I believe that my blog is aptly named - Eclectic - which means (according to the google dictionary): "Deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources." I feel like my life has been shaped by ideas from all over the place. I've tried to learn how to code, to build, to lead, to follow, to play... and I just haven't found one skill that I want to be the absolute best at or to make a living off of. Part of the reason I chose to graduate in Electrical Engineering was because it was something to work toward (rather than taking a bunch of random interesting classes).
Where do I want to be?
So here I am going into my Junior core and I feel like I don't have a hard skill to contribute to society. I can code a bit of java, I can remember how to do some basic math and I have a good sense for organization and aesthetics... but is that enough? I feel like I waste space at the companies where I work. I feel like everyone else my age has buckled down and has really become amazing or knowledgeable in something while I'm sitting there trying to think of the next thing that I can learn the basics of.
I want to become an expert at something! And it must be something that I really want to do! So first I will start out with a list of what I've already got going:
I can...
program in java
calculate some high level math
perform vocally (solo or in choirs)
lift and move heavy things (that one comes in handy)
organize and lead a group of people
write legibly
think clearly
fall asleep really easia;ldkjguth;lj... just kidding (but really)
do basic web design (html, css, wordpress)
design basic electronic circuits and computer hardware
clean
read
act
play
pretend
create
understand difficult concepts
operate a computer (or really any kind of gadget)
play a couple intros to pop songs on the piano
bite apples in half
get down a double black diamond alive on a snowboard
climb mountains
buy things
phone a friend (or mom :) )...
Now a list of things that I'd like to be able to do:
Design epic (yet intuitive) websites
Program impressive (functional) mobile applications
Understand the mesh of all the different kinds of programming
Succeed in building a profitable business (Entrepreneurship)
Become a marketing/design guru (Innovation)
Be involved in the music business (hardware, record label, recording, singing...)
Retire and teach the upcoming generations
Design and develop consumer products
Smile as much as possible
Contribute collected, sensible and profound thoughts to society
Deliver my opinions and feelings in peaceful, uplifting, and at times, entertaining ways
Make an impact
Be the best husband, father and servant of the Lord I possibly can!
Neither list is absolutely complete but it's a good start. I believe that it's fair to say that ultimately I want to make a difference. Not only do I feel fulfilled when I have used my talents to help someone else but I know that their life is better because of it.
What have I been doing?
To get to where I want to be there is so much to be done. Right now I have a list of 15 books that I want to buy and read. Most of them are on the topics of entrepreneurship and innovation. I have an additional 5 or 6 which I own and have yet to read. I've also been telling myself that I need to buy and old marketing textbook and digest that over the summer. Knowing that I tend to get behind during the fall and winter semesters, I've also dreamed of reading ahead in the textbooks for next semester. If that's not enough to read, I seek to spend time in the scriptures and church books each day. Wow... you want to know how I've done on all of that? So far this spring I have completed 1 book, The Infinite Atonement. A good one to finish, but nevertheless a pitiful start to a spring and summer supposedly dedicated to becoming an expert.
From the paragraph above it sounds like I believe that reading books will bring the expertise that I'm reaching for. I realize that there is likely more value in trial by fire. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to get out build a company, design a product or start a record label either.
This is what I have been doing instead:
I've been to St. George a couple times to see family friends
I've been training early in the mornings for triathlons (Bought a Bike)
I've been interning full-time in Draper at a Home Automation company called Control4 (C4)
I've set up a poor excuse of a home theater with some equipment from C4 (Bought a TV)
I've been watching TV and Movies (Not so proud of that one)
I've been longboarding down the canyon trail (Bought a Longboard... and a helmet :) )
I've been climbing in Rock Canyon
I've been going on dates
I've been hosting parties
I've been playing pick-up sports with the ward
I've been going to ward and stake functions
I've been running races
I've been in church meetings
I've been working at my second job
I've been cleaning the apartment, doing laundry and shopping
I've been cooking dinner for dinner group
and now I've even been typing this blog
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| Rock Canyon 2011 |
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| Canyons Resort 2012 |
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| Regency Ball 2011 |
Of course, none of this is bad... but it becomes an issue of priorities, planning and evaluating "good, better, best". I've given myself a bit of everything to do, because I love to do just about everything.
What to do now?
To my mind comes a one word solution: Sacrifice. I have been so focused on doing it all, but I'm not meant to do it all and I can't do it all. I've become stretched so thin that I haven't been doing any of it at level that brings fulfillment. I need to put some hobbies and dreams on the back burner so that I can actually accomplish at least some of my goals. I'm not sure what is going to go, but something has got to give.
Let me know your thoughts. Some questions to get you thinking: How have you dealt with this situation? Is it possible to do it all? How do you become an expert? Why do some people accomplish some much and others achieve very little? Any tips on how to retain valuable information? How do you become the best you?
Good post! Your thoughts are laid out so methodically so it makes it easy to read.
ReplyDeleteSo even though you may not LOVE your degree and dream of electrical engineering at night (although I don't know why you wouldn't... what an edge-of-your-seat thriller that dream would be), it is still a good hard skill to have.
So here's what I think: you continue with that degree until the end. Let it get you a cash flowing job, and then experiment with entrepreneurship, recording, and these other things that you are interested in. But I believe it's still necessary to have some base job to fall back on if those extra endeavors don't work out.
Or #2 - switch to computer science or an information systems degree. Your interests seem to fall heavily in those categories, so it may be good to get your base job where your natural interests are.
When I was in school, I put all my effort and energy into that one vocation that would be my main money stream - accounting. (Then my last semester of grad school, I decided to experiment with entrepreneurship because I figured I had nothing to lose. At that point, I'd graduate no matter what). Now that I have such a sturdy job (and fortunately one that I LOVE), I can experiment with other these other interests.
So, determine your interests and talents(which you did. Biting apples in half, ha!). Then, pick your base. Decide if you need grad school to solidify that base. Put as much focus and energy on that as you came. Then move to ancillary ideas. Then, while you are working on your main occupation, you can still gather resources and knowledge about your other areas of interest (like how you want to read lots of books this summer on entrepreneurship). I remember when I was in grad school, I would still devote an hour a day to my start-up business, or I would write a couple times a week on my blog, so I could keep developing those skills as well, but I made sure accounting always came first. Having that stabilizer is so important.
Anyway, that's my two cents. Although it came out more as $0.75. Hope it sort of helps!
I love all the little extra things that you threw into your comments. On the false reality perceived during sleep that includes exhilarating applications of Electrical Engineering, only a select few revere them as dreams... most of us call them nightmares.
DeleteYour thoughts are very similar to the ones that I have had for the last year or two. Unfortunately my choices have been restricted, I have reached the point of no return. BYU has recently started a policy that prohibits you from changing you major once you've received a certain number of credits. I breached the limit last semester. The only exception I'm aware of is if you change your major to something that will enable you to graduate sooner. Knowing that the limit was coming I spent a significant amount of time deciding between the options you explained above. After talking with a bunch of people that I respect as well as people in my dream positions, I resolved to stick with the seemingly unbearable degree. Many of them advised things like: "Your degree will get you your first job and that's about it", "It's highly likely that you will use very little of what you're learning now as a practicing engineer anyway" (BTW, I heard that from engineers) and "To get to where you want to be (Small business executive) you can graduate in anything". So, I gather that is has less to do with what my expertise is in and more with where I want to go and what I do with the knowledge and talents that I acquire along the way.
Response in summery: I agree with you.
I'd like to hear your thoughts on what makes someone an "expert".
Thanks for your response, it was worth well of $0.75, even though it was in a semi foreign language. If you could retype it in baby noise sometime that would be really helpful.
Hahaha! True, I suppose dreaming of wire placement would be more in the horror category. Once, I dreamed that a general ledger wasn't balancing, and I woke up out of breath and in a cold sweat. I'm glad I now know what my subconscious is truly afraid of.
DeleteI'm fascinated with this new policy BYU put in place. "Herd Them In. Then Kick Them Out." Although, I suppose it makes sense, because I knew some people that took six years to graduate because they changed their major 28 times. That is a good point that your degree gets your first job, and then the power to sell yourself takes it from there. Prostituting your talents, not your body (in case your mom reads this or something). My dad graduated in Computer Engineering and only worked one job in that area, before switching fields to something completely different.
I guess you could decide what type of small business you would like to be a manager for, and then start getting your foot in the door that way. Like the manager of a website development company or something. Or, you could start a few businesses yourself to demonstrate your ability to manage. You should start a BYU singing organization that is a spoof off The Voice or America's Next Top Model. Get three people to be the judges (one super nice girl, a sarcastic, somewhat mean kid, and then the honest one). Do it in the JFSB Auditorium, and have people buy tickets to come watch. Oh, you should have the Stand-Up Comedy group be the judges one week! Anyway, that was a super random idea.
My thoughts on being an expert... According to Malcom Gladwell, 10,000 hours of practicing or studying something makes someone an expert. That means I'm an expert in cookie consumption. No, but actually I think an expert is someone who does what they do EXTREMELY well, better than anyone else in that area of expertise. I think it's a person that is so good at what they do that if they were to ever leave a company, the company itself would really suffer. "Experts" makes me think of Ted Talks. When you think of a subject, you associate someone's name because they are so knowledgeable in that area. Introversion - Susan McCain. Computer Programming - Bill Gates. Theologist - C.S. Lewis, etc.
I think it's probably best to keep work and sleep separate activities.
DeleteI'd like to get my foot in the door... but I'm stuck trying to figure out which door to stick it in. Right now I'm just standing in the center of this room full of doors, starting toward one then turning around to get to another and so on. I should just run at one and see what happens, eh?
Cookie consumption experts are in high demand... I have yet to hear a TED talk from a cookie consumption expert... Do it!! I think my opinion of an expert is somewhat different than yours. I don't think that you must be the best to be an expert. Think about professional athletes, even the worst QBs have expertise or else how in the world did they get into the NFL! In my head, it makes sense to define an expert as someone who has achieved an understanding or ability that is well above mans natural achievement in that understanding or ability. When I say "natural achievement" I mean the basic understanding and abilities that we gain from a typical upbringing. Which brings up another point, what is "typical"? Expertise is relative. If I were trying to learn about Ethiopia (I know nothing about Ethiopia), anyone who knew anything about Ethiopia would be an expert compared to me, whereas if someone were to give a TED talk on Ethiopian culture they better have some substantial experience and research under their belt to remain instructional to all the scholars and Ethiopians listening. I don't know if that make sense or not, but that's the reason I have a hard time figuring out what it'll take for me to become an expert. I want to become an expert relative to who? If we're talking about Electrical Engineering and general population (most of them ignorant to how technology functions) I'm already there, I'll just go write a book! However, In comparison to the professionals in the field, I know nothing.
I like that -- a relative expert. Because then you will ALWAYS be an expert in your interests or profession -- you just have to benchmark yourself against the crowd that makes you feel the most smart and powerful. :) On days you feel a little more ambitious and ready to step up, you benchmark against the elite because they'll inspire you higher. It's like a mind game. Good days, look to the professionals. Not so good days, look at someone else. Then you are always winning!
DeleteI think you could determine the expert you want to be, as well as the relative crowd you will be an expert for, by picking one of those doors in the room and running inside. Who knows.. maybe door number 7 will have a new car! As far as my idea of "typical," I couldn't answer that because I have no idea. Typical to one, isn't typical to another.
Excuse all the grammar errors. English is my 2nd language..... Technically. Baby Noises was my first and predominant language, but my parents made me learn this additional one. It's okay, I guess.
ReplyDelete