Embrace Your Inner Scanner: Finding Freedom in Multiple Passions
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Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your numerous interests and wondered if you need to focus on just one to succeed?
You're not alone. Many people grapple with the pressure to specialize in a world that often values single-minded dedication. In this blog post, we'll explore key insights from Barbara Sher's enlightening book, Refuse to Choose: Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and Hobbies to Create the Life and Career of Your Dreams.
I featured Refuse to Choose in Episode 2 of my Books to Better Your Life podcast, where I dive into self-development books and extract actionable insights to help you make meaningful changes. I love Sher’s book because it offers a refreshing perspective on embracing your diverse passions.
Let's dive into how you can leverage your multifaceted interests to create a fulfilling life and career.
Understanding the Scanner Personality
Sher introduces the concept of the “scanner” — someone who has an intense curiosity about many unrelated subjects. If you've ever felt out of place in a world that celebrates specialists, you might be a scanner.
Sher describes scanners as a special type of thinker who is not satisfied with just one area of interest. They thrive on exploring multiple passions and often face societal pressure to conform to a single focus.
But not all scanners are the same. Sher identifies 11 different types of scanners, from cyclical scanners, who revisit their interests regularly, to wanderers, who follow new inspirations frequently. Understanding your specific scanner type can help you tailor your approach to managing your interests and finding fulfillment.
Overcoming Obstacles: Common Challenges for Scanners
Scanners often face unique challenges, such as scanner panic (too many interests, leading to inaction) and commitment phobia (fear of choosing the wrong path). Sher addresses these issues head-on, offering strategies to overcome them. For instance, she suggests combining required activities with your interests to manage your time better and reduce feelings of being too busy.
Committing to a single career can feel overwhelming to scanners. Sher proposes the idea of career tryouts, where you write down your expectations of a job in your “Scanner Daybook” (more on that later) and then interview someone in that field. This approach helps you understand whether a particular career aligns with your interests before fully committing. It's a practical way to explore different paths without the fear of making the wrong choice.
Sher also offers several strategies for scanners to integrate their diverse interests with their working lives. One option is to have multiple specialties in sequence or to pursue a “good-enough job” that supports your passions outside of work. Another approach is to invent your own career, combining various interests into a unique professional path. This flexibility is increasingly possible in today's gig economy and creator-driven world.
The Scanner Daybook: Capturing Your Ideas
One of Sher's practical suggestions is the Scanner Daybook, a blank book where you can jot down all your creative ideas. Think of it as your personal version of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook (according to Sher, da Vinci was a scanner!).
This tool allows you to capture and explore your myriad interests without the pressure to act on every single one. Over time, you may find that this practice not only respects how your mind works but also helps you appreciate the value of your diverse thoughts.
Barbara Sher's Refuse to Choose offers invaluable insights for anyone struggling with the pressure to specialize. By embracing your scanner personality, capturing your ideas in a Scanner Daybook, and implementing career tryouts, you can create a fulfilling life that honors your diverse interests. Recognizing and overcoming scanners’ common challenges can help you integrate your passions into your working life, making the most of your unique talents.
Are you a scanner? How do you manage your multiple passions? Share your experiences in the comments and check out Refuse to Choose. And for more inspiration, watch Barbara Sher's TEDx talk, which has 6.2 million views. Don't forget to start your Scanner Daybook and see where your creativity takes you!
In upcoming posts, I'll dive into more self-development books and challenge you to put my takeaways into action.
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Until next time, remember, you have the power to better your life. Let's make it happen.