Jill of All Trades?
If you’re drawn to the 101 in 1001 concept – like I am – then you probably share my love for learning about new things, starting new projects, and being a sort of “jack-of-all-trades.” You might also enjoy 2 books I just read: The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine and Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher. Both women also have web sites with fairly active message boards and mailing lists. They give tips and techniques for doing what you love… everything you love… and, more importantly they offer reassurance that there are others in this world who can’t bear the idea of settling down to just one career for life.
Although I recommend both books, Margaret Lobenstine’s book is more of a general overview, while Barbara Sher’s provides exercises to help you figure out what to focus on and how to manage it all. The most important thing I learned was that I can do more by limiting the scope of my projects. If I’m interested in fly fishing, for example, I can take my initial idea of “starting a school for fishing newbies,” which I know I would never finish, and transform it into something more reasonable, such as writing an article about the sport for an outdoor travel web site. Given my current list of about 85 different interests, I would have the freedom to sample more if they weren’t all on the scale of fly fishing universities. (The 101 in 1001 is great for this, since many of them are quick, one-off projects.)
Oh, and as of tomorrow, I’m about 1/3 done with my 1001. Time to get going on another project.
3 Comments so far
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Barbara Sher is a font of good information, but I can’t help but hate her, as she pops up on PBS during Sunday morning pledge drives when all I want to do is relax, watch cooking shows and crochet. Damn her! And that Dwyer guy, too.
By Cousin Mace on 10.25.06 12:55 pm
I had no idea she’s on PBS! I’m going to have to check it out. Pledge drives suck, though.
By Melanie on 10.25.06 1:07 pm
This is awesome! I am totally putting these books on my to-read list.
You and I are more alike than I realized.
Hey, I have a creme brulee blowtorch if you want to borrow it for #57. Brand new. No clue how to use it.
I’m also volunteering if you need someone for #69. I need some portrait practice.
#20 might help with #73. Or at least #74. Hee hee.
By Foodie Universe on 10.26.06 5:10 pm
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