Yes, I'm a Scanner
Refuse to Choose, by Barbara Sher, is a career guide for people with so many interests it's overwhelming.
"Use ALL your interests, passions, and hobbies to create the life and career of your dreams".
Sher calls these people with too many interests "Scanners".
Too often, people who fall into the scanner category are looking for that "it" job that hasn't materialized, or (like myself) they are frozen at a crossroads, not knowing which direction to turn or which path to take.
The book has given me the freedom to relax in my "good enough" job, because it enables me the freedom to do all the variety of things I love.
Maybe that's okay.
Sure, I'd love to find a career that made my passions come to life, and now that I better understand the idea of Scanners, maybe I'll finally be able to figure out my next step.
Regardless, it's interesting reading, and it's nice to know I'm not alone.
"Compared with the dread of not using her potential, a Scanner's other fears fade in significance. A Scanner senses her own talents but is pulled in so many directions she often accomplishes very little. As she watches the years pass, the picture of her still sitting on the sidelines when the game is over creates a growing sense of panic" (page 37)
Sher also has given me the freedom to write out my ideas, yet with the permission to not need to follow-through on everything.
Rather than feeling badly for not finishing everything, now I know that part of what I really need to do is just get my ideas out, play with them, and then put them on the shelf.
Not every single idea needs implementation (i.e. I am not a failure).
"Remember, it doesn't matter if you never do what you're describing on these pages (a Scanner Daybook), because finishing a project is not the issue here. This is about your vision and the free play of ideas for pure enjoyment" (page 16)
This could have been written just for me:
"It's time to claim the feeling that draws you like a powerful magnet to what is new and unknown, because it's the most joyous part of you, and it's the other source of your identity as a Scanner. You see, not everyone feels as bad as you do when you're stuck with a project that doesn't interest you. And not everyone becomes as fascinated and delighted by something new and interesting. That's what makes you different. Your mind loves new ideas for its own reasons. Maybe coming up with ideas is just the way your brain dances" (page 109)
"If you're a Scanner, you're designed to do many things well. Don't try to change yourself into something else. Just observe what you do without judgment and try to understand yourself. The more you know, the better your chances will be of creating the life that fits you perfectly" (page 119)
"Use ALL your interests, passions, and hobbies to create the life and career of your dreams".
Sher calls these people with too many interests "Scanners".
Too often, people who fall into the scanner category are looking for that "it" job that hasn't materialized, or (like myself) they are frozen at a crossroads, not knowing which direction to turn or which path to take.
The book has given me the freedom to relax in my "good enough" job, because it enables me the freedom to do all the variety of things I love.
Maybe that's okay.
Sure, I'd love to find a career that made my passions come to life, and now that I better understand the idea of Scanners, maybe I'll finally be able to figure out my next step.
Regardless, it's interesting reading, and it's nice to know I'm not alone.
"Compared with the dread of not using her potential, a Scanner's other fears fade in significance. A Scanner senses her own talents but is pulled in so many directions she often accomplishes very little. As she watches the years pass, the picture of her still sitting on the sidelines when the game is over creates a growing sense of panic" (page 37)
Sher also has given me the freedom to write out my ideas, yet with the permission to not need to follow-through on everything.
Rather than feeling badly for not finishing everything, now I know that part of what I really need to do is just get my ideas out, play with them, and then put them on the shelf.
Not every single idea needs implementation (i.e. I am not a failure).
"Remember, it doesn't matter if you never do what you're describing on these pages (a Scanner Daybook), because finishing a project is not the issue here. This is about your vision and the free play of ideas for pure enjoyment" (page 16)
This could have been written just for me:
"It's time to claim the feeling that draws you like a powerful magnet to what is new and unknown, because it's the most joyous part of you, and it's the other source of your identity as a Scanner. You see, not everyone feels as bad as you do when you're stuck with a project that doesn't interest you. And not everyone becomes as fascinated and delighted by something new and interesting. That's what makes you different. Your mind loves new ideas for its own reasons. Maybe coming up with ideas is just the way your brain dances" (page 109)
"If you're a Scanner, you're designed to do many things well. Don't try to change yourself into something else. Just observe what you do without judgment and try to understand yourself. The more you know, the better your chances will be of creating the life that fits you perfectly" (page 119)
posted by woof nanny at 11:22 AM
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