#LinkyBrains and Me
Epiphany noun
UK /ɪˈpɪf.ən.i/ US /ɪˈpɪf.ən.i/ literary
A moment when you suddenly feel that you understand, or suddenly become conscious of, something that is very important to you.
I discovered multipotentialism (as coined by Emilie Wapnick, who’s TED Talk started the journey for me) late last year and it was like an epiphany — literally a lightbulb moment. Suddenly a lot of things in my life made sense.
I was about to leave the military (for a second time — don’t ask) and didn’t have a clue what to do but knew it wasn’t to go and work for a defence company or become a project manager (no offence to either but I’ve tried them both and they’re really not for me).
#LinkyBrain has struck a chord with me because it seems to be focused more around business people and maximising LinkyBrain potential in a business context. The majority of the multipotentialite things I’ve seen to date are focused more on the creative/arts side of things which aren’t going to put food on the table and really don’t float my boat.
So, to my confession:
I have an insatiable curiosity to learn about new — often unrelated — things;
My learning takes on a great intensity until the point is reached when I — often quite suddenly — decide I know enough and need to move on because new things are beckoning;
I have a mind full of creative ideas;
I grasp new concepts and ideas quickly then immediately start thinking ‘..and then what if…’
I experience huge frustration by often being out of step with other people who don’t seem to understand how my mind is linking things together and working (you know, that moment in a meeting when you say something and everyone turns to look at you in that odd way…);
I can be incredibly passionate about projects to get them underway but prefer to hand them on to others once up and running as they become too routine;
If everyone is turning left I immediately want to turn right — just to see what happens and test the system;
When someone comes up with a solution to a problem my brain instantly goes for the 2nd/3rd order impacts of that solution;
Most of the time I’m ‘big hand/small map’, but ask me to critically review something and I will ream the hell out of it;
Ditto contracts/proposals/staffwork — stick me on the Red Team every time;
I love flying but would hate to be a commercial pilot; flying gliders is like aviation meditation for the soul;
Even though there may be a tool to fix whatever I’m working on, my mind always wants to create a new one or adapt something else to do the job;
I hate rules which cannot be sensibly supported (“We’ve always done it that way…”) but live wholeheartedly by those that can, or are logical and sensible. Doug Scott’s comment about “Strong Opinions Loosely Held” resonates strongly in this sense — persuade me and I’m yours;
I usually have two or three major areas of interest on the go at any one time as to focus on one would be too restrictive;
I have little time for people I don’t think are trying;
I don’t enjoy subtlety, nuance and inference — just tell me straight;
I have never (in my own mind) achieved ‘expert’ status in anything. I’ve commanded a warship, qualified in diving and bomb disposal, have a pilot’s license and two Masters’ degrees (despite never having been to university) but still don’t feel in any way an expert — because:
I am a massive sufferer of that seemingly quite common LinkyBrain disease — Imposter Syndrome.
That last one is something I’ve always suffered from but didn’t realise it had a name until recently. Like LinkyBrain — I thought it was ‘just me’.
