For the longest time, we’ve been told that having many interests is a weakness.
That you’re indecisive. That you’re scattered. And that you need to pick one thing, focus on it, and do it for the rest of your life.
But is that really the truth?
If you ask me, having many interests is actually a strength. It shows richness in your personality.
It shows that you’re curious, adventurous, and open-minded. You’re the kind of person who can’t be boxed into one path, and that’s something to be proud of.
So instead of feeling confused or frustrated, I want you to embrace your many interests. And I’m going to show you how to use them to your advantage when choosing a career path.
Let’s break it down into three simple strategies you can apply. These are based on internal or intrinsic factors. Things that come from within you.
1. Focus on Your Natural Talents
The first thing you need to do is look at what you’re naturally good at. These are your aptitudes, or what I call your “effortless strengths.”
These are the things you do easily without even thinking about it, while others may struggle with them. And often, people will comment on it. They’ll say things like, “You’re really good at that,” or even ask you to help them do it.
That’s how you know you’re naturally good at something. Ask yourself a few questions:
- What do I find easy to do that other people don’t?
- What do people often say I’m good at?
- What do people frequently ask me to help them with?
If you’re struggling to identify these things, you can talk to people who know you well. It could be a close friend, a relative, or even a career coach. These are people who’ve observed you over time, and they might point out strengths that you didn’t even know you had.
Once you have your list, you can start exploring careers that rely on those natural gifts.
I realized I’m good with computers. People often come to me when they need help with something tech-related. It could be creating documents in MS Word or trying to figure something out online. They just reach out to me. And even though I haven’t fully pursued tech as a career, when I look at the things I do and thrive in, they’re mostly related to computers. That’s a big sign.
So if you have a natural ability, that might just be the foundation of your ideal career path.
2. Understand Your Core Values
The second strategy is to look at your values. Specifically, your career values.
Career values are your internal beliefs and principles that guide how you work and what kind of work brings you fulfillment. They shape your career choices and aspirations.
Some people value financial security. Others value work-life balance. For some, it’s collaboration, helping others, or making a difference in the world.
So the question is: what really matters to you?
If you’re not sure what your true values are, there’s a simple game you can play called the Five Whys.
Here’s how it works:
- List your top three career options.
- For each option, ask yourself, “Why do I want to pursue this?”
- Write down your answer, then ask, “Why is that reason important to me?”
- Repeat the process until you’ve asked yourself “why” five times.
- After doing that for each option, go through your answers and look for common themes.
Let’s say you want to become a doctor. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to be a doctor?” Your first answer might be, “Because I want to help others.” Then ask, “Why do I want to help others?” and so on, until you get to the fifth why.
Once you do that for all your options, you’ll start to see patterns. These patterns reveal your true values.
Now that you know what really drives you, you can assess your options and ask, “Which career allows me to live out these values?” If making a difference is important to you, then careers in non-profits or healthcare might be a great fit.
3. Combine Your Interests
Now here’s the fun part. You probably have several interests, right? Let’s talk about how to combine them.
Think about what truly fascinates you. What topics or activities do you naturally gravitate toward? What do you find yourself talking about for hours, even without preparation?
For me, one of those things is Bitcoin. I can talk about it forever. It’s something I’ve really indulged myself into and I find a lot of interest and passion in it.
Now here’s something important to note. When you’re genuinely interested in something, chances are you already know more about it than most people. And because of that, you’re already ahead. With a little more effort, you can become even better.
Now imagine combining two or three of your strong interests. That makes you a very unique person.
Let’s say you’re into medicine and you also love public speaking. You could become a medical professional who’s also a coach or a keynote speaker in the medical space. That’s rare. Most doctors may not be articulate speakers, but if you are, that gives you a powerful edge.
Assume you’re good at drawing, good at comedy, and you have some exposure to business. You may not be the best in each of those things, but you’re better than 75 percent of people.
When you combine those three strengths, the overlap makes you a very unique 1.6 percent in the world. That’s the math behind it:
- Art (¼)
- Comedy (¼)
- Business (¼)
Your Combination:
1/4 * 1/4 * 1/4 = 1/64 = 1.6%
You’re better than 98.4% of the people around you in your specific skill set. That uniqueness becomes your superpower.
This idea was shared by Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert cartoons. In his words:
“Everyone has at least a few areas in which they could be in the top 25% with some effort. In my case, I can draw better than most people, but I’m hardly an artist. And I’m not any funnier than the average standup comedian who never makes it big, but I’m funnier than most people. The magic is that few people can draw well and write jokes. It’s the combination of the two that makes what I do so rare. And when you add in my business background, suddenly I had a topic that few cartoonists could hope to understand without living it.”
You can do the same.
To explore this, try the Venn Diagram Brainstorm exercise.
Choose your top three interests, draw three overlapping circles, and see where they intersect. That intersection might give you a great idea for a unique career path.
For instance, for someone who likes medicine, is articulate, and loves making money, they could become a doctor who also coaches other medical professionals, and builds a profitable side-business doing it. That’s the power of combining interests.
But Wait, There’s More: External Factors Matter Too
So far, we’ve focused on what comes from within you. But career choices aren’t just about internal factors. You also have to consider what’s happening out there in the real world.
These are external factors, and they matter just as much.
1. What is the Job Really Like?
Sometimes we think a job is great just because it looks good from the outside. Maybe you’ve seen lawyers on TV shows like Suits and it looks glamorous. But have you ever stopped to ask what that job really involves?
Being a lawyer isn’t just about arguing in court. There’s a lot of research, reading, paperwork, and long hours at the office. The reality can be very different from the image.
Before you commit to any path, research the day-to-day life of people in that profession. If you can, talk to someone in that career. If you don’t know anyone personally, ask your parents or mentors to connect you with someone. You can also try internships or attachments to get real-world exposure.
Because sometimes, what you like in theory, you might hate in practice.
2. Long-Term Outlook
Ask yourself: 10, 20, even 30 years from now, would I still enjoy working in this field?
You might not stay in the same line forever, but imagine if life forced you to. Would you be content?
Also look at the typical career path. Where do most people in that profession end up after 10 or 20 years? Are there opportunities for growth?
For example, if you want to be a primary school teacher, consider that in many cases, even after 10 years, you might still be teaching in the same environment with minimal salary growth. That’s not to discourage you, but you need to know what you’re signing up for.
You should also think about whether the career has staying power. Some careers have lasted for centuries, like medicine, construction, finance, and governance. These are fields that evolve slowly and remain relevant over long periods of time.
3. The Job Market
You need to understand the demand for the career you’re considering.
Is it growing or shrinking? Are there enough jobs? What skills are employers looking for? Even if you plan to be self-employed, it helps to know what the market looks like.
Take software engineering, for example. It was once booming. But with the rise of AI, junior developer roles are now being replaced by senior developers using AI tools. That’s a major shift. So if you’re just getting started, it might be harder to find a job unless you have a unique skill set.
Pick careers which require skills that are less likely to be disrupted by technology and automation.
4. Leverage Your Network
Now, if you’ve tried all the internal strategies and still can’t decide, look at your network.
Sometimes the best decision is to follow a path that your parents or mentors are already in. That way, you get direct support. If your parents are doctors, for example, they can mentor you, guide you, and even help you get your first opportunity.
It doesn’t mean you have to do what they do forever. But it can give you a smoother entry into the world of work.
Choosing a career is not a life-or-death situation.
There’s no perfect decision. You just need to make a choice that feels right for you and go for it. Your path might change. You might become a lawyer and later join a startup as a tech entrepreneur. That’s okay.
The important thing is to stop being obsessed with making the perfect choice. Just pick something that aligns with your values, skills, and interests. Then give it your best. Focus on creating value, solving problems, and becoming excellent at what you do.
And if after all this, you’re still stuck, you can always reach out to me. We can have a chat and figure it out together.
You’ve got this.
Yours truthfully,
G. Eng. Elvis Gwaro
Career Clarity Coach