I watched the red wine swish around my glass while I talked passionately with Mister about my new idea for my business. I was smiling and talking excitedly that I could hardly sit still. Hence why my wine was swishing around in my glass. He sat there, listening, but I knew that look on his face. I am a multi-passionate person I find myself going from one idea to the other while totally forgetting about the previous one. Because of this, I tend to find myself feeling more frustrated and running in so many different directions. It’s an exhausting position to be in for myself, and for him as he usually has to tell me to calm down.
- Give your idea some space. As a multi-passionate I carry a notebook with me everywhere I go so I can jot down ideas (Moleskine are my favourite) when I’m on the go, before I head to bed, or even when I’m sitting down for a meal. Ideas come fast and I know I need to write it down as quickly as possible as the idea floats around and formulates something exciting.
- Don’t mention it or act upon it right away. Remember step 1. Allow it some space as the initial idea might grow into something bigger. Also not acting on it or mentioning it right away gives you time to really think about how this idea will effect you personally and professionally. This is an important step, don’t skip it!
- Check your instinct. As exciting as your idea might appear or how much pleasure it could bring you, check your instinct and what is it telling you? Being in tune with my instinct (or gut if you will) is usually a huge indicator whether this is something I should spend more time on or forget about it completely.
- Tell your confidant. Mister is my confidant and when I know I’ve gone through steps 1-3 I know I need to tell him. He asks me questions I might not have thought of and when I’m talking it through I will usually say something or come to a realization that will give me some direction that I was missing before.
- Follow through. Once you’ve done all the above steps this is the last but most important action, the follow through! With this action one of the following three things will happen: either you follow through with your idea and you succeed…or fail, you don’t follow through and you can now only think “What if”, or lastly your follow is to move on and make room for a new one!
Being multi-passionate can be difficult, but once you learn to know which ideas or dreams to run after, will help make your life just a little bit easier.
If you’re a multi-passionate and are struggling, try the above and let me know how it goes!
This is sage advice. And I love the term multi-passionate. I have been, always. Right now, as I plan my exit strategy from my day job to segue full time in to my photography business, I’ve felt a little panicked to only have the photography feeding me. But then I remembered that 18 months ago, when I first formed my business, I said I’d love to have time to write again–really write, and not for money. I could let my creative passion for fiction and poetry fuel my creative passion for telling stories visually.
And, I just remembered a sexy little plan I have for incorporating it into my boudoir business–merging a secret occupation I had a few years ago.
My life is going to change, I’m losing a stead and lucrative paycheck, and I’m as terrified as I am excited.
I can always find another day job. What’s the worst that can happen–or the best.
Oh, me too – all over the map with ideas. Thanks for sharing your tips beautiful.
Great tips Lesley – I never leave the house without my moleskine. Sometimes I have the impression these are not my ideas but the ideas the moleskine comes up with.
Beautiful post Lesley! I too believe I am as you say…multi-passionate. I need to get me some journals. I find I write a lot of post it notes, and pages of notebooks.
Lesley
Thanks for the ideas. I am the same way. I need to be more diligent about writing stuff down. Ideas come to me and I get all excited and then days later I can’t remember what they were and I am disappointed.
Great post.
oh, darling, we are so alike (but we already knew that… and our love’s are so alike as well!)
just catching up on your recent posts and anticipating our conversation tomorrow — i cannot wait to ‘see’ you!
xx.
Great Advice! I’ve struggled with being multi-passionate but it’s nice to know there’s others like me. I like when you mention not too mention or act upon our idea. I still have trouble with this because I tend to get overexcited about my different passions and I want to share it with the world yet I get discouraged when I’m not able to follow through right away or I don’t get a positive reaction from others. Many of my passions include music, poetry, playing piano, writing, blogging, Health and weightloss, Autism Awareness,and I am in the proccess of writing some fiction novels. Well, it all started with one novel idea then I have been getting more ideas so it’s become more difficult to focus on the first one. Sometimes I think being multipassionate is a curse then other times I see it as a blessing to have so much passion. I just need some organization and some more time. Thanks for sharing.