge success. But being a prodigy is not the requirement to become successful in life. It is never too late for anyone to start doing what they want. Focus on being a better version of yourself every single day. Everyone’s journey is unique. So there is no need to compare yourself to others.
5. Just do it:
90% of the people say they want to do a lot of things but don’t know where to begin. The trick is to just start. Our body is a masterpiece of evolution. Once you start doing something, you’ll keep getting better at it. So for example, instead of worrying about whether to take up those dance classes or focus on studies, just start doing both. You might get tired or might find less time to do one thing, but eventually, you will learn to manage both.
To conclude, an all-rounder is simply someone who can do a variety of things well. All you need is consistency and a winning attitude. Do you believe in focussing on one thing or being an all-rounder? Do let us know your perspective in the comments below.
