My story and how I got here

From the day I could read I loved reading. And it only got worse… I would read anything I could get my hands on… until I got bored with the subject, then I would move on to another subject. Unfortunately, there are a lot of different subjects I’m interested in.

As a kid, I was very happy. I loved school, I loved learning, exploring, being creative and my parents never limited me to explore and to learn. I guess it helped that my dad is a multi-potentialite too.

So I grew up doing and learning a lot of different things, ranging from learning to read music and play the piano to horse riding. I helped my dad with the garden and DIY (do it yourself) guy’s stuff and from my mum, I learnt DIY girls stuff. I also loved drawing, painting and writing, anything that is creative.

My parents also had a nice large home library in which I found books on all kinds of subjects, also on how to learn French, German, Spanish and even Japanese and Russian. Guess what I was reading… And the thing is that I grew up thinking that this was just normal.

When I get bored, it’s time for a change

When I look back on my career path, I realise one thing: As soon as I couldn’t learn anything anymore I changed direction.

After my graduation I joined my dad in the family business as a freelance artist. Boy, I was lucky! I needed to learn so many things: Marketing and sales, business strategy, the basics of accounting, networking and growing as an artist, creatively and technically.

After 12 years I started to think that maybe I made a wrong choice, being an artist. I wanted to become an engineer in IT. I know what you’re going to say now: “This is crazy!”. And I guess it is. But it was what I wanted so I stopped my business and I started to study computer science while looking for a job in that direction.

Over the next 12 years of time, I moved from web designer and web developer to senior IT business analyst and software testing coordinator. After 10 years working in the same company, you guessed it already: It was time for a change!

I had already been working as a project manager but I wanted to be a professional. So, I studied some more and got certified (Prince2 Practitioner and PMP).

Did I mention that somewhere in between all that, I started fencing? Again something completely new to me and so exciting. And on the side I did many other things as well, too many to mention.

I’m a multi-potentialite, yay!

As I said, in the beginning, I thought that being interested in so many topics was just normal. When I wanted to change career from arts to computer science, I knew that this wasn’t common. But in my head, I just made the wrong choice (arts) and now I was on the right track (IT). I couldn’t imagine that this would change, but it happened. Although I still love IT, especially new technologies, I also became very interested in project and portfolio management, in psychology and blogging.

Somehow, I came across “Barbara Sher’s book “Refuse to choose”. It took me only two days to read it completely and all the time, I was thinking: “This is me! This is exactly how I am”.

Then I found Emilie Wapnick’s Ted talk. My eyes were glued to the computer screen. Everything I have been doing my whole life suddenly started making sense. What an epiphany! Being like this has a name: multi-potentiality. I hate putting labels on someone but this was a label I liked. I am a multi-potentialite, yay, and proud of it!

After all dots are connected

And I also discovered something else: There are many other multi-potentialites like me on this globe, and they are everywhere. Only, not all are so happy about it. Hey, being a multi-potentialite can be very challenging and sometimes pretty frustrating!

My main frustration is that I won’t be able to do everything that I would like to do in this lifetime. The only thing you can do about this is to use your time as efficiently and effectively as possible. And that’s where all I’ve learnt about project and portfolio management and my experience as a project manager comes in very handy.

Remember I said I’m currently very interested in psychology and blogging? I’m also fan of the principle of ‘Pay it forward’. Isn’t it weird how when all the dots get connected, you can clearly see the picture?
I want to ‘pay it forward’ and help other multi-potentialites organise their many interests, passions and projects in a ‘Passions portfolio’. I want to help them use their time efficiently and effectively so they can do more of what makes them happy. And I want to help them run their projects in a way that they get finished.

That’s why I started this blog and website. And that’s where I am right now, at the beginning of a wonderful new adventure.

Your view?