I used to think my scattered interests meant I’d never excel at anything. I mostly concentrated on developing my competencies along my professional career but also engaged in karate, yoga, photography, writing, etc. My life felt like a patchwork with no clear pattern. Sound familiar?
What has changed: I stopped seeing my diverse passions and interests as competing but complementary forces. I started looking for the bridges between them.
When I map my interests now, clear patterns emerge. My love for writing isn’t just about information sharing; it’s where my technical side meets my creative impulses. Those unrelated hobbies, like karate, yoga, photography, etc.? They’re actually expressions of the same core values.
This combination creates what I’ve come to call the “multiplier effect.” My technical knowledge makes my creative work more structured. My creative thinking helps me build more intuitive technical solutions. Remember Jobs combining technology with art? That’s the ideal combination.
Rather than juggling everything at once (hello, burnout!), I’ve found success through seasonality. Last month was deep-dive time on public health response issues. In the coming months I will focus on developing artistic and visual projects. This approach isn’t abandoning passions—it’s giving each the spotlight when it needs it.
Unexpected moments are where real magic unfolds. Last year, I was experimenting with a photography technique. It suddenly solved a campaign and problem that had stumped me for weeks. “Aha” connections rarely come from specializing in just one thing alone.
Try this: Draw a mind map of everything you love doing. Circle skills that transfer between activities. The intersections can be your unique advantage.
Your diverse interests aren’t diluting your focus—they’re your superpower. The key isn’t choosing just one passion but finding how they strengthen each other in ways specialists can’t match.
L J Padayachy 
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