When I was 18, I struggled to see things at a distance. Close up was fine, things beyond 5 meters away were blurry. I thought to myself that I was young and it couldn't possibly be my eyesight and I must just not be trying hard enough to see. So I tried harder - squinting and guessing.
Then I moved to the UK and by chance, passed an opticians offering free eye tests. The moment the Optician put those switchable lenses apparatus on me and started to switch the lenses and I could see with absolute clarity, that moment, was unbelievable. I went back to my flat and cried. Not because I could see - by all accounts my prescription is not severe, but it makes all the difference. No, I cried because I thought for years it was my fault. That I wasn't trying hard enough to see.
Today I build multiple things at once. On any given day I am working on product development, infrastructure, marketing plans, analysis, prospecting, architecture or just research. Across 6-8 ventures.
I have always been like that - I find it easier to cycle through a set of things than stay on one things for very long. Too long on any one thing and I get bored and the work suffers. But as soon as I context switch, my fatigue is gone, my interest is piqued and my ability to contribute goes back up. I realise not many people are like this.
When I was younger and sought mentorship, almost everyone I met would tell me to 'focus'. Easy for them to say. When I was younger - I didn't know how I operated, so I took their advice to heart and chastised myself that I was indisciplined or not good enough or wasn't trying hard enough.
Today - at 52. I know myself and I forge my own path and work the way it gives me both pleasure and purpose. It means I can explore more things, find connections and learning in more places.
Before you do that thing that all my mentors did - roll your eyes and say 'ADHD' - which I may have - but really don't care to know either way, my approach has some logic - especially in building ventures.
Exploring a space as comprehensively enough, as quickly as possible is generally the best way through uncertainty.
What that looks like for me is opening multiple fronts of exploration - advancing each one every day - pushing some further along than others as data and opportunities emerge to support it. Or shutting them down if either my passion dies off (rarely) or the proof against viability mounts. I'm very comfortable with 'this is just not the right time'.
Onwards.