There’s this idea out there that we’re supposed to find our one, singular purpose in life, and this will be our true passion. The story goes something like this: We start really young. Mozart and Tiger Woods were 3, why not us? And we just know our one thing, and then practice that one thing over and over. Ad infinitum. We are living our passion.

For some people, this may be true. And for some, this can be a powerful way to live.

But for the rest of us, not so much.

I’ve coached with a number of people like Nancy, who love to learn about a lot of things. I call them serial masters – once they really know something, they want to move on and learn the next thing. And what is really intriguing is that people like Nancy often end up more skilled than the people who are single-focused. Nancy can take everything she’s learned and apply it to any new problem she encounters. She can synthesize and create new solutions from her broad experience. She’s a modern Leonardo da Vinci.

The last time we talked, Nancy told me that realizing that she can have multiple passions changed everything. She can honor herself as a Renaissance woman and move on to learn the next new thing.