Well rounded vs Focused ?

Which is better ?

Generalist vs Specialist. Broad vs Narrow. Big Picture vs Small.

This can be an endless debate.

Maybe it doesn’t need to be. Maybe its about to-ing and fro-ing between the two depending on the circumstance and environment and adapting accordingly.

There are times, when you need to be sensitized to the big picture otherwise all the action in the world would either be meaningless or even wasteful/dangerous.

And there are times, you need to get down to brass tacks and “focus” on what’s ahead of you.

Connecting to the big picture doesn’t also mean that you have to focus on everything. You should be conscious of the environment and then narrow your focus on to what you do best.

Tom Rath from “Are you fully charged ( via Brian Johnson’s Philosopher’s notes) says

If you spend most of your life trying to be good at everything, you eliminate your chances of being great at anything. Unless your goal is to be mediocre at a lot of things, starting with what you are naturally good at is a matter of efficiency. Focusing on strengths is in many ways a basic time-allocation issue. Every hour you invest in an area where you have natural talent has a multiplying effect, whereas each hour you spend trying to remedy a weakness is like working against a gravitational force. Yet many people spend years or even decades working on weaknesses in hopes that doing so will make them well-rounded.

Do everything you can to avoid falling into this trap. While well-roundedness may be helpful for acquiring the basic tools in any trade — such as reading, writing, and arithmetic — it loses value as you get closer to finding a career. At that point, what’s more important and relevant is what sets you apart. If you want to be great at something in your lifetime, double down on your talents at every turn.”

— Tom Rath from Are You Fully Charged?

So, yes, definitely focus on what you do best or what works for you most but at the same time, don’t let go of perspective as well. That perspective could be the connection with “why” you are doing that action in the first place.

There is an old Japanese proverb which I have been using extensively for almost 15 years now

Vision without Action is Daydreaming

Action without Vision is a Nightmare.

The above two represent the Yin & Yang of life to me !