Can You Be a Professional Soccer Player and a Rockstar?
Can you do more than one thing well?
My 9-year old asked in the car if you could really do more than be really good at more than one thing. I said yes, but before I could elaborate, my 7-year old had a better answer:
David Beckham is a professional soccer player and an underwear model.
I might lose my underwear model Twitter followers with this one, but I’m not sure if underwear model counts as a rockstar or professional soccer player in the sense that my 9-year old meant it. But then again, my 7-year old usually has greater insight into these things than, uh, I do.
To get to the top of your game in any profession, you need to be the best or at least better than most. What does that take? Hard work, determination, perseverance, sacrifice, and the luck that comes with all of those. So maybe he’s right, maybe it doesn’t matter what the profession is, but maybe my 9-year old’s question is more, “Can you be at the top of your game in more than one game?” Do you have to just do one thing and do it well and that’s it? Do you have to choose?
I certainly have enough underwear for the modeling job, but I still barely understand offsides on the soccer pitch, so those are out.
Do you go for multiple games from the get go? Do you get to the top of one and then worry about the other? Or do you secretly work on both at the same time and see which one you get to the top of first?
I don’t know. I’m not sure I’m at the top of my game in anything. Or if I am, I’m not sure which game it is. The fact that my kids ask me this question reminds me that I know more than some people (even if they’re under 10), so I’m further up the ladder than some. But which ladder? Is it a race? Can we bet at the top together? Is there room for more than one? When do we know we’re there? Do we care?
If nothing else, it’s fun to dream about what the top of the game looks like. For me, for you, and for my kids.
P.S. It’s probably worth an entirely different post, but I think it’s pretty funny that my 7-year old knows that David Beckham is an underwear model … but seemingly doesn’t know how to tie his shoes.
“I think it’s pretty funny that my 7-year old knows that David Beckham is an underwear model … but seemingly doesn’t know how to tie his shoes.” So funny! They can be very knowledgeable when they are interested in something.
I think you can be good at many things – just not at the same time. At any one time, you are probably only good at two. Consider my logic:
A long day at work to wrap up a successful project might mean take-out for dinner or dirty dishes left in the sink.
A new garden bed means the laundry was never done.
An entire day dedicated to family time means you skipped your work-out.
And where in all of that did you get any writing done???
You can rock at work, have a spotless house and immaculate garden and be a great Dad. Just not all in the same day.
This is a big help, Cindy: Just not all in the same day.
We try to do so much in a day or a week, but we have to balance and prioritize. It’s hard, isn’t it? Some days I just want to do it all, I want to get it all done, I have motivation for 82 things … but those days I might get only some or none done. Better days are when you can focus on one small thing and be an expert at it.
“And where in all of that did you get any writing done?” Ha! I guarantee you, if I weren’t still obsessed with my Write Every Day experiment, I would have a list of excuses as long as … my current list of posts. 😉