Excelling In Multiple Areas Seems Impossible For These Five Reasons

We've all seen that one person who seems to do well in everything. In fact, we might be that person in our own lives as we search for answers on how to harness our potential.

But why does excelling in multiple areas seem difficult, if not impossible, for most?

Before we begin, let's get one thing straight:

The ability to excel in multiple areas doesn't make a person better than someone who shines in one area. Some people are built to naturally excel in whatever they do.

Instead, my argument is as follows: Most people can excel in multiple areas, given the right environment, support, and opportunities. But most simply don't right now.

Systemic Influences Affect Our Ambitions

There are systemic reasons for our current situation.

Those familiar with the school system beyond high school are taught to specialize and focus on becoming good at one thing to become economically valuable as we enter the workforce. As a result, we justify giving up everything else to obtain economic security.

Psychologically, it's easier to remember what people do for a living if they stick to a single profession.  Imagine you have two friends, Rob and Suzie. Rob says, "I'm a doctor," while Suzie says, "I'm a production manager, photographer, and speech coach." Who will be easier to remember?

We often recognize others as great in one area, even though they may have greatness elsewhere.  Examples include:

• Albert Einstein was a great physicist who excelled in violin playing.

• Kobe Bryant was a legendary basketball player who was fluent in Italian.

• George Washington Carver was an agriculturalist who profoundly influenced music and visual arts.

It's as if everyone has some hidden Leonardo Da Vinci inside them, even though the world may never see or remember it.  Our inner artist starves and fades away as we cater to the world's demands, leaving us with only what we feed ourselves.

An Unfair Advantage Or A Different Choice?

When we see others excelling in multiple areas, we believe it's unfair that they somehow hit the jackpot on skill and talent.  Consequently, we mentally blow these people out of proportion and believe they are out of reach. 

In reality, they did a few things differently from the rest of us, which set them on a different path.

They know there's much to obtain for those up for the challenge.  The idea of doing one thing for the rest of their lives (or at any period) is an uninspiring, obsolete narrative that is losing its grip in the 21st century.

Specialization has its advantages, and everyone should aim to excel at what they do. But anyone can genuinely excel in multiple areas. There's nothing wrong with stretching ourselves as long as excellence is at the forefront.

There are many reasons why excelling in multiple areas and maintaining them is more possible than ever before, including:

• More sources of free information and training, such as Google, YouTube, and ChatGPT,

• A mindset shift where people are more curious about what's out there than ever before, and

• Better technology is at our fingertips to increase the quality and quantity of our output and track our progress.

Despite all the resources available, the stigma against being skilled in multiple areas remains strong. As someone involved and competitive in multiple areas, such as engineering, public speaking, and music, I've had ample time to reflect on why this stigma still exists.

After all, these are driving forces that I had to fight against to get to where I am today. There will always be resistance of some kind, but once you know what it is, it's much easier to overcome.

Here are five reasons I've distilled as to why it's difficult for people to become skilled in multiple areas, as well as some insights on how to overcome them:

I - The Deadline Illusion

Let's start by defining the Deadline Illusion.

The Deadline Illusion is a preconceived notion that we must learn, master, or achieve something difficult by a certain age.  Sports, performing arts, and lucrative STEM careers are skillsets where people feel under some deadline to make it or miss out forever.

Unfortunately, these deadlines are often cited as an excuse not to try.  It's easier to learn and master difficult skills when we're younger, appear more gifted, or have better circumstances.  However, life is long, and we are not guaranteed a second shot at learning them beyond our lifetimes.

In school, we are taught that if we cannot keep up with the pace of the curriculum, we are not cut out for these careers and should pursue easier subjects.  Our fate is determined long before our prime because we don't develop the same way as our peers.

• Can't learn algebra in middle or high school? Don't bother studying numbers or going into a technical career.

• Can't dribble a basketball? Sports is out of your league. 

• Played a bad guitar solo in front of 200 people?  Forget any other music gigs.

And yet, nothing could be further from the truth.

Learning curricula are set at a subjective pace and do not fit all subjects and learning styles. After all, does it take the same 14 weeks to appreciate art as it does to master organic chemistry?

Of course not.  Organic chemistry requires far more work and dedication than art appreciation for most people.  Some students need to take organic chemistry twice to grasp it, while others can master it on the first try.  It all comes down to our willingness and ability to learn, and once we've mastered it, it's ours forever (with some upkeep).

My Personal Transitions

Between high school and college, I decided to switch from a career in performing arts to a more technical career after the economy tanked in 2008.  As I transitioned, I had to be honest with myself because I was not the best student in high school.  I never made it past Algebra II or Biology.

After taking an honest inventory, I recognized that I would rebuild my foundation in math and science again.  I elected to be put in more foundational classes my freshman year, where I would lay every brick carefully as I built my career from the ground up.  I knew that my progress would be slower, but I was willing to accept it as the price to achieve it.

The difference this time was that STEM was my primary focus.  In my first year, I catapulted from a C student in high school to an A student in college.  It was painful to watch people my age learning concepts 2-3 years ahead of me and feeling behind, but I knew my turn would come soon enough.

Year after year, I made difficult transitions and pivots where I was advised of impending failure, but I pushed through it anyway.  After 8 years of college, I transitioned from a performing artist to graduating with a B.S. in Environmental Science and an M.E. in Chemical Engineering at Age 28.

I may have been a starving artist if I had listened to people who told me it was too late to change direction.

It Comes Back Full Circle

However, I did not give up performing arts entirely.  Instead, I decided to pursue them at my own pace.  It was initially slow, but a few key breakthroughs made it worthwhile. 

Along the way, I developed other skills during and after college, including:

• Coding: Age 32

• Church Music Director: Age 29

• Entrepreneurship: Age 31

• Music Production: Age 34

• Poetry: Age 30

• Photography: Age 26

• Public Speaking: Age 25

• Saxophone: Age 35

Some of the above skills are perceived to be nearly impossible to build and pursue beyond high school. This is where the power of transferable skills and mindset comes into play to overcome the barriers of reality that prevent many from doing the same.

II - The Mindset Trap

Another major reason people won't skill in multiple areas is mindset. How we approach learning and mastering new material boils down to our beliefs and motivations.

False Narratives

Oftentimes, budding professionals skilled and passionate in multiple areas are mocked and ridiculed by those who are jealous.  They often hear sayings that are often distorted, such as:

"Jack of all trades, master of none!"

"You can't be good at everything!"

"You'll never be a master going all over the place!"

As they hear them repeatedly, they give up their ambitions to fit in with their work tribe. The fear of being ousted, losing a job, or having a difficult life is perceptively higher than pursuing their greatness.

Why These Narratives Are False

These baseless claims assume that transferable skills are nonexistent. It also assumes life is a zero-sum game. This occurs when people incorrectly apply scientifically true theories in hard sciences, but they are irrelevant in social sciences.

Often, people do not want to be perceived as having surface-level skills across the board, even if that's not true. This perception assumes that building skills is a zero-sum game and synergistic benefits in building multiple skill sets do not exist.

Professionals in multiple areas know all too well that these stigmas are false.  For example, the first saying is an incomplete quote from Shakespeare.  Here's its complete form:

"Jack of all trades, master of none, oftentimes better than a master of one."

Shakespeare recognized that those who could adapt and build multiple skill sets often defeated one-trick ponies.  Despite what we've heard before, it's not the strongest who survives – it is the most adaptable.

Adaptability + Curiosity --> Progress

Adaptability begins with our mindset. It's been shown that having an attitude of "Sure, I'll give it a try" has a much higher chance of success than "I don't think this can work". The difference is in how optimists visualize the outcome, even if reality deviates from their initial vision.

Visualization techniques can accelerate learning and mastering a given skill when performed correctly. Our visualizations should not be based on our wildest fantasies but on our knowledge of the laws of reality and how they relate to what we want to create.

The caveat, of course, is that we shouldn't confine everything strictly to reality. We should always test the limits to see if there are exceptions. That's how inventions once perceived as impossible, such as the car engine, airplane, and cell phones, came to fruition.

Curiosity is a subtle ingredient that can make or break a person's ability to cast a wider net. Many people have attempted to expand their horizons after feeling inspired, but when they hit a brick wall, they stop trying (thinking they've hit an illusional deadline!).

On the other hand, the curious know that failure is a stepping stone toward success. If this weren't true, science would never work, as it often discovers more of what doesn't work than what does.

An adaptable and curious mindset will take apart toys, learn how each nut and bolt contributes to the machine, and put it back together similarly or by trying something new.  They aren't under the Deadline Illusion to make it happen instantly – they will take their time to see what happens.

Their curiosity leads them further along the journey, where they might forget to check some boxes.  But as they look back to see where they started, they think the journey has been fun.

The adaptable and curious also know that some prerequisites must be mastered to advance in life.  What stops a lot of people is the most overlooked part of casting a wider net:

III - Gaps In The Fundamentals

We are taught to master basic skills, typically when we are younger and more willing and able to learn them. For example, basic motor skills, speech and verbal abilities, and absorbing common knowledge make up most of our mastery in our younger years.

As we learn more advanced skills, we forget the value of fundamentals, which serve as our foundation for advanced mastery. Unfortunately, teachers and managers don't have time to coach people to work on these skills, and the latter demand that they be mastered through behavioral interviews.

Neglecting the fundamentals is a long-term force that aggregates over time. At first, it may not seem like a big deal, but as we advance, it starts to show. As a result, skill sets built on top of weak foundations become unstable and crumble under pressure.

All skill sets combine a unique combination of fundamental techniques and knowledge.  As we dissect these sets into elementary components, it's easy to recognize the overlap many skill sets have. 

Therefore, it's important to strengthen the foundation of our 101s.  When done correctly, their mastery will synergistically benefit more advanced skill sets across the board, no matter how far apart they may appear initially.

Know When To Rebuild

Tiger Woods rebuilt his golf swing from the ground up.  During his journey, he recognized that there would be performance costs along the way, but the benefits would overshadow those costs.

Personally, I have been working on breath control and support as my current fundamental skill to strengthen.  As I've expanded my music performance capabilities into new wind instruments, I recognize that I have a significant advantage already, having grown up as a competitive trumpet player.

However, some hacks I used for short-term gain have backfired. I hit a wall with my brass playing using improper techniques, affecting my stamina.

Now that my circumstances are far less competitive, I have set aside time to work on these fundamentals more carefully. Breath control and support benefits not only playing wind instruments but also public speaking, meditation, and other skills where breathing is at the core.

Investing in the fundamentals is the easiest way to improve many skills simultaneously.  The stronger our foundation, the further we can go in more advanced skill sets.  Fundamentals do not replace putting in the time to master advanced skills. However, going further won't be sustainable if the foundation crumbles beneath us.

While I have some luxuries in devoting time to new skills, it does not mean I have unlimited time. Like every adult, I must acknowledge that my time is limited because of what comes next.

IV - Adult Responsibilities Become Present

Being younger and in school gave us two major advantages over adults. 

First, our job was to learn and master new material. We didn't have old habits to unlearn, which, if we're lucky, requires 3-10x the effort. Additionally, we benefited from jumping into more modern skills and avoiding obsolete skillsets that the older generations had to learn.

Second, we were not burdened with adult responsibilities such as paying rent, managing a household, and other time-consuming duties.  Other obligations may take hold, depending on our luck and life choices.  These include raising children, taking medication, and other small inconveniences that tax our time and energy.

As adults, we inherit all of these responsibilities whether we like it or not.  As much as we might want to do other things, these priorities take precedence, and ignoring them comes with consequences that range from annoying to severe.

However, many adults have proven they can minimize the required time to maintain their responsibilities.  Using tools such as calendars, reminder systems, and task lists, adults can find powerful ways to minimize the impact of a busy life from interfering with their abilities to continue developing themselves.

What comes next can truly make or break an adult's ability to expand their horizons.

V - Poor Choices In Leisure Activities

Growing up, most people are taught that leisure activities are a reward for a hard day's work.  After half a day of hustling in the daytime, we naturally want to find ways to unwind and forget the woes of the day.

Unfortunately, most of these activities do not move the needle forward, so most people feel stuck in one place. 

Instead of using their free time to learn new skills and expand their horizons long-term, most people will engage in short-term pleasures that act as a band-aid to their problems.

Watching television, drinking beer, smoking, and scrolling on social media are common examples of destructive time (and money) sinks.  However, any activity has the potential to lead them down the wrong path and prevent progress.

When we already have minimal free time due to our adult obligations, expanding our skill sets over someone with all the free time becomes excruciatingly harder.

Overcoming Short-Term Pleasures 

Why do we cave into these short-term pleasures if we know our leisure activities are important? We are wired and conditioned to do so.

Think about it––there's no guarantee that tomorrow will come.  The Earth could be struck by an asteroid similar to the one that wiped out all life on Earth millions of years ago.  A war could break out that ends in nuclear armageddon.  Another pandemic could break out and disrupt everything again.

When I lost my engineering job during the pandemic, I didn't want to think about my engineering career again. Instead, I pursued my inner artistry and entrepreneurship and no longer cared about the outcome. Yet, somehow, I got lucky after a few years.

So why should we care if everything we built over the years could be wiped out instantly?

It's because even though tomorrow is not guaranteed, there is a very, very high probability that tomorrow will come. The same applies to all days thereafter.

Therefore, it's statistically our best decision to think about the activities that we do long-term.

Here are some small considerations that compound and create a lasting impact:

1. Instead of watching television, why not do a workout that will give us more energy long-term? Is it possible to do both and get the best of both worlds?

2. Instead of spending money on cigarettes and lottery tickets, why not save it for a guitar that could be a creative outlet?

3. Instead of going to the bar and drinking our sorrows away, why not spend an evening helping those in need at a soup kitchen?

4. Instead of using YouTube to watch mindless videos, why not watch a tutorial on a skill we've been itching to learn or advance?

Nobody said these changes were easy, and I won't pretend they are either, but they are worth it.

The Secret To Expanding? Start Small

No change is easy.  Hoping for an overnight miracle is a recipe for disaster.  Pain is often an immediate effect we experience when we set out to change how we approach things.

However, waiting until the end will be nearly impossible as we await our final breath.

Being skilled in one area certainly does not mean we have to sacrifice in another. This would negate the synergistic benefits of expanding our horizons. However, we must ensure we widen our net wisely and expand sensibly.

Some good questions to ask that touch upon these points include:

• Is there a deadline I assumed would affect me that hasn't?

• Is there a small aspect of my mindset I can change now to view my situation differently?

• What fundamental techniques and knowledge could I work on, knowing I'm not in a rush?

• What adult responsibilities can I put on autopilot to free up more time

• What activities must I eliminate, and what activities can I start weaving together?

Answers to these questions can slowly and surely unlock hidden doors for us. The compound interest accrued from changing our mindset will be small initially, but the further we go, the more profound its impact will be on our long-term goals and interests.

Not sure where to start?  For most people, addressing the Deadline Illusion is a great first step.  Asking ourselves and being honest about whether we hold ourselves to the deadline to learn or achieve something can liberate us to gain our second wind.  Sure, we may not be as young and energetic to pursue it, but we should be wiser and more able to approach it differently.

What's your next step in expanding your horizons?