What Is “The Multi-Hyphen Lifestyle”?

You may not be a multi-millionaire (yet), but you're rich in life experiences. You're living the best kind of life, and you're always learning new things and meeting new people. You don't have time to be bored or unhappy because you're always following your passions by making films, writing novels, experimenting with fashion design, or traveling around the country. Your friends are jealous of your ability to pursue multiple careers simultaneously. They wonder how you organize all of those interests. The answer is simple: with hyphens! lol

So, what exactly is "The Multi-Hyphen Lifestyle"?

Society places a strong emphasis on finding purpose and passion in our lives. It also drives us to believe that we should passionately focus on only ONE professional role. The multi-hyphen life does not require finding a specific passion, purpose, or position. Instead, it requires that you identify the many things you're passionate about while pursuing them all as much as your mental capacity will allow. It may sound like a lot to handle, but not if you have a true sense of knowing when you're being unproductive or overworked.

People with multiple passions are more likely to be curious, flexible, self-disciplined, and satisfied with their lives. In our culture, we tend to admire people who are "multi-hyphenated" or have a high number of interests. We think being curious, flexible, and self-disciplined is good. However, having multiple passions can lead to confusion as well. You may feel torn between your different roles and aspirations in life. This can be especially challenging for those who want to pursue more than one career path at once—working full-time as a marketing executive while also training for an Ironman competition, or working part-time on the weekend as an actor while holding down two jobs on the weekdays to keep the lights on in their apartment above the laundromat (because those laundry machines cost money).

"BUT WAIT! Multiple roles may drive me CRAZY!"

You might wonder how it's possible to live such an overbooked life without going crazy. The answer lies not in doing everything all at once but rather in being creative about where you put your energy: focusing time and energy on only one thing at a time while still keeping other options open so they don't feel closed off forever; recognizing when you're onto something fun then letting go of other things until they come back around again later; planning ahead but not being too rigid about what needs doing when (if you're fortunate sometimes things will happen spontaneously!). 

Multi-hyphenated professionals find their purpose in pursuing multiple roles because it allows them to gain career development in numerous business sectors while remaining true to their passions. This doesn't mean you have to be the next Picasso, or that you have to take on a million positions, but instead that you think outside of the box when it comes to how you approach your work—and life in general.

Shouldn't we all aspire to be multi-hyphenated professionals who find joy in working on multiple things that excites us?

In a day and age where work is frequently characterized as stressful, tedious, or joyless, we should all aspire to be multi-hyphenated professionals. Why? Well, we are all multifaceted people with many different interests and talents. Working towards a career that allows us to utilize multiple skillsets can help us maintain a balanced life—but what if you're not interested in doing just one thing? What if you have multiple passions? A great example of this kind of professional is a teacher who also writes books; they have two distinct jobs but use the same skills in both roles. Dual roles such as this give truth to the notion that creative professionals should proactively choose "The Multi-Hyphen Lifestyle" to fulfill their many passions. A genuinely creative professional can undoubtedly do more than one thing at once!

Could "The Multi-Hyphen Lifestyle" be right for YOU?

To all those who feel burnt out by their cubicle job or tired of spending their days working within the confines of a single role, consider trying The Multi-Hyphen Lifestyle. It's a full lifestyle that DEMANDS intentional effort, but it's also incredibly gratifying and exciting. Think being a multi-hyphenate is the right move for you? Stay tuned for more insightful blog posts from Your Friends at The Multi-Hyphen Lifestyle Blog!