Digging Too Many Holes
A few years ago, a developer I met with for some advice, said something that stuck with me, even though I’d heard similar things before:
“You’re digging too many holes. If you want to be successful in life, you’ve got to pick one or two at most and dig deep.”
At the time, I certainly felt an almost vibrational frequency resonating within me, an understanding of a flaw I had been aware of but not fully appreciated the impact of. I was proud of the wide range of professional experiences I’d gotten under my belt. Each project fed a different part of me. But he wasn’t wrong. I’d spent years spreading my attention across too many things at once.
Looking back over the years between then and now, I can appreciate that I’ve gotten better about this. My focus feels sharper now, my priorities clearer. But sometimes I still wonder: am I truly improving, or just moving faster between holes?
There’s a fine line between being multi-passionate and being scattered. Zig Ziglar stressed the importance of being a “meaningful specific” rather than a “wandering generality,” and I’ve had those labels stuck in my mind since I heard them. I know that curiosity is one of my strengths, but it’s also a trap. Every new idea feels urgent, every opportunity worth exploring. Until the surface is covered in half-dug holes and I’m too tired to dig any deeper.
The truth is, I’m still doing my best to find a balance between the two. Figuring out which holes matter enough to keep showing up for, even when the ground feels hard. And learning the signs to accept when I have to stop putting my energy into .