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Is it a good idea to start learning multiple things or focus on one thing at a time?
(in terms of career or investments, real estate, etc)
#career
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4 answers
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Consultant and Freelance Writer
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Paul’s Answer
Hi Jiayi:
I think one of the areas, that I have encountered is the element that we should only learn one thing at a time. As a college advisor I encountered many students and could classify them into two categories, ones that learned individual skills (or things) one at a time, and the ones who took multiple courses, and learned many skills at the same time.
In my opinion, In our society, as in college, in order to be successful, you will be required to learn multiple things.
I personally have encountered both Specialists (one thing) and the Generalists (multiple things). And as I recall in my college classes, in prehistory, the individuals who were only carnivorous, all became extinct and are no longer with us. While the Generalists, or those who consumed plants and animals are still here today.
The Specialists tended to focus on singular elements, and as a result they took a lot more time to complete tasks or achieve their goals. The Generalists, could do nearly anything. They had an intrinsic ability to be able to complete tasks in different subject areas. Subsequently, they did things a lot faster, and seemed to be able to handle adversity better.
It is true, that if you focus on one thing ( in relation to career, investments, real estate etc..) you will become really skilled and very good at it. But what would you lose if you did not learn the other skill?
If a recession hit, and the skill you had was not transferable into another career, what would happen?
I have learned one thing about the process of learning only one skill, and that is that if you learn only one skill, and you spend a great amount of time learning that one skill, and if your progress isn’t up to your standards, you’ll be disappointed by yourself. You will blame yourself for not having done enough to perfect your abilities in other areas.
I also believe that if you have multiple skills, they can feed off one another. Once your proficiency improves in one area, it has a tendency to improve in others. I think of individuals in the Olympic Games, who compete in events like the Decathlon or Triathlon. Bill Toomey (who won the gold medal in the 1968 Olympics Decathlon) once stated that there was a time where he felt he was lacking in his ability to run the 1500 meter event. So he focused on running a lot of distances to improve his endurance. But while his 1500 meter time improved, his ability to do the sprints and the throwing and jumping events suffered. He needed to reduce his running and equally focus on all the events. Triathletes are similar. They focus equally on all three events, and once their abilities hit a certain level in all three, they can compete at a high level and be successful. Learning multiple skills is exactly the same way in my mind. When you learn many skills, you either reach a level higher than expected or one that fits more or less what you expected.
I believe also, that learning multiple skills, in different areas will help avoid burnout. If you do too much of one thing, in one area, the chances of success will be reduced due to repetitively doing the same thing all the time. When you learn many skills at the same time, you have to make time for both. While you’re doing one, you have to concentrate on it and put the other on hold. You get a well-deserved break from each skill as you work on the other.
So in my opinion, I would become a Generalist rather than a Specialist. Become a learning skill Decathlete or Triathlete. Learn many skills and abilities. See how far you can maximize your skills. Bring your skills to others and make them overlap. I think you will become a stronger and multi-skilled individual as a result.
I hope my insights have helped you in your future goals and education.
Paul
See what skills or interests you have, and focus an equal amount of time on all of them
Consider becoming a Generalist. Train your mind the way an Olympic decathlete would.
Remember, there is always going to be crossover in skill development. Many skills can transfer into others
I think one of the areas, that I have encountered is the element that we should only learn one thing at a time. As a college advisor I encountered many students and could classify them into two categories, ones that learned individual skills (or things) one at a time, and the ones who took multiple courses, and learned many skills at the same time.
In my opinion, In our society, as in college, in order to be successful, you will be required to learn multiple things.
I personally have encountered both Specialists (one thing) and the Generalists (multiple things). And as I recall in my college classes, in prehistory, the individuals who were only carnivorous, all became extinct and are no longer with us. While the Generalists, or those who consumed plants and animals are still here today.
The Specialists tended to focus on singular elements, and as a result they took a lot more time to complete tasks or achieve their goals. The Generalists, could do nearly anything. They had an intrinsic ability to be able to complete tasks in different subject areas. Subsequently, they did things a lot faster, and seemed to be able to handle adversity better.
It is true, that if you focus on one thing ( in relation to career, investments, real estate etc..) you will become really skilled and very good at it. But what would you lose if you did not learn the other skill?
If a recession hit, and the skill you had was not transferable into another career, what would happen?
I have learned one thing about the process of learning only one skill, and that is that if you learn only one skill, and you spend a great amount of time learning that one skill, and if your progress isn’t up to your standards, you’ll be disappointed by yourself. You will blame yourself for not having done enough to perfect your abilities in other areas.
I also believe that if you have multiple skills, they can feed off one another. Once your proficiency improves in one area, it has a tendency to improve in others. I think of individuals in the Olympic Games, who compete in events like the Decathlon or Triathlon. Bill Toomey (who won the gold medal in the 1968 Olympics Decathlon) once stated that there was a time where he felt he was lacking in his ability to run the 1500 meter event. So he focused on running a lot of distances to improve his endurance. But while his 1500 meter time improved, his ability to do the sprints and the throwing and jumping events suffered. He needed to reduce his running and equally focus on all the events. Triathletes are similar. They focus equally on all three events, and once their abilities hit a certain level in all three, they can compete at a high level and be successful. Learning multiple skills is exactly the same way in my mind. When you learn many skills, you either reach a level higher than expected or one that fits more or less what you expected.
I believe also, that learning multiple skills, in different areas will help avoid burnout. If you do too much of one thing, in one area, the chances of success will be reduced due to repetitively doing the same thing all the time. When you learn many skills at the same time, you have to make time for both. While you’re doing one, you have to concentrate on it and put the other on hold. You get a well-deserved break from each skill as you work on the other.
So in my opinion, I would become a Generalist rather than a Specialist. Become a learning skill Decathlete or Triathlete. Learn many skills and abilities. See how far you can maximize your skills. Bring your skills to others and make them overlap. I think you will become a stronger and multi-skilled individual as a result.
I hope my insights have helped you in your future goals and education.
Paul
Paul recommends the following next steps:
Updated
Erin’s Answer
I started (and finished!) college with a double-major in Microbiology and French Horn performance. I have always had multiple hobbies (sports, music, etc) going on at once. What I've found is the wider variety of things I've learned and mastered, the more things start to intertwine. For example, physics and music. However, I would caution you not to take on too many things with large time commitments at once. If you can, list out everything you're interested in learning, and figure out what the time commitment to learning each thing is. Then figure out what you have time and other resources for, and prioritize accordingly. If you're interested in a career in investments or real estate, maybe you can start by listening to investment or realty podcasts, and devote some time to researching what the next steps are for each career. Find overlap where you can. If you leave options open, it's more likely you'll be able to find a career where your interests overlap, or you may find skills you've developed in one area help you succeed in something entirely different.
Updated
Buvani’s Answer
Hi Jiayi,
I would say focus on one thing at a time. It will help you grasp the information or subject better without much pressure. Please keep in mind when you start too many things at the same time, you will feel overwhelmed and not able to concentrate on anything. At least, this method helped me to master and be well-versed on one thing and move on to the next thing once I complete it. This way, you are able to focus on your mental health and have time for your family and friends which is important. Good Luck!
I would say focus on one thing at a time. It will help you grasp the information or subject better without much pressure. Please keep in mind when you start too many things at the same time, you will feel overwhelmed and not able to concentrate on anything. At least, this method helped me to master and be well-versed on one thing and move on to the next thing once I complete it. This way, you are able to focus on your mental health and have time for your family and friends which is important. Good Luck!
Updated
Teresa’s Answer
I personally do better when I am able to focus on one thing that I'd like to learn or a skill I'd like to develop. I make that the place I spend most of my time. And when I have extra time, or projects come up, that's where I can gain a broader understanding of the overall mission of the company or a functional areas or a team so that I gain context on how my focus area fits in.