The term multi-passionate personality is one I’m hearing more often and often lately. Obviously, the term is quite self-explanatory; it means a personality with multiple passions. But there’s much more to it. Although in short, it does mean exactly what you think it means. Liking a thousand different things.
I don’t think it’s a new thing, I think more and more people are finding that it is something that exists and that they might identify with the term. That’s also why it can be useful to find out if you identify with the term multi-passionate personality. It doesn’t change anything about you whether you know about it or not. The only thing it can change is your perception of yourself.
That’s also why I’m writing this post. Not to label you, or anyone, for that matter. But to give some insight. It can be rather frustrating to be a multi-passionate personality and not knowing there are others just like you. At least I found it rather frustrating.
That’s why you might want to know if you are a multi-passionate personality: to not feel alone in certain personality traits anymore, to know it’s quite normal what you’re feeling, and to stop feeling ashamed about it.
So, if you have ever wondered ‘is it bad that I find so many things interesting?’ ‘why can’t I find my one passion or purpose’ or ‘why can I never choose’ you’re in the right place!
If you feel like you are a multi-passionate personality, go with your guts. This post is not a definitive answer, as is nothing. Most important with these kinds of things is always what you feel like. So; go with your feelings as number one, and use this post as your guide!
Let’s get to the 8 signs:
1. You have a thousand hobbies
One of the biggest signs you might have a multi-passionate personality is that you like a thousand things. And thus, have a thousand hobbies. And that doesn’t even have to mean that you’re pursuing them all. It just means you have an interest in a thousand hobbies.
Not just a lot of hobbies, but also a lot of different fields. Let’s say you like hiking, biking & running. Although different hobbies they are all versions of outdoor sports. It doesn’t exclude you from being a multi-passionate personality, of course, but if those are somewhat your only three big hobbies it isn’t a clear sign that you are, either.
Wanting to do so many things that you cannot do them all. It can be a struggle, but you always have something to spark your interest!
For example, I like hiking. Being in nature. Also painting, drawing, and crafting. I like writing. Reading. Photography. Watching TV shows. Also documentaries. I have an interest in blogging (obviously), architecture, astrology. Disney, modern art, evolutionary science. I enjoy working on math problems, traveling, and dancing. I can go on and on about totally different things that I all enjoy. Both creative, and rational. Indoors and outdoors. Active and passive. As far as I can tell, there’s no one theme to the whole lot of ‘em.
Do I pursue them all? Not in the slightest. A lot of things I’ll either learn a lot about in one go, or I’ll occasionally read something about it. There’re only a few things I’ll consistently put the time in. And that’s okay.
2. You have multiple callings/ purposes
Have you found your calling yet? Do you have a broad idea of which direction it lays? Or do you get just as excited over building houses as you do over starting a photography business?
Maybe it’s even bigger; your life purpose. Do you want to save the forests? Or rather help battling hunger? Do you want to search for cancer treatments? Or feel purpose in everything?
It can be super hard to have multiple callings. But it’s also beautiful. Your life is long enough to do multiple things. Your life purpose doesn’t have to stay the same your whole life. Find something you’d like to do now and worry about all the other parts later.
3. You have no clue about your purpose
It feels like the opposite of the last sign, but actually it’s more related than you might think: not finding a calling or purpose.
Chances are that it all started with the last sign; having no idea which of your interests might be your life calling. And then you rationalized. Crossed off. Is this one really that much better than all the other ideas? And before you know it; you have no option left.
So having no idea which way to go might be a sign that at some point, you had too many. Too many passions, in other words, multi passions!
4. You switched education a lot
Fully in line with not knowing what you want in life. How many different paths of education have you started? And how many have you finished?
For me, it’s 3 & 1. I’ve started International Communication & Media, and quit. I’ve started Architectural Engineering, and quit. I’ve started Leisure & Event Management, and finished! Whoo! But is this my dream field? I don’t know. Don’t get me wrong; I loved my education. And I would LOVE to work in this field. But then again, I would love to work in a thousand other fields, too.
If you’re the same; finding great joy in one thing but not ready to exclude another, you might just be multi-passionate too. It’s not ‘not passionate’. I felt a passion for all of my educations. But I was just not ready to exclude all other fields by choosing one.
5. Feeling overwhelmed by all the options in life
When you have such a broad view of interests, when you have so many things speaking to you, pulling you in.. You probably also have a dozen, very different, ideas of how your life could look like. Office job, starting a beach bar or maybe being a painter? Living in the city, moving to south Europe, or going full-on van life?
It can be rather overwhelming, all these options. Don’t feel like you have to choose though. But if you relate, this might be a sign you have a multi-passionate personality.
6. You are full of contrasts
Chances are one of your worst nightmares is those quizzes where you have to choose between one or the other. Would you rather go to the beach or the mountains? Do you like mornings or evenings? Summer or winter? Comedy or drama? Night out or night in?
Are you stressed already? Difficulties what to choose? If so, that can be a sign you’re multi-passionate! Beach or mountains? Are you kidding me? Let’s start in the mountains and work our way to the beach!
The contrasts can happen in hobbies, work, holiday, friends, fashion style- everything! If you like black & white AND full-on color, you know you’re not a one-flavor-kind-of-girl!
7. You Pinterest is all over the place
If you’re multi-passionate there’s a big chance that your Pinterest boards are all over the place. Boards going from architecture to fashion to cute dogs. But maybe more to the point; within your boards, there’s no theme to be found.
On your fashion boards, you have every style imaginable; hippie, simplistic, business-appropriate, and gala attire. On your home board, you have villas in nature, apartments in NYC and tiny houses. You have boards about crafting & DIY’ing, boards with travel tips, and side business ideas.
And, of course, a whole board dedicated to tips on how to find your one passion. Without any luck.
8. You start projects but find new interests before you van finish
There’s a difference between giving up & finding something else. Well, it ends the same: you didn’t finish what you started, but there’s a different force behind it.
Giving up means losing interest in what you do. Or not finding it important enough to keep putting the work in. But finding something else has nothing to do with any of those two. It means you spotted something else, something that also sparked your interest, and started that, too.
Most of the time you don’t necessarily quit doing the first thing, you’ll try to juggle both. But since there’ll be a third and a fourth project coming soon, you’ll fail to keep everything up, and then, give some up. Or all of them.
This is also the biggest reason that multi-passionate personalities will find it rather a curse than a gift. Cause it can be so damned hard to keep a commitment to one thing when there are a million other cool things out there, just waiting for you.
WHAT NOW?
So, what do you do when you resonate with a multi-passionate personality? I’m launching a blog post on how to use your strengths very soon, so if you want to stay in the loop, you can sign up for my email list here:
Besides that, one of my favorite resources and also how I found out about multi-passionate personality being a thing, is Marie Forleo. For example, this episode is all about how to be multi-passionate but not come over as ‘all over the place’. I find her blog, videos, and podcasts as a good place to start learning more! (not just about this topic, about everything business or self-growth related!)
