11 Key Tips for the Multi-Passionate High Achiever

Hey bookworms,

I know, I know. It’s been a long time. I guess I’ve been waiting for the space to be ready, to order my thoughts and have a more focused approach to the books I read. Well it hasn’t happened. My life so far has blossomed with so many opportunities and forgotten passions have been roused awake. As a 21st century renaissance woman who cringes at mediocrity and unfinished projects, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by how many artistic and intellectual pursuits I have. I find myself asking questions like : How can I work on all my goals with only 24 hours in a day? Am I really financially stable enough to dedicate so much time to this craft ? Am I really ready to play piano at a professional level ? How on earth can I expect to master two languages at once with my crazy schedule ? How, when and ….well…how ????

Here’s what I have to say about all of that : It absolutely is possible for us to not just do but excel in all of our passions. Maybe, not at the same time. But eventually.

There are a just a few things that we are going to have to accept. Stick around to find out 11 key tips for the multi-passionate high achiever.

1. Do a little everyday.

You’ve heard it a lot but it’s true: a little goes a long way. Further than you may realise. Understanding this has been a game changer for me. I don’t know where we learnt that it’s either go hard or go home. Or why everyone associates results with hours. 10 minutes. That’s all you need. 10 minutes practicing your instrument or doing a chess drill. 10 minutes of strength training exercises. 10 minutes of learning about investing, gardening, a skateboard trick.

Studies have actually shown that the brain prefers short bursts of concentrated effort rather than mental marathons. This is a practiced theory known as the pomodoro technique (25 minutes with 5 minute breaks).

10 minutes isn’t a lot but it’s enough to make sure you show up every day.

It needs to be every day. Make it a non-negotiable.

2. Tracking progress is essential.

This is a crucial and yet overlooked step. Naturally people who journal or make check-lists do this, but how about making it intentional. Take a moment at least once a week to ask yourself what you achieved in each of your pursuits. E.g- I finally nailed that difficult bar in Waltz in A minor; I learnt a key research methodology for my thesis paper, I cracked the code for baking a perfect batch of chocolate brownies. This is your own testimony to how the consistency is paying off. Remembering that once upon a time you could barely do something is a fantastic motivator to challenge yourself even more.

A personal example. I started learning my first concerto at the beginning of the year. I’d drag myself to the piano, thinking, what have I gotten myself into? The sheet music looked so intimidating and more times than not, I thought that I wasn’t ready. I decided to keep a journal to target my anxieties and document my small discoveries and achievements, even if they were as small as I can finally play this section with both hands. Track your progress no matter how small. It will remind you that you are moving forward, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

3. Set milestones for everything you do.

This is vital for ensuring consistency and discipline. It is difficult to force yourself to do something everyday if you keep asking yourself, but what am I even doing this for? 

‘Because its fun,’ just isn’t going to cut it sometimes. It’s not always going to be fun. Even the things we love start to annoy us or make us feel unsure of ourselves. So, it’s important to know your why. I want to perform at that recital next month, I want to look like a graceful princess on my roller skates when I go to the beach next summer, I want to be fit enough to run and play with my grandkids. Set those milestones. Keep that image in your head. When you think of skipping it that day — think about that clearly articulated WHY.

Key thing to note: be mindful of how your mind works. Some people need a roadmap of milestones. Others may feel overwhelmed by this and just need one thing to work towards. Move according to your rhythm. But always work toward something specific.

4. Live in the moment.

A bit of a contradiction, considering my last point. Yes, you need to stay present. Now, now, my dear heavy hitters. This is the hardest and sometimes most frustrating thing to hear, especially when excellence is your goal.  But the truth is that 70% of the time your output will be far from what you want to achieve— but it will still be worth celebrating.

So, enjoy the process, savour the small discoveries, appreciate your surroundings while you do the task. Make it a ritual more than an activity. In the same way the candles are lit, the lights are dimmed and the voices are hushed when you enter a chapel— apply the same idea of ambiance and sense of importance to the things you do. Everyday is a gift— so cherish it as such.

Here’s a quote by David Goggins that reminds me how blessed I am to wake up and work persistently for my self-development:

While everybody is dreading the work, I’m thanking God for the opportunity to do it. What a gift it is to be tired because you chose to be great.

5. Remove your ego from the action.

This is closely related to living in the present moment, but it takes it a step further. Have you ever ridden downhill on a bicycle or entered an amazing flow-state until you realised, Um. This is too good to be true, am I actually doing this? Or oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what if I fall? And then bam. Doubt creeps in. It happens. You do fall. Your fingers do stumble on the keys.

As soon as you start questioning yourself in the middle of a task, you’re letting your ego take centre stage. Your ego wants to protect how you look to the world, but your ego will hold you back. I find that when I obsess about being perfect, my body tenses up. Tension never works for a musician. So, when my piano teacher reminded me that I must always think: what is the music trying to say. It hit me. Yes, I’m doing the task, but this isn’t really about me. This is about celebrating being alive — moving, hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling. And sharing that wonder.

So while self-awareness is important when reflecting — it’s a tricky terrain mid-task. Instead, focus on the task and the outcome. If it’s not the outcome you want, don’t make it about you. Return to the task again and again to perfect the technique or master the concept. Block out the voice that questions yourself. Push forward.

6. The more you do, the more you sleep.

Sleep is where the magic happens. It’s when everything you learn gets banked. Think Inside Out 1 and 2. Those emotions worked pretty damn hard at night. That’s how I like to think of sleep. The body’s time to do some filing, spring cleaning and repairing, so you’re fresh for the new day. So of course — the more work that needs to be done, the more sleep you need.

You owe your body that. Be kind to yourself and rest. I think it was Bryan Johnson who said that we should treat sleep like an appointment we’ve made with ourselves. In the same way we’d honour that appointment at work, we must honour that appointment with our bodies. This is absolutely essential to ensure you don’t burn yourself out and you progress in your pursuits. Get those Zzzs!

7. Waiting for external validation is a waste of time and energy.

This is a tough one. There’s nothing that motivates a person more than being told Wow! You’re so good at this. I definitely used to be one of those people who sought external validation as an entry pass to move my dreams forward. This is just not a good idea.

Why?

You won’t get it all the time. Sometimes you won’t get it at all. Also, most of the time, people are either too harsh or too nice. The worst is being told something only because they know you want to hear it. The only feedback you should value is your own and your teacher / coach / instructor. External validation is an addictive and superficial trap.

Similarly, external judgement is something to block out too unless you invited it. People are too quick to give comment on things they don’t understand. Your journey is personal. No one knows better than you where you’ve come from and where you’re going. So keep your chin up and keep doing you.

8. It’s important to find connection in everything.

Your diverging passions don’t have to live in isolation. They actually never do. What you learn from one skill will almost certainly carry over to the other. This is a weird example, but I used to be terrible at reversing my car when I started driving. However, when I started roller skating, I suddenly understood how the movement works, where to turn my head and where my wheels are going.

Many studies shown how life-long learning is vital for brain plasticity, divergent and creative thinking, problem solving and mental and physical resilience. Think about how running forces you to stabilise your breathing, helping you build more awareness of your breath in other areas that need you to calm yourself. Or think about how learning a new language helps you learn more about a culture and why certain people think the way they do. Find those connections and reap the rewards!

9. Don’t expect the outside world to remain quiet for you.

I always used to say that I can’t write with noise. Or I can’t practice when the house is full. Honestly? These are convenient excuses. Peace and quiet is a luxury that everyone deserves but can’t always expect. I say, go ahead and do it anyway. Learn to build the resilience. God-willing, I’ll be writing novels and blogs with my children running around me, asking a billion kazillion questions about why the sky is blue and what we’re having for dinner — Lord knows the amount of times I did that to my mom. But she never chased me away— instead she’d wake up early to do her deep work. These are the strategies we need to build.

10. Learn to self-regulate

Your brain will feel cluttered, your thoughts will run wild. I mean of course ! We’re dreamers, doers, thinkers and achievers. But don’t always accept this frenzied state of being. I can personally say that it’s not a nice place to be. That’s when I discovered stretching and walking. Just pulling out my mat and lying in a child’s pose for 2 minutes reminded me that everything is going to be okay. Or going for an evening walk to reconnect with nature and seek reassurance from the trees that I can always trust to remain standing tall no matter what. Find what keeps you grounded.

11. Always believe that you’re capable.

I’ve never understood people with all their faculties and functioning limbs who tell me : My, oh my, I could never. Really? Here’s something you’ve probably never heard before — you can do anything you set your mind to. It will be in your own way, it will be imperfect, but it most certainly CAN be done. So don’t let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do. The wind beneath your wings are the whispers of your self-affirmations.

Let’s wrap this up!

Seriously, if you’ve made it this far — you’re anything but a quitter. I’ll bring this home by saying that Agatha Christie, my all-time favourite mystery writer was a roller-skater, archeology lover, travel enthusiast and a skilled classical pianist. Hugh Laurie (if you’ve at some point had an unhealthy fixation with House MD as I have, you’d know who this is) is a musician, comedian, actor, novelist and director. Yara Shahidi is a Harvard student, actress, producer and activist. The point is that it is absolutely possible to be a high achiever with diverging passions. And it IS possible to exceed in them all. With discipline, self-trust, rest, patience and filtering out negativity in your life — the world is our oyster.

All my love and good luck bookworms!