The Value Line: Diversify Your Skills to Build a Better Career

For every skill that you could possibly have, there is a level of skill for which people will pay you. Below that, you pay others to do these things—that’s what I call the “value line.” So how do careers play into this idea? A career is simply one area where you’ve carefully crafted a skill to be far above the value line. Learn new skills, and you’ll find more opportunities to be above the value line.

This post originally appeared on The Simple Dollar.

My father was always a “jack of all trades” kind of guy. He was an absolute stellar gardener. He was a very good small-scale commercial fisherman, able to catch hundreds of pounds of fish in a single day. He held down a fairly technical job at a factory that involved computer operation and diagnosing problems with a part picker (a machine that would pull parts out of storage bins and send them on conveyor belts to other sections of the factory), among other duties. He could repair a lot of different things as well.

Some of his friends and relatives had those skills to an even greater degree. He had friends that were functional carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and many other things. He had friends that could hunt and forage for food and find all kinds of valuable treasures just walking around in nature. They ran strange little microbusinesses and always seemed to be dabbling in something different.

The thing is, I often couldn’t figure out for the life of me what some of his friends actually did for a living. A few of them were farmers, I suppose, and a few of them worked in the same factory where he worked. Others? To this day, I’m still not sure what they did for a living. They always seemed to be working on projects of some kind or another, usually things that seemed to make them happy, and they seemed to be able to put food on the table.

As I grew older, I viewed going to college and building a career as essential. I tended to view my father and particularly his friends as oddities in terms of their professional approach. They really didn’t have a career in any clear way that I could see. They just did … things … and seemed to make ends meet.

So, I went off to college. I built a career. And, before too long, what did I find myself doing?

I built a side business. Eventually, I walked away from that career and started focusing on the side business. I built several other side businesses and income streams as well.

Today, how do I spend my day? I work on projects of some kind or another, usually things that make me happy, and I’m able to put food on the table.

So, what happened? What caused that transition? I attribute a lot of the shift to something that I call the value line.

The Value Line in a Nutshell

For every skill that you could possibly have in life, there is a level of skill for which people will pay you. Below that, there’s a level of skill where you pay others to do these things. The line that divides the two is what I call the “value line.” (It’s also worth noting that right around that value line is a gray area of “do it yourself.”)

Let me give you an example: plumbing. An experienced plumber is one who could handle basically any home plumbing problem without much problem. Water is flooding the basement? A plumber can figure out that problem and fix it. Obviously, an experienced plumber can handle their own home plumbing problems.

On the other hand, a person who knows little about plumbing will often see a plumbing issue and simply call one of those experienced plumbers to solve the problem. This person is below the value line when it comes to plumbing, while the experienced plumber that they call is above the value line when it comes to plumbing. The experienced plumber makes money from plumbing issues; a person without plumbing skills spends money because of plumbing issues.

You can make a similar example from almost anything in life. Some people make popular YouTube videos, while others watch them. Some people make meals that others are willing to pay for, while others order food at a restaurant. Some people change the oil on cars for themselves and for others, while others drive down to Jiffy Lube. Some people catch hundreds of pounds of fish, while others buy them at the grocery store or the fish market.

The people that make money in those situations are above the value line. The people that spend money are below the value line.

Careers and the Value Line

So, how do careers play into this idea? A career is simply one area where you’ve carefully crafted a skill or a small set of skills to be far above the value line, so that people will pay you for that skill.

For example, my earlier career involved computer analysis of research data. This required me to have a handful of very honed skills—some computer programming, the ability to understand the data, and a few other things. In those skill areas, I was far above the value line, and so I was able to be a great candidate for jobs that utilized those skills.

Here’s the thing, though. In many career paths, you don’t have to be very far above the value line to make decent money, and only people way, way over that line make a lot of money.

The fact that I was even above the value line at all in those skills at the same time made me valuable to the people that hired me. I was (and still am) far from the best computer programmer in the world. I was (and still am) far from a true expert in the areas of research that I was required to understand. Still, I knew enough to know what the big sets of data meant, how to organize them, and how to help other people use those big data sets to answer questions that they might have in a (reasonably) intuitive way.

I had a few skills that were somewhat honed—but not world class—but those few skills were enough to be the foundation of a career.

This is true of almost every career path out there. Almost every career path is made up of a fairly handful of similar skills that a person has honed. They stand out within that career pack by honing just those skills even further.

Now, within that career field, honing those key skills more and more is a bright strategy. The more certifications you earn, the better. The more projects you complete, the better. The more career-specific skills you can list on your resume, the better.

A Diversity of Skills

However, for every other field in the world, it’s not all that good of a strategy.A construction firm is probably not going to hire a systems analyst, for example. A manufacturing firm isn’t going to care about your skills if they’re not manufacturing related.

This factor, along with the idea that you don’t need to be too far above the value line to earn money in a field, points to a completely different strategy for earning income in your life. Rather than putting all of your eggs in one career basket, learn a lot of different skills that you can bring to the table to make money in a lot of different situations.

You’re no longer chained tightly to the same job because you have a wide skill set that can find you employment in a number of areas. You have countless opportunities to start up a side gig or do some freelance work to earn some additional income. You’re also primed to move to a completely different career if that’s the way the wind is blowing.

Not only that, you become a better asset in your current career path, especially if your skills are of secondary use in that path. Almost every career can use people who have skills in public speaking, presentation, and project management and organization. Many, many more skills crop up over and over again in careers, making people who have them more valuable to their employer and just a little more marketable in their career path.

The more skills you have that are above the value line, the better.

Five Strategies for Building Skills and Finding Your Value Line

How can you use this knowledge? How can you effectively build up skills that are above this so-called “value line” while still working on your current career path and enjoying life? Here are five strategies I employ for building up value line skills in my busy life.

Strategy #1: Spend Time Every Day Learning Something

Every single day, you should spend some time learning something significant that builds toward a real skill that you’d like to learn. A good day is one where you know something when you go to bed that you didn’t know when you woke up.

Of course, for this to make sense, you have to identify at least one skill you’re actively trying to build (you might be trying to build several at once). That way, whatever it is that you choose to learn that day, it fits in with that skill.

Maybe you can learn that knowledge by reading a book chapter or watching a YouTube video or viewing a website or even using an app like Duolingo. The key thing is to bite off a significant enough chunk so that you feel like you’re actually acquiring real knowledge that you didn’t have the day before.

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Let me give you a couple of examples of what I mean.

Let’s say I’m trying to learn Spanish, which is a perfect example of the type of skill one might want to learn. Being conversant in a language is a great example of an “above the value line” kind of skill.

For learning a language, I cannot recommend Duolingo highly enough, as it breaks language learning down into a number of lessons that challenge you with both reading, writing, speaking, and matching words with images so that you learn the language in many directions. For me, picking up a new idea or a set of ideas would be working on a group of lessons for half an hour or so.

Another example might come from learning to play the guitar. There are a lot of good YouTube video series that can teach you how to play the guitar, or you can pay for lessons in person or via Skype. For me, finishing a full lesson and running through the exercises to both add something new to what I’ve learned and reinforcing the old stuff would be key.

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Strategy #2: Spend Time Every Day Applying What You Learned

It’s not just enough to learn new things in a complete vacuum, though. You need to continually apply what you’ve learned in real-world (or approximately real-world) tasks. It’s that ability to apply what you know into things that others will find useful that builds up a true “above the value line” skill.

For example, once I’ve done a Spanish lesson, I might then try to read and translate a simple Spanish document to test my skills. Can I actually use those new skills in the context of doing some simple translating with the training wheels off? With the guitar lesson, I might try to play a song using the chord or the fingering technique that I learned today, working through that song several times until it’s passable.

This whole strategy works for almost any skill you might be trying to pick up. Learn something new about that skill each day, but then apply that new thing you learned along with what you’ve already learned to do something practical with it.

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Strategy #3: Focus on Project-Oriented Things

At first, applying what you’ve learned is going to come down to really simple things. It’s very hard to put your first crude steps of skill learning into any bigger context.

However, as soon as you can, you should start applying the things you’ve learned to some kind of larger project.

For example, rather than just working on the opening riff of a song on the guitar, start focusing on mastering a whole song as early as it seems feasible to work through it. Rather than just working to master a few random words in a language, work on translating something from that language to your own, or vice versa. Rather than just writing a “Hello world!” computer program, work on writing a piece of software that’s useful to you.

There are two reasons for this. First, having something to work towards makes the “applying” strategy (#2, above) much more clear and obvious. Second, if you’re working on a project, you’re going to be producing something that’s actually compelling and interesting eventually. You’re taking steps toward that every time you work on it.

Strategy #4: Complete, Complete, Complete

No matter what skills you choose to build and no matter what projects you decide to take on, don’t just leave them in a partially finished heap and move on. If you choose to take on a project, carry that project to completion.

Why? There are two reasons why people abandon a project. One is that the project proved more difficult than they thought. That’s a perfect reason to keep pushing, as it gives you a gauntlet to work through to improve your skills.

The other is that they feel their skills and time are better used elsewhere. In that case, sticking with the project and carrying it through trains you in the fine art of perseverance, which is one of the strongest personal skills that a person can have. Being able to stick with something and carry it through to the end is an invaluable skill.

Not only that, it’s the completed projects that you genuinely want to polish up and share with other people.

Strategy #5: Sell and Share What You Make

This might not be a good idea for the very first (or second) product you make with your budding skills, but you should transition into sharing and selling what you produce as quickly as possible.

Let’s say you’ve decided to make informative videos on a particular topic of interest to you. This allows you to learn video production skills as well as dig deeper into your topic of interest. Rather than simply making the videos and hoping someone buys them, put them on YouTube as soon as you have a video that isn’t a complete disaster. It doesn’t even need to be good in your eyes, as long as it conveys the message.

Don’t be afraid to try to share the skills you have before they’re razor sharp, because to a self-critical person, their own skills are never razor sharp. I stilldon’t think I’m all that great of a writer (I think what talent I have is writingokay stuff in high volume), but I decided to just start putting it out there anyway with a few ads attached to make a few dollars. Start offering up your skills and the products of your skills sooner rather than later. You’ll be glad you did.

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The Middle Ground: Do It Yourself

If your reaction to this is that it sounds good, but it’s an insecure professional leap, I completely agree. It’s not a secure professional leap.

Instead, the value it provides to you is that you no longer have to hire skilled people to take care of many ordinary things in your life—or at least not nearly as frequently.

If you work on building plumbing skills, you can fix your home plumbing emergencies. You can do things like replacing a faucet or fixing a leaky sink.

If you work on building electrical skills, you can do things like installing an outlet or installing a ceiling fan without breaking a sweat.

If you work on building cooking skills, eating out becomes a significantly less interesting option most of the time. Trust me—I’d rather make food for myself at home than eat out because the stuff at home tastes better.

Not only that, with such a diversity of skills, you’ll often stumble upon opportunities to use them to earn a few dollars. Someone might pay you $40 to fix their toilet or to take a look at their car. You might write a book in your spare time and make $20 a month with the completed book sitting on the Kindle store. These aren’t life-changing things, but they can really add up to make a difference.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one take-home message you should learn from this, it’s this: You can create a lot of financial stability and a lot of financial opportunity in your life by building a wide variety of skills in your spare time.

Having a lot of skills widens your horizons in terms of things you can do to earn a living. It can save you a lot of money in your day-to-day life. It can also open the doors to side businesses which, as I’ve learned in my own life, can sometimes grow up much bigger than you expect.

Whenever you feel bored or have some spare time, devote that time to learning a new skill or honing an old one. Read about it or watch videos, then put in the time to put that skill to the test by tackling real problems with that skill. Not only will you build a skill, you’ll also create something useful for yourself along the way, and the more you hone your various skills, the better your results will be.

Soon, you might just find yourself spending your days working on projects of some kind or another, usually things that make you happy, and you will be able to put food on the table along the way. The source of all of it is having a healthy set of skills above the value line.

Good luck in exceeding the “value line” as many times as you can.

The Value Line: Building More Skills for a Better Life | The Simple Dollar

The Seven Hermetic Principles

"The Principles of Truth are Seven; he who knows these, understandingly, possesses the Magic Key before whose touch all the Doors of the Temple fly open." — The Kybalion.

The Seven Hermetic Principles, upon which the entire Hermetic Philosophy is based, are as follows:

1. THE PRINCIPLE OF MENTALISM.
2. THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE.
3. THE PRINCIPLE OF VIBRATION.
4. THE PRINCIPLE OF POLARITY.
5. THE PRINCIPLE OF RHYTHM.
6. THE PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT.
7. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER.

These Seven Principles will be discussed and explained as we proceed with these lessons. A short explanation of each, however, may as well be given at this point.

I. THE PRINCIPLE OF MENTALISM.

"THE ALL is MIND; The Universe is Mental." — The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that "All is Mind." It explains that THE ALL (which is the Substantial Reality underlying all the outward manifestations and appearances which we know under the terms of "The Material Universe"; the "Phenomena of Life"; "Matter"; "Energy"; and, in short, all that is apparent to our material senses) is SPIRIT, which in itself is UNKNOWABLE and UNDEFINABLE, but which may be considered and thought of as AN UNIVERSAL, INFINITE, LIVING MIND. It also explains that all the phenomenal world or universe is simply a Mental Creation of THE ALL, subject to the Laws of Created Things, and that the universe, as a whole, and in its parts or units, has its existence in the Mind of THE ALL, in which Mind we "live and move and have our being." This Principle, by establishing the Mental Nature of the Universe, easily explains all of the varied mental and psychic phenomena that occupy such a large portion of the public attention, and which, without such explanation, are non-understandable and defy scientific treatment. An understanding of this great hermetic Principle of Mentalism enables the individual to readily grasp the laws of the Mental Universe, and to apply the same to his well-being and advancement. The Hermetic Student is enabled to apply intelligently the great Mental Laws, instead of using them in a haphazard manner. With tire Master-Key in his possession, the student may unlock the many doors of the mental and psychic temple of knowledge, and enter the same freely and intelligently. This Principle explains the true nature of "Energy," "Power," and "Matter," and why and how all these are subordinate to the Mastery of Mind. One of the old Hermetic Masters wrote, long ages ago: "He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to Mastery." And these words are as true to-day as at the time they were first written. Without this Master-Key, Mastery is impossible, and the student knocks in vain at the many doors of The Temple.

II. THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRESPONDENCE.

"As above, so below; as below so above." — The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that there is always a Correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life. The old Hermetic axiom ran in these words: "As above, so below; as below, so above." And the grasping of this Principle gives one the means of solving many a dark paradox, and hidden secret of Nature. There are planes beyond our knowing, but when we apply the Principle of Correspondence to them we are able to understand much that would otherwise be unknowable to us. This Principle is of universal application and manifestation, on the various planes of the material, mental, and spiritual universe — it is an Universal Law. The ancient Hermetists considered this Principle as one of the most important mental instruments by which man was able to pry aside the obstacles which hid from view the Unknown. Its use even tore aside the Veil of Isis to the extent that a glimpse of the face of the goddess might be caught. Just as a knowledge of the Principles of Geometry enables man to measure distant suns and their movements, while seated in his observatory, so a knowledge of the Principle of Correspondence enables Man to reason intelligently from the Known to the Unknown. Studying the monad, he understands the archangel.

III. THE PRINCIPLE OF VIBRATION.

"Nothing rests; everything moves; everything vibrates."— The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that "everything is in motion"; "everything vibrates"; "nothing is at rest"; facts which Modern Science endorses, and which each new scientific discovery tends to verify. And yet this Hermetic Principle was enunciated thousands of years ago, by the Masters of Ancient Egypt. This Principle explains that the differences between different manifestations of Matter, Energy, Mind, and even Spirit, result largely from varying rates of Vibration. From THE ALL, which is Pure Spirit, down to the grossest form of Matter, all is in vibration — the higher the vibration, the higher the position in the scale. The vibration of Spirit is at such an infinite rate of intensity and rapidity that it is practically at rest — just as a rapidly moving wheel seems to be motionless. And at the other end of the scale, there are gross forms of matter whose vibrations are so low as to seem at rest. Between these poles, there are millions upon millions of varying degrees of vibration. From corpuscle and electron, atom and molecule, to worlds and universes, everything is in vibratory motion. This is also true on the planes of energy and force (which are but varying degrees of vibration); and also on the mental planes (whose states depend upon vibrations); and even on to the spiritual planes. An understanding of this Principle, with the appropriate formulas, enables Hermetic students to control their own mental vibrations as well as those of others. The Masters also apply this Principle to the conquering of Natural phenomena, in various ways. "He who understands the Principle of Vibration, has grasped the sceptre of Power," says one of the old writers.

IV. THE PRINCIPLE OF POLARITY.

"Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled." — The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that "everything is dual"; "everything has two poles"; "everything has its pair of opposites," all of which were old Hermetic axioms. It explains the old paradoxes, that have perplexed so many, which have been stated as follows: "Thesis and anti-thesis are identical in nature, but different in degree"; "opposites are the same, differing only in degree"; "the pairs of opposites may be reconciled"; "extremes meet"; "everything is and isn't, at the same time"; "all truths are but half-truths"; "every truth is half-false"; "there are two sides to everything," etc., etc., etc. It explains that in everything there are two poles, or opposite aspects, and that "opposites" are really only the two extremes of the same thing, with many varying degrees between them. To illustrate: Heat and Cold, although "opposites," are really the same thing, the differences consisting merely of degrees of the same thing. Look at your thermometer and see if you can discover where "heat" terminates and "cold" begins! There is no such thing as "absolute heat" or "absolute cold" — the two terms "heat" and "cold" simply indicate varying degrees of the same thing, and that "same thing" which manifests as "heat" and "cold" is merely a form, variety, and rate of Vibration. So "heat" and "cold" are simply the "two poles" of that which we call "Heat" — and the phenomena attendant thereupon are manifestations of the Principle of Polarity. The same Principle manifests in the case of "Light and Darkness," which are the same thing, the difference consisting of varying degrees between the two poles of the phenomena. Where does "darkness" leave off, and "light" begin? What is the difference between "Large and Small"? Between "Hard and Soft"? Between "Black and White"? Between "Sharp and Dull"? Between "Noise and Quiet"? Between "High and Low"? Between "Positive and Negative"? The Principle of Polarity explains these paradoxes, and no other Principle can supersede it. The same Principle operates on the Mental Plane. Let us take a radical and extreme example — that of "Love and Hate," two mental states apparently totally different. And yet there are degrees of hate and degrees of Love, and a middle point in which we use the terms "Like or Dislike," which shade into each other so gradually that sometimes we are at a loss to know whether we "like" or "dislike" or "neither." And all are simply degrees of the same thing, as you will see if you will but think a moment. And, more than this (and considered of more importance by the Hermetists), it is possible to change the vibrations of hate to the vibrations of Love, in one's own mind, and in the minds of others. Many of you, who read these lines, have had personal experiences of the involuntary rapid transition from Love to Hate, and the reverse, in your own ease and that of others. And you will therefore realize the possibility of this being accomplished by the use of the Will, by means of the Hermetic formulas. "Good and Evil" are but the poles of the same thing, and the Hermetist understands the art of transmuting Evil into Good, by means of an application of the Principle of Polarity. In short, the "Art of Polarization" becomes a phase of "Mental Alchemy" known and practiced by the ancient and modern Hermetic Masters. An understanding of the Principle will enable one to change his own Polarity, as well as that of others, if he will devote the time and study necessary to master the art.

V. THE PRINCIPLE OF RHYTHM.

"Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum-swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates." — The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that in everything there is manifested a measured motion, to and fro; a flow and inflow; a swing backward and forward; a pendulum-like movement; a tide-like ebb and flow; a high-tide and low-tide; between the two poles which exist in accordance with the Principle of Polarity described a moment ago. There is always an action and a reaction; an advance and a retreat a rising and a sinking. This is in the affairs of the Universe, suns, worlds, men, animals, mind, energy, and matter. This law is manifest in the creation and destruction of worlds; in the rise and fall of nations; in the life of all things; and finally in the mental states of Man (and it is with this latter that the Hermetists find the understanding of the Principle most important). The Hermetists have grasped this Principle, finding its universal application, and have also discovered certain means to overcome its effects in themselves by the use of the appropriate formulas and methods. They apply the Mental Law of Neutralization. They cannot annul the Principle, or Cause it to cease its operation, but they have learned how to escape its effects upon themselves to a certain degree depending upon the Mastery of the Principle. They have learned how to USE it, instead of being USED BY it. In this and similar methods, consist the Art of the Hermetists. The Master of Hermetics polarizes himself at the point at which he desires to rest, and then neutralizes the Rhythmic swing of the pendulum which would tend to carry him to the other pole. All individuals who have attained any degree of Self-Mastery do this to a certain degree, more or less unconsciously, but the Master does this consciously, and by the use of his Will and attains a degree of Poise and Mental Firmness almost impossible of belief on the part of the masses who are swung backward and forward like a pendulum. This Principle and that of Polarity have been closely studied by the Hermetists, and the methods of counteracting, neutralizing and USING them form an important part of the Hermetic Mental Alchemy.

VI. THE PRINCIPLE OF CAUSE AND EFFECT.

"Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause; everything happens according to Law; Chance is but a name for Law not recognized; there are many planes of causation, but nothing escapes the Law." — The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the fact that there is a Cause for every Effect; an Effect from every Cause. It explains that: "Everything Happens according to Law"; that nothing ever "merely happens"; that there is no such thing as Chance; that while there are various planes of Cause and Effect, the higher dominating the lower planes, still nothing ever entirely escapes the Law. The Hermetists understand the art and methods of rising above the ordinary plane of Cause and Effect, to a certain degree, and by mentally rising to a higher plane they become Causers instead of Effects. The masses of people are carried along, obedient to environment; the wills and desires of others stronger than themselves; heredity; suggestion; and other outward causes moving them about like pawns on the Chessboard of Life. But the Masters, rising to the plane above, dominate their moods, characters, qualities, and powers, as well as the environment surrounding them, and become Movers instead of pawns. They help to PLAY THE GAME OF LIFE, instead of being played and moved about by other wills and environment. They USE the Principle instead of being its tools. The Masters obey the Causation of the higher planes, but they help to RULE on their own plane. In this statement there is condensed a wealth of Hermetic knowledge — let him read who can.

VII. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENDER.

"Gender is in everything; everything has its Masculine and Feminine Principles Gender; manifests on all planes." — The Kybalion.

This Principle embodies the truth that there is GENDER manifested in everything — the Masculine and Feminine Principles ever at work. This is true not only of the Physical Plane, but of the Mental and even the Spiritual Planes. On the Physical Plane, the Principle manifests as SEX, on the higher planes it takes higher forms, but the Principle is ever the same. No creation, physical, mental or spiritual, is possible without this Principle. An understanding of its laws will throw light on many a subject that has perplexed the minds of men. The Principle of Gender works ever in the direction of generation, regeneration, and creation. Everything, and every person, contains the two Elements or Principles, or this great Principle, within it, him or her. Every Male thing has the Female Element also; every Female contains also the Male Principle. If you would understand the philosophy of Mental and Spiritual Creation, Generation, and Re-generation, you must understand and study this Hermetic Principle. It contains the solution of many mysteries of Life. We caution you that this Principle has no reference to the many base, pernicious and degrading lustful theories, teachings and practices, which are taught under fanciful titles, and which are a prostitution of the great natural principle of Gender. Such base revivals of the ancient infamous forms of Phallicism tend to ruin mind, body and soul, and the Hermetic Philosophy has ever sounded the warning note against these degraded teachings which tend toward lust, licentiousness, and perversion of Nature's principles. If you seek such teachings, you must go elsewhere for them — Hermeticism contains nothing for you along these lines. To the pure, all things are pure; to the base, all things are base.

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The Top 5 Reasons to Be a Jack of All Trades

Are the days of Da Vinci dead? Is it possible to, at once, be a world-class painter, engineer, scientist, and more?
“No way. Those times are long gone. Nothing was discovered then. Now the best you can do is pick your field and master it.”
The devout specialist is fond of labeling the impetuous learner–Da Vinci and Ben Franklin being just two forgotten examples–“jack of all trades, master of none.” The chorus unites: In the modern world, it is he who specializes who survives and thrives. There is no place for Renaissance men or women. Starry-eyed amateurs.

Is it true? I don’t think so. Here are the top five reasons why being a “jack of all trades,” what I prefer to call a “generalist,” is making a comeback:

5) “Jack of all trades, master of none” is an artificial pairing.

It is entirely possible to be a jack of all trades, master of many. How? Specialists overestimate the time needed to “master” a skill and confuse “master” with “perfect”…

Generalists recognize that the 80/20 principle applies to skills: 20% of a language’s vocabulary will enable you to communicate and understand at least 80%, 20% of a dance like tango (lead and footwork) separates the novice from the pro, 20% of the moves in a sport account for 80% of the scoring, etc. Is this settling for mediocre?

Not at all. Generalists take the condensed study up to, but not beyond, the point of rapidly diminishing returns. There is perhaps a 5% comprehension difference between the focused generalist who studies Japanese systematically for 2 years vs. the specialist who studies Japanese for 10 with the lack of urgency typical of those who claim that something “takes a lifetime to learn.” Hogwash. Based on my experience and research, it is possible to become world-class in almost any skill within one year.

4) In a world of dogmatic specialists, it’s the generalist who ends up running the show.
Is the CEO a better accountant than the CFO or CPA? Was Steve Jobs a better programmer than top coders at Apple? No, but he had a broad range of skills and saw the unseen interconnectedness. As technology becomes a commodity with the democratization of information, it’s the big-picture generalists who will predict, innovate, and rise to power fastest. There is a reason military “generals” are called such.

3) Boredom is failure.

In a first-world economy where we have the physical necessities covered with even low-class income, Mazlow’s hierarchy of needs drives us to need more for any measure of comparative “success.” Lack of intellectual stimulation, not superlative material wealth, is what drives us to depression and emotional bankruptcy. Generalizing and experimenting prevents this, while over-specialization guarantees it.

2) Diversity of intellectual playgrounds breeds confidence instead of fear of the unknown.

It also breeds empathy with the broadest range of human conditions and appreciation of the broadest range of human accomplishments. The alternative is the defensive xenophobia and smugness uniquely common to those whose identities are defined by their job title or single skill, which they pursue out of obligation and not enjoyment.

1) It’s more fun, in the most serious existential sense.

The jack of all trades maximizes his number of peak experiences in life and learns to enjoy the pursuit of excellence unrelated to material gain, all while finding the few things he is truly uniquely suited to dominate.

The specialist who imprisons himself in self-inflicted one-dimensionality — pursuing and impossible perfection — spends decades stagnant or making imperceptible incremental improvements while the curious generalist consistently measures improvement in quantum leaps. It is only the latter who enjoys the process of pursuing excellence.

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Don’t put on experiential blinders in the name of specializing. It’s both unnecessary and crippling. Those who label you a “jack of all trades, master of none” are seldom satisfied with themselves.

Why take their advice?

Here is a description of the incredible Alfred Lee Loomis, a generalist of the highest order who changed the course of World War II with his private science experiments, here taken from the incredible portrait of his life, Tuxedo Park:

Loomis did not conform to the conventional measure of a great scientist. He was too complex to categorize — financier, philanthropist, society figure, physicist, inventor, amateur, dilettante — a contradiction in terms.

Be too complex to categorize.

Look far and wide.  There are worlds to conquer.