For many years I thought I had this down.  I knew who I was and what I wanted to be.  Then, suddenly I was doing my dream job.  So why did I have a nagging feeling that something wasn’t right?  Why did I doubt myself?  This was it, I had arrived, doing what I always wanted.  But I wasn’t happy.

It was only several years after leaving my dream job did I understand that I was not truly happy there.  When you are a child you are asked ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’  But at that age, you don’t know, you don’t even care.  The weekend is too far away to think about let alone ten years.  Even as you draw closer to that pivotal moment in life you may still be unsure.

I should know, it took me to my mid-thirties and a lucky chance before I hit on something.  Is it too late to change? No!  I have a friend who changed careers and he’s just turned fifty.  But what about all the time, effort and money that’s gone onto getting me this far?  Nothing is wasted if all you are doing is refocusing your skill set.

One major skill my past life taught me was self discipline.  Setting aside an hour a day dedicated to writing.  Don’t pretend you’re going to do it, you will just be lying to yourself.  But what if I don’t find my one true calling?  Then you are lucky for instead of being a specialist, you are a polymath.

Someone who brings many different skills from a wide range of disciplines is useful to have.  They can bring fresh ideas to the table enabling the specialist to run with them.  These new ideas can change the world subtly or in a way that is beyond our imagination.  In the Renaissance period you were not considered a true gentleman until you were a polymath.  If you’re still not convinced, notable polymaths include Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo.

So, who do you think you are; specialist, polymath, undecided?  Why not leave your answers in the comments, I’d love to hear what you have to say.