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Refuse to Choose!: Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and Hobbies to Create the Life and Career of Your Dreams
Don't know what to do with your life? Drawn to so many things that you can't choose just one? New York Times best-selling author Barbara Sher has the answer--do EVERYTHING!
With her popular career counseling sessions, motivational speeches, workshops, and television specials, Barbara Sher has become famous for her extraordinary ability to help people define and achieve their goals. What Sher has discovered is that some individuals simply cannot, and should not, decide on a single path; they are genetically wired to pursue many areas. Sher calls them "Scanners"--people whose unique type of mind does not zero in on a single interest but rather scans the horizon, eager to explore everything they see.
In this groundbreaking book, readers will learn:
芒鈧� what's behind their "hit and run" obsessions
芒鈧� when (and how) to finish what they start
芒鈧� how to do everything they love
芒鈧� what type of Scanner they are (and which tools they need to do their very best work)
With her popular career counseling sessions, motivational speeches, workshops, and television specials, Barbara Sher has become famous for her extraordinary ability to help people define and achieve their goals. What Sher has discovered is that some individuals simply cannot, and should not, decide on a single path; they are genetically wired to pursue many areas. Sher calls them "Scanners"--people whose unique type of mind does not zero in on a single interest but rather scans the horizon, eager to explore everything they see.
In this groundbreaking book, readers will learn:
芒鈧� what's behind their "hit and run" obsessions
芒鈧� when (and how) to finish what they start
芒鈧� how to do everything they love
芒鈧� what type of Scanner they are (and which tools they need to do their very best work)
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
933 people are currently reading
10.8k people want to read
About the author
Barbara Sher
71听books303听followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the 欧宝娱乐 database with this name.
Barbara Sher is a speaker, career/lifestyle coach, and best-selling author of seven books on goal achievement. Her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into many languages. She has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, 60 Minutes, CNN, and Good Morning America and her public television specials air regularly in the United States. Sher lectures at universities, Fortune 100 companies and professional conferences all over the world.
Sher's latest book, Refuse to Choose (Rodale 2006) is a step-by-step program designed for "scanners", people with many interests who are unable to decide on a single direction for their lives.
wiki courtesy
Barbara Sher is a speaker, career/lifestyle coach, and best-selling author of seven books on goal achievement. Her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into many languages. She has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, 60 Minutes, CNN, and Good Morning America and her public television specials air regularly in the United States. Sher lectures at universities, Fortune 100 companies and professional conferences all over the world.
Sher's latest book, Refuse to Choose (Rodale 2006) is a step-by-step program designed for "scanners", people with many interests who are unable to decide on a single direction for their lives.
wiki courtesy
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
November 23, 2011
I think it will be difficult to write a review of this book without exceeding the 20,000 character limit. But I'll try.
Refuse To Choose! is about Scanners - people who simply cannot immerse themselves in just one career for their whole lives. Scanners have so many interests (and find new ones just about every day) that they often have trouble focusing on any one interest for an extended period of time. I know I fit in with this group, because in the process of composing this review, I alt-tabbed to my TODO listthree four times to make notes on new ideas I had. I always do things like that. For years I thought I was broken, that I'd never complete anything, that I'd never amount to anything. That I'd spend so much time planning new projects that I'd never finish my existing ones. And yet, I've already finished quite a few projects.
At times it really feels like the author knows who I am. She lets readers like me acknowledge that we're different, and then reassures us that there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it puts people like me in good company with the likes of Aristotle, Ben Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci. It's perfectly okay to be an artist, writer, musician, mathematician, and inventor. Go ahead and be a chef, painter, photographer, and a physics teacher. You shouldn't have to choose one thing to stick with for the rest of your life. You really can do everything. At least, that's the message of the book.
Once you acknowledge that you are a Scanner, and that it's okay to be different, then you learn about different types of Scanners. The author acknowledges that everyone will fit at least two of the Scanner types she lists. And that's where the real strength of this book lies. Once you've identified what types you are, you can learn ways to make yourself more efficient, and career options that will keep you motivated and excited.
As for me, I found that I'm part "Plate-Spinner" and part "Serial Master". This is a little humorous, because I've often said I have too many things "on my plate," when in reality that is my greatest strength: the ability to manage several projects simultaneously. The most surprising thing I found was in the Serial Master category, which I figure is a smaller portion of my Scanner abilities. But even that small part of me explained something that I hadn't figured out yet. Most of what the author suggests are things I've already been doing for a couple of years now -- with the exception that I've gone digital with the vast majority of the methods. I figured out most of these things on my own. But I wonder how much more I could have accomplished in my life if I had read this book ten or fifteen years ago.
While I'm forced to agree with the author that there are great benefits to writing and sketching things by hand, I've found some success with having notes, diagrams, and TODO lists on my computer. This is one area that she almost never mentions. Perhaps she hasn't found decent software to help manage what she wants to do in life. Personally, I found I wasted too much time (and paper!) copying my TODO lists to less messy sheets of paper. Not to mention the time I wasted trying to decipher my handwriting. Having my lists on my computer (where I do the vast majority of my work anyway) makes things neater and more efficient for me. I would like to see either an updated version of this book or an additional book that discusses ways to organize yourself digitally. Why print out things from Wikipedia and tape them in a Scanner Daybook if you can just copy and paste the link into something like , , or ?
Overall, I found the book to be very motivating and thought-provoking. Like I said, I had already discovered all the methods she suggests for my types of Scanner, and have been using them for a while now. But if you've ever been told you need to choose a career, or if you have a pile of unfinished things that make you sad, or you find you just can't stop reading random articles on Wikipedia... grab a copy of this book. It could just change your outlook on life.
Refuse To Choose! is about Scanners - people who simply cannot immerse themselves in just one career for their whole lives. Scanners have so many interests (and find new ones just about every day) that they often have trouble focusing on any one interest for an extended period of time. I know I fit in with this group, because in the process of composing this review, I alt-tabbed to my TODO list
At times it really feels like the author knows who I am. She lets readers like me acknowledge that we're different, and then reassures us that there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it puts people like me in good company with the likes of Aristotle, Ben Franklin, and Leonardo da Vinci. It's perfectly okay to be an artist, writer, musician, mathematician, and inventor. Go ahead and be a chef, painter, photographer, and a physics teacher. You shouldn't have to choose one thing to stick with for the rest of your life. You really can do everything. At least, that's the message of the book.
Once you acknowledge that you are a Scanner, and that it's okay to be different, then you learn about different types of Scanners. The author acknowledges that everyone will fit at least two of the Scanner types she lists. And that's where the real strength of this book lies. Once you've identified what types you are, you can learn ways to make yourself more efficient, and career options that will keep you motivated and excited.
As for me, I found that I'm part "Plate-Spinner" and part "Serial Master". This is a little humorous, because I've often said I have too many things "on my plate," when in reality that is my greatest strength: the ability to manage several projects simultaneously. The most surprising thing I found was in the Serial Master category, which I figure is a smaller portion of my Scanner abilities. But even that small part of me explained something that I hadn't figured out yet. Most of what the author suggests are things I've already been doing for a couple of years now -- with the exception that I've gone digital with the vast majority of the methods. I figured out most of these things on my own. But I wonder how much more I could have accomplished in my life if I had read this book ten or fifteen years ago.
While I'm forced to agree with the author that there are great benefits to writing and sketching things by hand, I've found some success with having notes, diagrams, and TODO lists on my computer. This is one area that she almost never mentions. Perhaps she hasn't found decent software to help manage what she wants to do in life. Personally, I found I wasted too much time (and paper!) copying my TODO lists to less messy sheets of paper. Not to mention the time I wasted trying to decipher my handwriting. Having my lists on my computer (where I do the vast majority of my work anyway) makes things neater and more efficient for me. I would like to see either an updated version of this book or an additional book that discusses ways to organize yourself digitally. Why print out things from Wikipedia and tape them in a Scanner Daybook if you can just copy and paste the link into something like , , or ?
Overall, I found the book to be very motivating and thought-provoking. Like I said, I had already discovered all the methods she suggests for my types of Scanner, and have been using them for a while now. But if you've ever been told you need to choose a career, or if you have a pile of unfinished things that make you sad, or you find you just can't stop reading random articles on Wikipedia... grab a copy of this book. It could just change your outlook on life.
June 14, 2012
I read this more for affirmation than for practical advice. I don't know if I'll use all the techniques Barbara Sher recommends for pursuing lots of interests at once (though I do like the sound of having several "avocation stations" -- little wheeled file carts with work surfaces on top so you can have multiple projects ready to go for whenever the whim strikes you). But what I really did like about this book was the permission it gives to go ahead and be interested in lots of stuff, to move from one thing to the next when one wants to. Coming from a very academic background, in which one's career is supposed to be one's Grand Passion in Life, or at least a Very Big Thing, I found it such an incredible relief to have someone tell me, in effect, that it's OK if I just want a pleasant, reasonably interesting job that'll allow me plenty of time to pursue the other stuff I'm interested in, and that that doesn't mean I'm lazy or stupid or lacking in something.
May 25, 2017
yes , actually i am a multi potential scanner . and i thank you for making somewhere for us . a home to belong
September 22, 2009
If you are the type of person that jumps from interest to interest and you either have judgments around that, want to find a job suited to you, or just want to know it's okay to do that, this book rocks.
I don't have ADD, but I feel like I do because I just LOVE learning. But I've been trying to stop jumping from thing to thing because it's culturally alienating. Well now I feel proud of my insatiable appetite for learning, I feel more confident looking for jobs and less pressured into finding my ONE career for life. I want to do it all.
This book really cleared up some things for me and I recommend it to anyone who is still saying "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up." Chances are, you are ALREADY that person. Celebrate it!
I don't have ADD, but I feel like I do because I just LOVE learning. But I've been trying to stop jumping from thing to thing because it's culturally alienating. Well now I feel proud of my insatiable appetite for learning, I feel more confident looking for jobs and less pressured into finding my ONE career for life. I want to do it all.
This book really cleared up some things for me and I recommend it to anyone who is still saying "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up." Chances are, you are ALREADY that person. Celebrate it!
May 6, 2021
This book had a few ideas I thought were worth giving a try and that's all, the rest was chocolate coated blabbing. But even with that, I think it's a decent enough book if you are looking for affirmations and inspiration that liking many things is OK. It is validating, but otherwise, there are no facts and no clear logic, doesn't seem to have any research either.
There was a lot of labelling which didn't seem necessary and I didn't like. I felt like the author was trying to fill the book with clever words and labels for types of people just to gain more credibility.
I'm off to get a job as a PA with a family that owns their own art collection and will let me manage that. Ciao. Oh, and to get 30 binders.
There was a lot of labelling which didn't seem necessary and I didn't like. I felt like the author was trying to fill the book with clever words and labels for types of people just to gain more credibility.
I'm off to get a job as a PA with a family that owns their own art collection and will let me manage that. Ciao. Oh, and to get 30 binders.
February 28, 2024
Where I got the book: my local library.
My name is Jane, and I . . . am a Scanner.
At last someone has put a name to what I tend to think of as my Low Boredom Threshold. My ability to get interested in a great many different things has resulted in a good many careers (some carried on simultaneously), far too many hours in higher ed. and a general feeling of frustration that I鈥檒l never be able to get my life 鈥渢ogether.鈥� It wasn鈥檛 until I rather unexpectedly quit a job in 2009 (long story) and, instead of rushing to find another one, allowed myself a few weeks to think about what I really wanted, that it occurred to me the one thread that had always run through my jobs was writing. It was either what people hired me for or what they discovered I was good at after a short while on the job. 鈥淛ane, you are a writer,鈥� I said to myself. And I was right! I鈥檇 finally discovered the activity that never got boring because there was always something new to write about and always something about writing to learn.
Barbara Sher gives the name Scanner to those of us who have multiple interests and don鈥檛 want to spend their lives working on one career. How we envy those who are engaged enough in their everyday jobs to stick with them, working their way up the career ladder to the merry tune of promotions and pay raises. We thought we鈥檇 finally found our niche, and here we are a year later, bored out of our skulls. What鈥檚 the solution?
Sher comes up with several. She tells us that we really can have it all, if we look at our lives the right way. Many of her suggestions for careers and productivity techniques suited to our particular needs are so mouthwatering I wanted to get started on all of them right away . . . heh . . . . Of course no guru can suggest a course of action that suits every reader perfectly, and I quickly found myself thinking about how to adapt one or two of her ideas to my own working methods. I made a list of the most likely techniques in my Daybook. I shall forever be grateful to Barbara Sher for the idea of a Daybook, which has become my go-to place to write down all those lists and brainstorming that kept invading my journal, to the point where I鈥檇 stopped journaling because it was annoying me. Now I can download all that stuff into my Daybook and maybe I can begin journaling again.
Sher identifies several different kinds of Scanner鈥擨 thought it was hilarious that every time I started a new chapter about a different kind of Scanner I thought 鈥淥h hey, that鈥檚 so me.鈥� Because we鈥檝e got these brains that go in all sorts of different directions鈥攎ine never works quite the same from one day to the next. I鈥檓 finally learning to appreciate the value of being able to read about something, connect it to something else and come up with a completely new idea鈥攏ow I just have to learn how to turn those ideas into something solid that I won鈥檛 get bored with. The way I describe it is that my brain fizzes鈥攊t seems to need new ideas like a whale needs plankton, and excretes them at high speed like鈥攚hat, exactly, do whales poop out? On some days, that is, when I鈥檓 not so overwhelmed that the fog descends and I can barely get anything done.
Anyone who鈥檚 followed my reviews for a while will know that I generally get very snarky over self-help books but this one, I liked. I鈥檓 going to stick my neck out and give it five stars for being a self-help book that was actually worth my attention from cover to cover, even if I did find it a bit heavy on examples at times. It might even be worth re-reading at some point in the future.
My name is Jane, and I . . . am a Scanner.
At last someone has put a name to what I tend to think of as my Low Boredom Threshold. My ability to get interested in a great many different things has resulted in a good many careers (some carried on simultaneously), far too many hours in higher ed. and a general feeling of frustration that I鈥檒l never be able to get my life 鈥渢ogether.鈥� It wasn鈥檛 until I rather unexpectedly quit a job in 2009 (long story) and, instead of rushing to find another one, allowed myself a few weeks to think about what I really wanted, that it occurred to me the one thread that had always run through my jobs was writing. It was either what people hired me for or what they discovered I was good at after a short while on the job. 鈥淛ane, you are a writer,鈥� I said to myself. And I was right! I鈥檇 finally discovered the activity that never got boring because there was always something new to write about and always something about writing to learn.
Barbara Sher gives the name Scanner to those of us who have multiple interests and don鈥檛 want to spend their lives working on one career. How we envy those who are engaged enough in their everyday jobs to stick with them, working their way up the career ladder to the merry tune of promotions and pay raises. We thought we鈥檇 finally found our niche, and here we are a year later, bored out of our skulls. What鈥檚 the solution?
Sher comes up with several. She tells us that we really can have it all, if we look at our lives the right way. Many of her suggestions for careers and productivity techniques suited to our particular needs are so mouthwatering I wanted to get started on all of them right away . . . heh . . . . Of course no guru can suggest a course of action that suits every reader perfectly, and I quickly found myself thinking about how to adapt one or two of her ideas to my own working methods. I made a list of the most likely techniques in my Daybook. I shall forever be grateful to Barbara Sher for the idea of a Daybook, which has become my go-to place to write down all those lists and brainstorming that kept invading my journal, to the point where I鈥檇 stopped journaling because it was annoying me. Now I can download all that stuff into my Daybook and maybe I can begin journaling again.
Sher identifies several different kinds of Scanner鈥擨 thought it was hilarious that every time I started a new chapter about a different kind of Scanner I thought 鈥淥h hey, that鈥檚 so me.鈥� Because we鈥檝e got these brains that go in all sorts of different directions鈥攎ine never works quite the same from one day to the next. I鈥檓 finally learning to appreciate the value of being able to read about something, connect it to something else and come up with a completely new idea鈥攏ow I just have to learn how to turn those ideas into something solid that I won鈥檛 get bored with. The way I describe it is that my brain fizzes鈥攊t seems to need new ideas like a whale needs plankton, and excretes them at high speed like鈥攚hat, exactly, do whales poop out? On some days, that is, when I鈥檓 not so overwhelmed that the fog descends and I can barely get anything done.
Anyone who鈥檚 followed my reviews for a while will know that I generally get very snarky over self-help books but this one, I liked. I鈥檓 going to stick my neck out and give it five stars for being a self-help book that was actually worth my attention from cover to cover, even if I did find it a bit heavy on examples at times. It might even be worth re-reading at some point in the future.
February 17, 2018
Anecdotal and syrupy
The core argument is that some people are 鈥渟canners鈥� with multiple interests, and these people are genetically different in some magic way. However, there was no clear evidence to support this. The book consists of mostly anecdotes and questionable logical fallacies. I agree that nobody should feel terrible about themselves, but the writing style was incredibly syrupy and overly optimistic. Having multiple hobbies and not wanting one core focus is cool, but the book made it sound like 鈥渂eing a scanner鈥� somehow excuses somebody from all bad behavior - missing appointments, not following through on commitments to others. Perhaps the title should鈥檝e warned me about the writing style. I would not recommend the book, and I prefer self-help books based in science and psychology.
The core argument is that some people are 鈥渟canners鈥� with multiple interests, and these people are genetically different in some magic way. However, there was no clear evidence to support this. The book consists of mostly anecdotes and questionable logical fallacies. I agree that nobody should feel terrible about themselves, but the writing style was incredibly syrupy and overly optimistic. Having multiple hobbies and not wanting one core focus is cool, but the book made it sound like 鈥渂eing a scanner鈥� somehow excuses somebody from all bad behavior - missing appointments, not following through on commitments to others. Perhaps the title should鈥檝e warned me about the writing style. I would not recommend the book, and I prefer self-help books based in science and psychology.
May 4, 2013
The initial "You're a Scanner! It's okay! You're SPECIAL!!" intro got a bit tedious. I think that鈥檚 because the author self-identifies as one and is giddy with the thought that 鈥渋t鈥檚 not wrong to be this way!鈥� Like other readers, I think some people would grab onto these ideas as excuses. But some people will grab on to anything they can distort or interpret in extreme ways, so I don鈥檛 think that fact invalidates the general idea. (I would call that a 鈥渟lippery slope鈥� argument, btw.)
The early chapters that most resonated with me were Ch 5 (鈥淭oo busy to do what I love.鈥� - starting on p 62), Chapter 6 (鈥淚 won鈥檛 do anything if I can鈥檛 do everything.鈥�) and Chapter 7 (鈥淚 can鈥檛 get started.鈥�)
In those chapters, I think that some of her strategies/advice work for procrastinators, perfectionists, and people who simply have not learned to tune into their own desires. As someone who has fit all of those descriptions at varied times, I found them useful. 鈥淭he Big List鈥� was telling - as she predicted, it wasn鈥檛 nearly as big as I thought. While all the ideas presented won鈥檛 work for me, even a few would make the time spent reading worth it.
Overall, here are my Big TakeAways:
1) Reassurance and reminding. There are a lot of tools I already use, and they work for me. The book reminded me of some, or suggested new spins for making them more useful. I liked that.
2) New tools that look promising, which makes it worth the read right there to me.
3) Most importantly, a Big Picture Structure to think about and use for my own life.
What do I mean by that third one? Well, for each type of Scanner, she proposes a Life Design Model, potential Careers, and some specific tools that might serve them. I like these descriptive terms.
The life design talks about how you structure your time to fit your natural inclinations, so that you can be happy and productive. The one that caught my attention was the 鈥減hysician model鈥�, (p. 156), where you spend a few days a week doing one thing, a few days a week doing another type of thing, and a couple weeks a year doing something-completely-different. That maps well to academia too, but being conscious about it may make it鈥ell, fit better. I鈥檝e already become aware that I need certain things in each day/week to feel good about myself, and the term 鈥淟ife Design Model鈥� and the examples are helping me to translate that knowledge into action.
In terms of potential careers, she talks about specific ones, but she also talks about some ways of classifying them (mixed - my logical-classifying-self would break them out a bit). The ones that caught my attention here were 鈥淭he umbrella job鈥�, which lets you do varied things under it, 鈥渢he good-enough-job,鈥� which just brings in enough $$ for you to manage (without sapping your soul) so you can do the stuff you care about, and the 鈥渕ultiple streams of income鈥� where you make a bit here and a bit there, and get by that way. I think I have had sequential 鈥渦mbrella jobs鈥� up to now. That may be what I look for next鈥� Or not, since I鈥檓 at a transitional point in life. I like being able to think about them this way. (Not a full list, of course - I鈥檓 focusing on what-I-found-useful.)
And of course, the shiny tools made me happy. I have a mind like a magpie, attracted to bright shiny ideas, especially in the form of models and metaphors. Plenty of that to amuse me.
To;dr version: despite the tediousness of the intro 鈥測ou鈥檙e different/speshul鈥� bit, I found this book useful and would recommend it to others.
The early chapters that most resonated with me were Ch 5 (鈥淭oo busy to do what I love.鈥� - starting on p 62), Chapter 6 (鈥淚 won鈥檛 do anything if I can鈥檛 do everything.鈥�) and Chapter 7 (鈥淚 can鈥檛 get started.鈥�)
In those chapters, I think that some of her strategies/advice work for procrastinators, perfectionists, and people who simply have not learned to tune into their own desires. As someone who has fit all of those descriptions at varied times, I found them useful. 鈥淭he Big List鈥� was telling - as she predicted, it wasn鈥檛 nearly as big as I thought. While all the ideas presented won鈥檛 work for me, even a few would make the time spent reading worth it.
Overall, here are my Big TakeAways:
1) Reassurance and reminding. There are a lot of tools I already use, and they work for me. The book reminded me of some, or suggested new spins for making them more useful. I liked that.
2) New tools that look promising, which makes it worth the read right there to me.
3) Most importantly, a Big Picture Structure to think about and use for my own life.
What do I mean by that third one? Well, for each type of Scanner, she proposes a Life Design Model, potential Careers, and some specific tools that might serve them. I like these descriptive terms.
The life design talks about how you structure your time to fit your natural inclinations, so that you can be happy and productive. The one that caught my attention was the 鈥減hysician model鈥�, (p. 156), where you spend a few days a week doing one thing, a few days a week doing another type of thing, and a couple weeks a year doing something-completely-different. That maps well to academia too, but being conscious about it may make it鈥ell, fit better. I鈥檝e already become aware that I need certain things in each day/week to feel good about myself, and the term 鈥淟ife Design Model鈥� and the examples are helping me to translate that knowledge into action.
In terms of potential careers, she talks about specific ones, but she also talks about some ways of classifying them (mixed - my logical-classifying-self would break them out a bit). The ones that caught my attention here were 鈥淭he umbrella job鈥�, which lets you do varied things under it, 鈥渢he good-enough-job,鈥� which just brings in enough $$ for you to manage (without sapping your soul) so you can do the stuff you care about, and the 鈥渕ultiple streams of income鈥� where you make a bit here and a bit there, and get by that way. I think I have had sequential 鈥渦mbrella jobs鈥� up to now. That may be what I look for next鈥� Or not, since I鈥檓 at a transitional point in life. I like being able to think about them this way. (Not a full list, of course - I鈥檓 focusing on what-I-found-useful.)
And of course, the shiny tools made me happy. I have a mind like a magpie, attracted to bright shiny ideas, especially in the form of models and metaphors. Plenty of that to amuse me.
To;dr version: despite the tediousness of the intro 鈥測ou鈥檙e different/speshul鈥� bit, I found this book useful and would recommend it to others.
May 30, 2012
I thought her suggestions of careers often unrealistic, I'll never use half her suggestions (some of which would just add to the clutter, IMHO), and she's a bit too much of a cheerleader for me, so why did I give the book five stars? Because I have read a ridiculous number of "figure out your career" kinda books, and she is a breath of fresh air. In my teen years, I loved the idea of marrying someone who, like me, wasn't interested in "a career," and then sending each other to school, repeatedly, as we switched careers our whole lives. This is the first "figure out your career" kinda book I've read where I get the impression the author could even understand that dream.
And while she is over-optimistic about the money some scanners could earn, she also recognizes that some people just don't care about money or prestige, and that that's okay. I've run across books for artists or actors that do that, but never a generic career kinda book. And I don't think it's just people who see themselves as artistic who feel that way, so it's nice to see it recognized that someone who could succeed as a real estate salesperson or whatever could be just as excited by a career where they don't make the big bucks, and nice to see someone say that it's okay to make that choice.
When I was a kid, What Color Is Your Parachute was considered revolutionary because he recommended figuring out your true passion and getting a job doing what you love. The other career books around back then were more about figuring out what you could do that would make good money. While there's a sense where this book is kind of retro -- finding a "Good Enough" job was pretty standard before Parachute -- it's also revolutionary as a career manual by encouraging people to not choose a career, or to make the most important thing in their lives something that doesn't earn money.
Where Parachute said, "You can be a success by doing what you love," Refuse to Choose makes a pretty good case for the idea that our current definition of "being a success" is a bad plan for many and should be abandoned. The people most in need of the knowledge that the "pursuit of happiness" is not the same as "finding the perfect career" are much more likely to read this book than the many books on other subjects that make that point.
And while she is over-optimistic about the money some scanners could earn, she also recognizes that some people just don't care about money or prestige, and that that's okay. I've run across books for artists or actors that do that, but never a generic career kinda book. And I don't think it's just people who see themselves as artistic who feel that way, so it's nice to see it recognized that someone who could succeed as a real estate salesperson or whatever could be just as excited by a career where they don't make the big bucks, and nice to see someone say that it's okay to make that choice.
When I was a kid, What Color Is Your Parachute was considered revolutionary because he recommended figuring out your true passion and getting a job doing what you love. The other career books around back then were more about figuring out what you could do that would make good money. While there's a sense where this book is kind of retro -- finding a "Good Enough" job was pretty standard before Parachute -- it's also revolutionary as a career manual by encouraging people to not choose a career, or to make the most important thing in their lives something that doesn't earn money.
Where Parachute said, "You can be a success by doing what you love," Refuse to Choose makes a pretty good case for the idea that our current definition of "being a success" is a bad plan for many and should be abandoned. The people most in need of the knowledge that the "pursuit of happiness" is not the same as "finding the perfect career" are much more likely to read this book than the many books on other subjects that make that point.
Read
February 12, 2025DNF 10% in... It was clear from the prologue that I wasn't going to find this book relatable (I should've done more research before buying it) so I skipped to a couple of interesting chapters in the hopes of bringing home some practical applications. I did not find anything particularly helpful in what I read, unfortunately. Moving on...
July 26, 2012
For you, if you feel a lifetime isn't nearly long enough to pursue all your interests and make use of all your abilities.
Barbara Sher addresses those of us with a multitude of interests and talents, the ones who swooned when they got a look at the course catalog in college, the ones who wanted to major in all of human knowledge. Not only does she describe us so accurately that I felt the book was about me personally, but every chapter had insights and techniques I could (and did) put to use immediately.
We have a unique set of problems to go with our thirsty minds, such as feeling so overwhelmed by the possibilities that we don't know where to start. Or feeling we can never study as many things as deeply as we want to, so why try? Not only did I recognize much about myself that I hadn't ever put into words, but as soon as I did she began to expand my thinking in a way that freed me from much self-criticism. Limiting beliefs I hadn't ever examined were laid out on the page, and then illuminated with such insight that they disappeared, the way the dark disappears when you turn on the light.
When I read a book with "exercises" I almost never do them. Except this time, when I couldn't wait to get out my pen. I learned something useful about myself from each one. There are lots of practical suggestions for making room in our lives for all our riches, and keeping track of them too! This book gave me new hope (and practical new ways) for actually learning and doing all those wonderful things I feel so drawn to. And in just one lifetime.
Barbara Sher addresses those of us with a multitude of interests and talents, the ones who swooned when they got a look at the course catalog in college, the ones who wanted to major in all of human knowledge. Not only does she describe us so accurately that I felt the book was about me personally, but every chapter had insights and techniques I could (and did) put to use immediately.
We have a unique set of problems to go with our thirsty minds, such as feeling so overwhelmed by the possibilities that we don't know where to start. Or feeling we can never study as many things as deeply as we want to, so why try? Not only did I recognize much about myself that I hadn't ever put into words, but as soon as I did she began to expand my thinking in a way that freed me from much self-criticism. Limiting beliefs I hadn't ever examined were laid out on the page, and then illuminated with such insight that they disappeared, the way the dark disappears when you turn on the light.
When I read a book with "exercises" I almost never do them. Except this time, when I couldn't wait to get out my pen. I learned something useful about myself from each one. There are lots of practical suggestions for making room in our lives for all our riches, and keeping track of them too! This book gave me new hope (and practical new ways) for actually learning and doing all those wonderful things I feel so drawn to. And in just one lifetime.
March 22, 2013
Do you have trouble sticking with anything or are interested in so many things you can't focus on just one? Do you get bored as soon as you learn how to do something? Are you unwilling to commit to a specific career path so work at low-paying jobs instead? Do you keep changing your mind about what you want to do and end up doing nothing? Do you quit because you think you'll miss out on something better?
If you said yes to any of these, chances are good that you're a Scanner. The term itself describes people who constantly scan the horizon, always looking and excited to explore the next thing 鈥� or everything.
In Refuse to Choose: A Revolutionary Program For Doing Everything That You Love, Barbara Sher explains, 鈥淯nlike those people who seem to find and be satisfied with one area of interest, you're genetically wired to be interested in many things, and that's exactly what you've been trying to do. Because your behavior is unfamiliar鈥攅ven unsettling鈥攖o the people around you, you've been taught that you're doing something wrong and you must try to change...What you've assumed is a disability to be overcome by sheer will is actually an exceptional gift. You are the owner of a remarkable, multitalented brain trying to do its work in a world that doesn't understand who you are and doesn't know why you behave as you do.鈥�
This book is designed to help Scanners understand themselves, reverse years of misunderstanding, and teach them tools to become more confident, productive people.
There are several types of Scanners and Ms. Sher describes each and provides tools for motivation and productivity, choices of lifestyle, and types of careers that fit best, all illustrated by dozens of examples from her decades as a speaker, career/lifestyle coach, and best-selling author.
If you look around the internet, Scanners are also called Renaissance people, Multipotentialites and probably a dozen other labels. There's advice out there, but nothing with the wide range of practical information I found in this book.
If you said yes to any of these, chances are good that you're a Scanner. The term itself describes people who constantly scan the horizon, always looking and excited to explore the next thing 鈥� or everything.
In Refuse to Choose: A Revolutionary Program For Doing Everything That You Love, Barbara Sher explains, 鈥淯nlike those people who seem to find and be satisfied with one area of interest, you're genetically wired to be interested in many things, and that's exactly what you've been trying to do. Because your behavior is unfamiliar鈥攅ven unsettling鈥攖o the people around you, you've been taught that you're doing something wrong and you must try to change...What you've assumed is a disability to be overcome by sheer will is actually an exceptional gift. You are the owner of a remarkable, multitalented brain trying to do its work in a world that doesn't understand who you are and doesn't know why you behave as you do.鈥�
This book is designed to help Scanners understand themselves, reverse years of misunderstanding, and teach them tools to become more confident, productive people.
There are several types of Scanners and Ms. Sher describes each and provides tools for motivation and productivity, choices of lifestyle, and types of careers that fit best, all illustrated by dozens of examples from her decades as a speaker, career/lifestyle coach, and best-selling author.
If you look around the internet, Scanners are also called Renaissance people, Multipotentialites and probably a dozen other labels. There's advice out there, but nothing with the wide range of practical information I found in this book.
July 11, 2014
I appreciated aspects of this book, but mostly it was pretty silly.
I recognize that "hey, you display these behavioural traits, here are some ways to make them work for you" is not a good way to sell a book. No--you must be labeled as a unique category of being, and then be offered a "revolutionary program" that will change your entire relationship with yourself. There was a lot of emphasis on how people-who-like-to-do-lots-of-things are "just wired differently!" and have "unique" brains that "just don't work like other people's!", while never once mentioning where this information about neurological difference came from.
Suggestions for managing one's host of creative projects literally included "buy thirty binders" and "have a desk for each project," which can really only work if you are single and live in a McMasion.
"Quotes" from people she's helped were just ridiculous. Again, I acknowledge this is a conceit of the self-help genre, but page after page of "I used to do all of these well-articulated bad things, but now I will ask a lot of leading questions [always in an 'astonished' tone] and come to a deep realization about myself in one succinct paragraph" was tiresome.
Finally, the optimistic careers section rings very, very hollow post 2008.
I sound meaner than I intend to though - in many ways Sher's message is really useful and liberating: you don't actually want to do a million things, you just want to do maybe 50, and that's possible. Some of them can be taken more seriously than others, and you should feel free to walk away from a project once it's no longer exciting to you - finishing doesn't have to be the goal of every hobby.
I recognize that "hey, you display these behavioural traits, here are some ways to make them work for you" is not a good way to sell a book. No--you must be labeled as a unique category of being, and then be offered a "revolutionary program" that will change your entire relationship with yourself. There was a lot of emphasis on how people-who-like-to-do-lots-of-things are "just wired differently!" and have "unique" brains that "just don't work like other people's!", while never once mentioning where this information about neurological difference came from.
Suggestions for managing one's host of creative projects literally included "buy thirty binders" and "have a desk for each project," which can really only work if you are single and live in a McMasion.
"Quotes" from people she's helped were just ridiculous. Again, I acknowledge this is a conceit of the self-help genre, but page after page of "I used to do all of these well-articulated bad things, but now I will ask a lot of leading questions [always in an 'astonished' tone] and come to a deep realization about myself in one succinct paragraph" was tiresome.
Finally, the optimistic careers section rings very, very hollow post 2008.
I sound meaner than I intend to though - in many ways Sher's message is really useful and liberating: you don't actually want to do a million things, you just want to do maybe 50, and that's possible. Some of them can be taken more seriously than others, and you should feel free to walk away from a project once it's no longer exciting to you - finishing doesn't have to be the goal of every hobby.
October 3, 2009
I just love Barbara Sher and wrote her and she actually replied and gave me advise.
Her books are about living your wishes and dreams. And it's good advise.
I'm reading all of her books and waiting for more.
And I'm reading them all a second time. Her advise is right up my alley. I love lists, being on task, charts, schedules and accomplishing things. She talks about childhood dreams and how they keep coming back and don't feel you can't accomplish anything. She tells us how and uses people she's helped do so. I love biographies so these little snippets help me to see I can do it too. She puts every blocker in the way and shows you how to get it out.
Yes, I will travel the world. It might take time but after all that's all we have in the end.
Her books are about living your wishes and dreams. And it's good advise.
I'm reading all of her books and waiting for more.
And I'm reading them all a second time. Her advise is right up my alley. I love lists, being on task, charts, schedules and accomplishing things. She talks about childhood dreams and how they keep coming back and don't feel you can't accomplish anything. She tells us how and uses people she's helped do so. I love biographies so these little snippets help me to see I can do it too. She puts every blocker in the way and shows you how to get it out.
Yes, I will travel the world. It might take time but after all that's all we have in the end.
June 20, 2015
Stumbling on to this book at the age of 44 leaves me with feelings of relief and despair. How did I not ever find this author before? But I'm glad I did. This book helped me see that I'm not flawed, I've been using the wrong tools to measure myself.
January 22, 2019
I thought the book was good because it validated me for some of my 鈥渟canner鈥� behaviors. I think if I read this in my 20鈥檚 it would be eye opening. In my 30鈥檚 it鈥檚 validating.
I thought it was good to hear other points of view. However the 2nd half of the book is trying to identify prescribed scanner types and what to do if you have these traits and it got tedious. I pushed thru and finished the book through. I think it could鈥檝e been said with less words. I would鈥檝e rated it a 4 if it wasn鈥檛 so repetitive towards the end.
I thought her info about how specialists came about with the Space Race.
I liked the book and respected what the author had to offer.
I thought it was good to hear other points of view. However the 2nd half of the book is trying to identify prescribed scanner types and what to do if you have these traits and it got tedious. I pushed thru and finished the book through. I think it could鈥檝e been said with less words. I would鈥檝e rated it a 4 if it wasn鈥檛 so repetitive towards the end.
I thought her info about how specialists came about with the Space Race.
I liked the book and respected what the author had to offer.
January 3, 2024
I'm not sure if I will use much information from this book, but it's mainly the 'permission' to enjoy and pursue multiple (lots of) hobbies and interests that has made a difference for me.
April 10, 2017
This book has real potential to change my life. Many self-help books are 'good' because of what psychologists call the Barnum Principle. That says that if you make things generic enough, what you say is bound to apply to just about anybody. However, this book is *not* like that. This book is specific enough that most people will find that it doesn't apply to them at all. But it definitely does apply to me. Barbara Sher defines several types of what she calls Scanners. There are Indecisives, Specialists and Masters, as well as sub categories within each one. Scanners are people who scan through various interests and careers, not being content to settle on any one thing for long. This, in contrast to the type of people who are perfectly happy being a banker during the day, reading finance books at night, and joining investing clubs with their free time. Scanners might be in a cooking club, work as a freelance writer for software, and train monkeys in their free time. I am most definitely a Scanner.[return][return]Being 'diagnosed' as a Scanner is extremely relieving for most of us, because society is constantly telling us to settle. Knowing that there are many others like us and that being a Scanner isn't a disease feels great. But that wouldn't really do much if she didn't also provide Scanners with a lot of tools that help us to be both happy and productive as a Scanner. There are two main approaches that she takes. The first is to possibly find a career path or a single career that provides the variety a Scanner needs. The second can be done at the same time, or can be done on it's own. That is, get a "Good Enough Job" that pays the bills and *enables* variety in regular life even if it doesn't provide it as a vocation. [return][return]She teaches a lot of other tools that both foster and manage the Scanner nature. One example is the "LTTL" tool. That provides the Scanner the ability to Learn, Try, Teach and Leave a given interest rather than feeling forced to commit for a lifetime. To help that be acceptable, she explains that all people leave a given activity, relationship, or job when they have received what is the reward for them. For Scanners, in most cases, learning the thing to some varying level of competency (thus the different types of scanners) is the reward we are looking for in an activity. Once we have learned it to our desired level, we are done with it and the activity becomes boring and excruciating to endure for us. This last point was a real eye-opener for me. I'm not lame, or a flake, it's just that once I've learned enough about something, there is no longer any reward in it for me. Once I reach that point, further involvement is so painful, I become almost incapable of learning more or progressing further.[return][return]Barbara Sher also presents a lot of other valuable tools such as the Life's Work Bookshelf and a system of record keeping that helps a Scanner keep track of all their fast coming and fast going ideas.[return][return]If you think you might be a Scanner, you would be making a huge mistake not to devote some time to looking through this book (scanning it maybe?). It will take me a long time to process and incorporate all the things that I learned, but man was this book written for me!
December 13, 2017
携 褋 斜芯谢褜褕懈屑 薪械褌械褉锌械薪懈械屑 锌褉懈褋褌褍锌邪谢邪 泻 褝褌芯泄 泻薪懈谐械, 锌芯褋泻芯谢褜泻褍 写芯谢谐芯械 胁褉械屑褟 薪械 屑芯谐谢邪 锌芯薪褟褌褜, 褔褌芯 褋芯 屑薪芯泄 薪械 褌邪泻 懈 泻邪泻 卸懈褌褜 褋 芯斜懈谢懈械屑 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪褘褏 懈薪褌械褉械褋芯胁. 袨泻邪蟹邪谢芯褋褜, 褔褌芯 褟 薪械 芯写懈薪芯泻邪 胁 褋胁芯械泄 锌褉芯斜谢械屑械, 褔褌芯 褝褌芯 薪芯褉屑邪谢褜薪芯 懈, 斜芯谢械械 褌芯谐芯, 屑芯械 屑褘褕谢械薪懈械 - 屑褘褕谢械薪懈械 褋泻邪薪械褉邪 (褌邪泻芯械 芯锌褉械写械谢械薪懈械 袘邪褉斜邪褉邪 楔械褉 写邪谢邪 褌邪泻懈屑 谢褞写褟屑, 泻邪泻 褟) 胁 泻邪泻芯泄-褌芯 褋褌械锌械薪懈 褍薪懈泻邪谢褜薪芯. 袠屑械薪薪芯 芯斜 褝褌芯屑 懈写械褌 褉械褔褜 胁 锌械褉胁芯泄 锌芯谢芯胁懈薪械 泻薪懈谐懈, 泻芯褌芯褉邪褟 褟胁谢褟械褌褋褟 屑芯褌懈胁邪褑懈芯薪薪芯泄. 袛邪谢械械 褉邪褋褋屑邪褌褉懈胁邪褞褌褋褟 褉邪蟹谢懈褔薪褘械 褌懈锌褘 懈 锌芯写褌懈锌褘 褋泻邪薪械褉芯胁, 懈 褟 写芯胁芯谢褜薪芯 斜褘褋褌褉芯 芯锌褉械写械谢懈谢邪, 泻 泻邪泻芯屑褍 褌懈锌褍 芯褌薪芯褕褍褋褜. 袩褉芯 芯褋褌邪谢褜薪褘械 褌懈锌褘 褔懈褌邪谢邪 斜芯谢褜褕械 懈蟹 谢褞斜芯锌褘褌褋褌胁邪, 褏芯褌褟 褝褌芯 褍卸械 斜褘谢芯 薪械 褌邪泻 懈薪褌械褉械褋薪芯. 袧械 屑芯谐褍 褋泻邪蟹邪褌褜, 褔褌芯 褍蟹薪邪谢邪 屑薪芯谐芯 薪芯胁芯谐芯 写谢褟 褋械斜褟 胁 褌械褏 屑械褌芯写邪褏 懈 褋锌芯褋芯斜邪褏, 泻芯褌芯褉褘械 袘邪褉斜邪褉邪 锌褉械写谢邪谐邪械褌 屑芯械屑褍 褌懈锌褍, 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 褟 泻 薪懈屑 锌褉懈褕谢邪 褋邪屑芯褋褌芯褟褌械谢褜薪芯, 薪邪 懈薪褌褍懈褌懈胁薪芯屑 褍褉芯胁薪械, 械褖械 写芯 褔褌械薪懈褟 泻薪懈谐懈, 锌褉芯褋褌芯 褌械锌械褉褜 锌芯写褏芯卸褍 泻 薪懈屑 斜芯谢械械 芯褋芯蟹薪邪薪薪芯. 袣邪褋邪械屑芯 锌褉械写谢邪谐邪械屑褘褏 锌褉芯褎械褋褋懈泄 - 褌芯卸械 褋锌芯褉薪芯. 袠褏 薪械胁芯蟹屑芯卸薪芯 懈褋锌芯谢褜蟹芯胁邪褌褜 泻邪泻 褉械褑械锌褌, 锌芯褌芯屑褍 褔褌芯 斜芯谢褜褕懈薪褋褌胁芯 懈蟹 薪懈褏 胁 薪邪褕懈褏 褉芯褋褋懈泄褋泻懈褏 褉械邪谢懈褟褏 写芯胁芯谢褜薪芯 褌褉褍写薪芯 锌褉懈屑械薪懈褌褜. 袨薪懈, 褋泻芯褉械械, 褏芯褉芯褕懈 胁 泻邪褔械褋褌胁械 懈写械懈 懈谢懈 薪邪锌褉邪胁谢械薪懈褟 屑褘褋谢懈.
袣邪泻 懈褌芯谐 屑芯谐褍 褋泻邪蟹邪褌褜, 褔褌芯 泻薪懈谐邪 写械泄褋褌胁懈褌械谢褜薪芯 屑芯褌懈胁懈褉褍械褌, 胁写芯褏薪芯胁谢褟械褌, 屑械薪褟械褌 胁 泻邪泻芯泄-褌芯 褋褌械锌械薪懈 褌胁芯械 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈械 胁 谢褍褔褕褍褞 褋褌芯褉芯薪褍, 褍褔懈褌 薪械 斜芯褟褌褜褋褟 胁褋械谐芯 褌芯谐芯 屑薪芯卸械褋褌胁邪 褍胁谢械褔械薪懈泄, 泻 泻芯褌芯褉褘屑 褌械斜褟 屑邪薪懈褌, 锌芯屑芯谐邪械褌 褋褌褉褍泻褌褍褉懈褉芯胁邪褌褜 懈 芯褉谐邪薪懈蟹芯胁邪褌褜 褌胁芯褞 写械褟褌械谢褜薪芯褋褌褜, 薪芯 谐芯褌芯胁芯谐芯 褉械褕械薪懈褟 锌褉芯斜谢械屑褘 薪械 写邪械褌. 袩芯 泻褉邪泄薪械泄 屑械褉械, 写谢褟 褋械斜褟 褟 械谐芯 薪械 薪邪褕谢邪. 袧芯 褝褌芯 薪械 锌谢芯褏芯 - 械褋褌褜 芯 褔械屑 锌芯褉邪蟹屑褘褕谢褟褌褜.
袣邪泻 懈褌芯谐 屑芯谐褍 褋泻邪蟹邪褌褜, 褔褌芯 泻薪懈谐邪 写械泄褋褌胁懈褌械谢褜薪芯 屑芯褌懈胁懈褉褍械褌, 胁写芯褏薪芯胁谢褟械褌, 屑械薪褟械褌 胁 泻邪泻芯泄-褌芯 褋褌械锌械薪懈 褌胁芯械 褋芯蟹薪邪薪懈械 胁 谢褍褔褕褍褞 褋褌芯褉芯薪褍, 褍褔懈褌 薪械 斜芯褟褌褜褋褟 胁褋械谐芯 褌芯谐芯 屑薪芯卸械褋褌胁邪 褍胁谢械褔械薪懈泄, 泻 泻芯褌芯褉褘屑 褌械斜褟 屑邪薪懈褌, 锌芯屑芯谐邪械褌 褋褌褉褍泻褌褍褉懈褉芯胁邪褌褜 懈 芯褉谐邪薪懈蟹芯胁邪褌褜 褌胁芯褞 写械褟褌械谢褜薪芯褋褌褜, 薪芯 谐芯褌芯胁芯谐芯 褉械褕械薪懈褟 锌褉芯斜谢械屑褘 薪械 写邪械褌. 袩芯 泻褉邪泄薪械泄 屑械褉械, 写谢褟 褋械斜褟 褟 械谐芯 薪械 薪邪褕谢邪. 袧芯 褝褌芯 薪械 锌谢芯褏芯 - 械褋褌褜 芯 褔械屑 锌芯褉邪蟹屑褘褕谢褟褌褜.
June 30, 2021
Will come back to this at some point.
August 30, 2013
I was really interested in the concept of this book, and the author sounds like she's a very good life coach. The style of the book, however, was very chaotic. She spent a great deal of time simply telling feelings and experiences and very little making any clear conclusions. It would have been great if it were intended simply as stories from her life, and if I wasn't specifically looking for the help and solutions she continually promised throughout the book.
I don't write many online reviews, but I was frustrated by the useful concept and intentions of the author combined with the very poor organization and editing of the book. I would have loved to help her edit the book and come out with a more useful end product. Also, I think I would have learned more about the subject.
Overall, I did get a few ideas for organizing that is complementary to this style of learning. I hope this book is more helpful for others than it was for me.
I don't write many online reviews, but I was frustrated by the useful concept and intentions of the author combined with the very poor organization and editing of the book. I would have loved to help her edit the book and come out with a more useful end product. Also, I think I would have learned more about the subject.
Overall, I did get a few ideas for organizing that is complementary to this style of learning. I hope this book is more helpful for others than it was for me.
April 19, 2018
It's rare to read a book that changes the way I see myself, but this book has accomplished just that very thing. All my life I've struggled with the feeling of dissatisfaction, unable to settle on just one thing. I've never really had just one calling, and I've always felt inferior because of it, as if there was a piece of me missing. But Barbara Sher has changed all that. I'm not defective, I'm gifted with curiosity. I'm not flighty, I'm blessed with the unusual abilities of a scanner. I'll never settle on just one thing, and that's okay. To be satisfied, I need to use all my gifts and explore all my ideas, even if it's only for a little while. This book is chock full of wonderful ideas to help and inspire people like me who simply want to devour the world, who can't get enough of learning and trying new things. You're not defective! You're special. And with the ideas in this book you can find a new way of appreciating your unique way of experiencing the world.
November 20, 2018
I thought the writing was boring. It repeated a lot of the same ideas and I ended up skimming a lot of it. I don't think I am a full scanner either. Only about 80% of what she said applied to me. And most of her suggestions are things I already do. Several people recommend this book to me but I didn't really find it well written or applicable.
June 20, 2020
*4.5 stars
When I was in school, it was the most demoralising, panic-inducing burden to be pressured to figure out "what I wanted to do when I grow up". I was rebellious enough to choose not to go to university, instead entering into the world of work at age 18 (voluntary work for the first ten months). School and qualifications had meant nothing to me. I did not know what I wanted to do when I grew up. School had also crowded out my ability to recognise, value, explore and embrace what my own interests were (because they would have been nothing to do with school at that time and seemingly nothing to do with jobs or careers, or else were interests I protected from such a dull, arduous endeavour). Although I did more or less land myself in jobs that I enjoyed for the most part (the latest one I've been doing for 18 years now bar 3.5 years off when I had my daughter), I spent my 20s agonising over "what I want to do when I grow up", desperately wishing I could find that one "passion" or "calling", like I'd been led to believe everyone should have. My 30s, now a mum, I spent studying (over 9 years) with the Open University, purely for my own interest with no intention for it to lead to a career, in order to fill up my free time with something meaningful and ultimately bagging myself a BSc (Hons) in Geosciences. I enjoyed it, but it was nevertheless STILL a distraction from really discovering for myself what my own interests were (other than geology, of course).
Enter my 40s (I'm 44), and I finally made peace with the fact that I have a Good Enough Job, not quite full time, that I usually enjoy, with nice people, that leaves me enough time and energy to be a mum, keep house, and try and follow my own interests as well. I had come to the conclusion by the time I read this book that I didn't actually need to find one true passion, that a Good Enough Job was, well, good enough, and that life outside work was fun enough, fascinating enough, full enough to keep me happy. I have stopped trying to find "what I want to do when I grow up", my only problem now being how on earth to fit in everything that I want to do, outside of work and being mum, and how to motivate myself to do them!
If I had read this book in my teens and 20s, it would have been revelationary, it would have changed my life and my self esteem, it's a shame in a way that I did not find it sooner. But it was very satisfying nodding along and recognising myself in it. I have also got other things from the book that I hadn't yet realised - the most helpful aspect for me so far was the encouragement to think about what the commonalities might be between all my interests, what draws me to certain things, what motivates me to keep going with them, and I have had quite a few lightbulbs with regards to that, that will help me to dive even more into my interests, and those interests that I've never quite managed to spend time on. (I'm a Sybil type, a 'cyclical scanner', with a group of interests that I keep returning to, though I do get drawn into new rabbit holes now and then!) I haven't fully dove into trying the things that Barbara suggests so I will be revisiting it all for some time to come, I think.
The first half of the book is the debunking of conventional ideas, and descriptions of what being a Scanner is like, introducing some of the tools etc, while the second half is a chapter each for a certain type of Scanner, starting with the problems and challenges they face (using the anecdotes and experiences from 'real' people) and concluding with tools they could use to dive into their interests, and what kinds of jobs and careers they might look into. I admit I skimread a lot of those chapters, partly because as I said, the career/job conundrum is no longer an issue for me, and partly because of course I don't identify with all the types (though I do recognise in myself a few aspects from each).
I do like the anecdotal way the book is written, it's like going on a journey meeting lots of different people with their different lives, interests, experiences (people interest me anyway...). It's possibly a tad too anecdotal in a way, it doesn't feel solidly research-based or even survey-based (the mention of 'genetics' for example is extremely casual, with no evidence to back up the claim! I think her point there is to emphasise that: you're wired this way, embrace it and don't feel ashamed of it or try to change to fit what you think you 'should' be doing. I like that she tries to find solutions to fit the person, not the other way round).
I would have liked a clear table and maybe bullet-pointed description of all the types together, to compare them, as it did get a tad confusing reading chapter after chapter and figuring out the differences myself. One single questionnaire to lead you to the type of Scanner you most likely are would have been cool too, though the questions at the beginning of each chapter helped. But then, I like stuff like that. I don't necessarily think it's a good thing to put people into boxes but it's fun! I like that there were bits I could take from all the different types of Scanners, even though I identified most strongly with the Sybil.
Barbara Sher died in May this year, something I didn't realise until halfway through the book. There's absolutely no doubt that she did a lot of great work to help change many people's lives for the better, and I feel a little sad that I'm not able to try and seek her out now to share my own experience of her book. :3
When I was in school, it was the most demoralising, panic-inducing burden to be pressured to figure out "what I wanted to do when I grow up". I was rebellious enough to choose not to go to university, instead entering into the world of work at age 18 (voluntary work for the first ten months). School and qualifications had meant nothing to me. I did not know what I wanted to do when I grew up. School had also crowded out my ability to recognise, value, explore and embrace what my own interests were (because they would have been nothing to do with school at that time and seemingly nothing to do with jobs or careers, or else were interests I protected from such a dull, arduous endeavour). Although I did more or less land myself in jobs that I enjoyed for the most part (the latest one I've been doing for 18 years now bar 3.5 years off when I had my daughter), I spent my 20s agonising over "what I want to do when I grow up", desperately wishing I could find that one "passion" or "calling", like I'd been led to believe everyone should have. My 30s, now a mum, I spent studying (over 9 years) with the Open University, purely for my own interest with no intention for it to lead to a career, in order to fill up my free time with something meaningful and ultimately bagging myself a BSc (Hons) in Geosciences. I enjoyed it, but it was nevertheless STILL a distraction from really discovering for myself what my own interests were (other than geology, of course).
Enter my 40s (I'm 44), and I finally made peace with the fact that I have a Good Enough Job, not quite full time, that I usually enjoy, with nice people, that leaves me enough time and energy to be a mum, keep house, and try and follow my own interests as well. I had come to the conclusion by the time I read this book that I didn't actually need to find one true passion, that a Good Enough Job was, well, good enough, and that life outside work was fun enough, fascinating enough, full enough to keep me happy. I have stopped trying to find "what I want to do when I grow up", my only problem now being how on earth to fit in everything that I want to do, outside of work and being mum, and how to motivate myself to do them!
If I had read this book in my teens and 20s, it would have been revelationary, it would have changed my life and my self esteem, it's a shame in a way that I did not find it sooner. But it was very satisfying nodding along and recognising myself in it. I have also got other things from the book that I hadn't yet realised - the most helpful aspect for me so far was the encouragement to think about what the commonalities might be between all my interests, what draws me to certain things, what motivates me to keep going with them, and I have had quite a few lightbulbs with regards to that, that will help me to dive even more into my interests, and those interests that I've never quite managed to spend time on. (I'm a Sybil type, a 'cyclical scanner', with a group of interests that I keep returning to, though I do get drawn into new rabbit holes now and then!) I haven't fully dove into trying the things that Barbara suggests so I will be revisiting it all for some time to come, I think.
The first half of the book is the debunking of conventional ideas, and descriptions of what being a Scanner is like, introducing some of the tools etc, while the second half is a chapter each for a certain type of Scanner, starting with the problems and challenges they face (using the anecdotes and experiences from 'real' people) and concluding with tools they could use to dive into their interests, and what kinds of jobs and careers they might look into. I admit I skimread a lot of those chapters, partly because as I said, the career/job conundrum is no longer an issue for me, and partly because of course I don't identify with all the types (though I do recognise in myself a few aspects from each).
I do like the anecdotal way the book is written, it's like going on a journey meeting lots of different people with their different lives, interests, experiences (people interest me anyway...). It's possibly a tad too anecdotal in a way, it doesn't feel solidly research-based or even survey-based (the mention of 'genetics' for example is extremely casual, with no evidence to back up the claim! I think her point there is to emphasise that: you're wired this way, embrace it and don't feel ashamed of it or try to change to fit what you think you 'should' be doing. I like that she tries to find solutions to fit the person, not the other way round).
I would have liked a clear table and maybe bullet-pointed description of all the types together, to compare them, as it did get a tad confusing reading chapter after chapter and figuring out the differences myself. One single questionnaire to lead you to the type of Scanner you most likely are would have been cool too, though the questions at the beginning of each chapter helped. But then, I like stuff like that. I don't necessarily think it's a good thing to put people into boxes but it's fun! I like that there were bits I could take from all the different types of Scanners, even though I identified most strongly with the Sybil.
Barbara Sher died in May this year, something I didn't realise until halfway through the book. There's absolutely no doubt that she did a lot of great work to help change many people's lives for the better, and I feel a little sad that I'm not able to try and seek her out now to share my own experience of her book. :3
January 7, 2024
Great read for people who have lots of interests, bounce from idea to idea, and want to find more time to do them all. Now if I can just get organized enough to get started. Scanners, unite!
April 6, 2021
This book is probably my most recommended book of all time, in any category. When I say it changed my life, I鈥檓 not kidding. All of my life, I鈥檝e wanted to do, well, everything. I don鈥檛 know if you鈥檝e noticed (I have), but the current consciousness (western, at least) tends to think everyone needs to pick one thing and stick with it. This isn鈥檛 an accurate representation of the world, obviously, but it鈥檚 out there, the same way that 鈥渂oys can鈥檛 like pink鈥� is out there, and inaccurate, to say the least. For me, 鈥減ick one thing and stick with it鈥� was as damaging as 鈥渂oys can鈥檛 like pink鈥� can be. I spent my childhood being asked what I wanted to be when I grew up; every time I鈥檇 have a different answer and the adult asking would say, 鈥淒idn鈥檛 you say you wanted to be an insert-other-job-here?鈥�
鈥淲ell, I want to be both and/or all of those things,鈥� wasn鈥檛 an answer.
Enter, this book. Barbara Sher points out that this 鈥渙ne thing and one thing only鈥� approach doesn鈥檛 fit everyone, and in fact never fit some of the most well-known minds in history. The first part of the book is focused on helping people like me come to terms with the fact that we are normal even if we don鈥檛 fit the current mold. For the first time in my life, I felt seen. The second part of the book is focused on figuring out how people like this think, focusing on different iterations on the theme, from people who have 17 different things they want to do every day, to people who want to dive into a career for 5 years and then move on to something else for another 5 (or 10 or 2), then rinse and repeat. The best part? Within this section, Sher explains different productivity or focus methods for each archetype, and never once says 鈥淛ust pick one.鈥� I personally fit a few molds, and pulled tactics from every archetype.
Even if this doesn鈥檛 sound like you, I鈥檇 bet reading this book would give you insight into some people you know who can鈥檛 seem to choose. Maybe they鈥檙e not made to.
鈥淲ell, I want to be both and/or all of those things,鈥� wasn鈥檛 an answer.
Enter, this book. Barbara Sher points out that this 鈥渙ne thing and one thing only鈥� approach doesn鈥檛 fit everyone, and in fact never fit some of the most well-known minds in history. The first part of the book is focused on helping people like me come to terms with the fact that we are normal even if we don鈥檛 fit the current mold. For the first time in my life, I felt seen. The second part of the book is focused on figuring out how people like this think, focusing on different iterations on the theme, from people who have 17 different things they want to do every day, to people who want to dive into a career for 5 years and then move on to something else for another 5 (or 10 or 2), then rinse and repeat. The best part? Within this section, Sher explains different productivity or focus methods for each archetype, and never once says 鈥淛ust pick one.鈥� I personally fit a few molds, and pulled tactics from every archetype.
Even if this doesn鈥檛 sound like you, I鈥檇 bet reading this book would give you insight into some people you know who can鈥檛 seem to choose. Maybe they鈥檙e not made to.
December 4, 2019
Do you mean maybe I'm not a failure?
"賲丕匕丕 鬲乇賷丿 兀賳 鬲賰賵賳 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賰亘乇責"
鬲賯乇賷亘賸丕 賱賲 賷賮賱鬲 丕賳爻丕賳 賲賳 賴匕丕 丕賱爻丐丕賱 毓賳丿賲丕 賰丕賳 胤賮賱賸丕. 毓賳 賳賮爻賷... 賰賳鬲 丿賵賲賸丕 兀丨丕賵賱 丕賱賴乇亘 賲賳 丕賱賰亘丕乇 丕賱匕賷賳 賷賳鬲馗乇賵賳 賲賳賷 廿噩丕亘丞 丨丕爻賲丞 毓賱賷賴. 賷爻鬲賮爻乇 兀亘賷 兀賵 兀賲賷 兀賵 賲毓賱賲賷 兀賵 噩賲賷毓 賲賳 丨賵賱賷 毓賳 賲賷賵賱賷 賵賲賵丕賴亘賷 賰賷 賷爻丕毓丿賵賳賳賷 毓賱賶 鬲賳賲賷鬲賴丕 賵氐賯賱賴丕貙 賱賰賳賴賲 賰丕賳賵丕 賷睾賮賱賵賳 毓賳 兀賳賳賷 賰胤賮賱 賱賲 鬲鬲毓丿 爻賳賵丕鬲 毓賲乇賷 兀氐丕亘毓 丕賱賷丿賷賳貙 賲丕夭賱鬲 兀爻鬲賰卮賮 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賲賳 丨賵賱賷貙 兀鬲賱賲賾爻 胤乇賷賯賷 賵兀噩乇賾亘 兀賳 兀噩丿 賮賷 賳賮爻賷 賲賷賱賸丕 賱賴貙 賰丕賳 賱丿賷 乇睾亘丕鬲 賲禺鬲賱胤丞貙 賱賰賳賴賲 賰丕賳賵丕 賷胤賱亘賵賳 丿賵賲賸丕 丕禺鬲賷丕乇賸丕 賵丕丨丿賸丕 賮賯胤. 賵賱賴匕丕 賮賰丕賳 賲賳 丕賱胤亘賷毓賷 兀賳 兀卮毓乇 亘丕賱丕乇鬲亘丕賰 賰賱賲丕 爻賲毓鬲 賴匕丕 丕賱爻丐丕賱. 兀賳馗乇 廿賱賶 兀賯乇丕賳賷 賮兀噩丿 兀賳 賰賱 賵丕丨丿 賲賳賴賲 噩丕賴夭 亘丕賱廿噩丕亘丞貙 賮賴賳丕賰 賲賳 賷賵丿 兀賳 賷賰賵賳 賲賴賳丿爻賸丕 兀賵 賲購毓賱賾賲賸丕 兀賵 胤賷賾丕乇賸丕 兀賵 廿胤賮丕卅賷賸賾丕 兀賵 胤亘賷亘賸丕 兀賵 乇丕卅丿 賮囟丕亍! 賵賱賱兀賲丕賳丞 鬲賲賳賾賷鬲 兀賳 兀賰賵賳 噩賲賷毓賴賲!
乇丕亘胤 丕賱賲乇丕噩毓丞 亘卮賰賱 賲購賳爻賾賯
賵賲毓 賰賱 廿噩丕亘丞 兀爻賲毓賴丕 兀丨丕賵賱 兀賳 兀鬲禺賷賾賱 賳賮爻賷 賮賷賴丕 賵兀鬲爻丕亍賱 廿賳 賰丕賳鬲 爻賷賳丕爻亘賳賷 匕賱賰 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇 賰賷 兀賰賲賱 丨賷丕鬲賷 亘賴 兀賲 賱丕. 賰賳鬲 睾丕賱亘賸丕 兀噩丿 賳賮爻賷 鬲丕卅賴賸丕 亘賱丕 兀賷 噩賵丕亘. 毓賳丿賲丕 兀毓賱賳鬲 廿噩丕亘鬲賷 "賱丕 兀毓乇賮"貨 賵丕噩賴鬲 丨賷賳賴丕 爻禺乇賷丞 賲賳 丕賱噩賲賷毓貙 "賰賷賮 賱丕 鬲毓乇賮責" "兀賱丕 鬲乇賶 夭賲賱丕卅賰 賷毓乇賮賵賳責" "賱丕亘丿 兀賳 鬲丨丿丿". 賮丕毓鬲賯丿鬲 兀賳 丕賱賲卮賰賱丞 鬲賰賲賳 賮賷 賳賮爻賷 賱兀賳賳賷 賱丕 兀爻鬲胤賷毓 鬲丨丿賷丿 賲賷賵賱賷 鬲噩丕賴 賲賴賳丞 兀賵 賴賵丕賷丞 兀賵 賲丕丿丞 兀丿乇爻賴丕. 賵賵賱丿 丿丕禺賱賷 廿丨爻丕爻 亘丕賱賮卮賱貙 賵亘兀賳賳賷 卮禺氐 睾乇賷亘 毓賲賾賳 丨賵賱賷.
"I Imagined them looking at me like I was an idiot"
夭丕丿鬲 丨賷乇鬲賷 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賵噩賾亘 毓賱賷賾 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇 亘賷賳 丕賱氐賮 丕賱毓賱賲賷 兀賵 丕賱兀丿亘賷貙 兀禺亘乇賵賳賷 亘兀賳 賴賳丕賰 胤乇賷賯 賵丕丨丿 賮賯胤 賷噩亘 兀賳 兀爻賱賰賴貙 賮毓噩夭鬲 毓賳 鬲丨丿賷丿賴 賱兀賳賳賷 卮毓乇鬲 亘丕賳鬲賲丕卅賷 賱賰賱丕 丕賱丕鬲噩丕賴賷賳. 賰賳鬲 兀氐睾乇 賲賳 兀丿乇賰 賲爻丐賵賱賷丞 丕鬲禺丕匕 匕賱賰 丕賱賯乇丕乇. 賱賰賳賳賷 丕鬲禺匕鬲賴 亘丕賱賳賴丕賷丞 亘賲亘乇乇丕鬲 胤睾鬲 毓賱賷賴丕 丕賱毓丕胤賮丞貙 賵毓卮賵丕卅賷丞 丕賱鬲賮賰賷乇. 賰賱賲丕 鬲賯丿賾賲鬲 賮賷 丕賱毓賲乇貙 賲乇乇鬲 亘賲賵丕賯賮 鬲毓賷賾賳 毓賱賷賾 賮賷賴丕 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇貙 丕禺鬲賷丕乇 丕賱賰賱賷丞 兀賵 丕賱噩丕賲毓丞貙 丕禺鬲賷丕乇 鬲禺氐氐貙 丕禺鬲賷丕乇 賵馗賷賮丞. 爻亘賾亘 匕賱賰 賱賷 匕賱賰 賴丕噩爻賸丕 賲爻鬲賲乇賸丕 賷胤丕乇丿賳賷 胤賵丕賱 爻賳賵丕鬲 丨賷丕鬲賷. 賵兀賯乇 亘兀賳賴 賯丿 丿賮毓賳賷 賮賷 賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱兀丨賷丕賳 廿賱賶 丕鬲禺丕匕 賯乇丕乇丕鬲 亘卮賰賱 丕囟胤乇丕乇賷 -丨鬲賶 賵廿賳 賱賲 鬲賰賳 賱丿賷 乇睾亘丞 丨賯賷賯賷丞 鬲噩丕賴賴丕- 鬲丨鬲 囟睾賵胤 亘丨鬲賲賷丞 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇.
"I've been trying to conform to the worldview that there is only one true path and I was supposed to find it at 18!"
兀毓鬲乇賮 兀賳賳賷 賰賳鬲 兀乇睾亘 賮賷 丕賱鬲毓賱賲 兀賰孬乇 賲賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賮乇賵囟賸丕 毓賱賷賾貙 賵賰賳鬲 兀賴丿賮 廿賱賶 丕賱鬲賳賵賾毓 賮賷 賲賲丕乇爻丞 丕賱賴賵丕賷丕鬲 兀賰孬乇 賲賲丕 賰丕賳 賷購鬲丕丨 賱賷. 賱賴匕丕 馗賱 丕賱爻丐丕賱 丕賱匕賷 爻賰賳 丿丕禺賱賷 賵毓丕卮 賲毓賷 賰賱 賴匕賴 丕賱爻賳賵丕鬲 "賱賲丕匕丕 賷鬲賵噩賾亘 毓賱賷賾 兀賳 兀禺鬲丕乇責"
賲購鬲兀禺賾乇賸丕 噩丿賸丕 賯乇兀鬲 賰鬲丕亘 丕乇賮囟 兀賳 鬲禺鬲丕乇 " Refuse to choose" 賱賱賰丕鬲亘丞 丕賱兀賲乇賷賰賷丞 亘丕乇亘乇丕 卮賷乇 鈥淏arbra Sher鈥澵� 賵匕賱賰 亘毓丿 兀賳 乇卮丨賴 賱賷 亘毓囟 丕賱兀氐丿賯丕亍 毓賳丿賲丕 賰賳鬲 兀鬲丨丿孬 毓賳 賴賵丕賷丕鬲賷 丕賱毓丿賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 兀賲丕乇爻賴丕貙 賵丕賱鬲賷 賯丿 賱丕 賷乇亘胤賴丕 -馗丕賴乇賷賸丕- 乇丕亘胤 賵丕丨丿.
毓賳丿賲丕 亘丿兀鬲 賮賷 賯乇丕亍丞 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賱賲 兀鬲賵賯毓 兀賳 兀賰鬲卮賮 兀賳 賴賳丕賰 賲賳 賴賵 賲孬賱賷貙 卮禺氐 賷卮毓乇 亘丕賱匕賳亘 賰賵賳賴 丨丕卅乇賸丕 亘賷賳 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇丕鬲 賱丕 賷爻鬲胤賷毓 鬲丨丿賷丿 丨爻賲 兀賲乇賴貙 賱丿賷賴 賰賱 賷賵賲 乇睾亘丞 賮賷 鬲噩乇亘丞 卮賷亍 噩丿賷丿貙 賷鬲賳賯賱 亘賷賳 丕賱賴賵丕賷丕鬲 丨鬲賶 賵廿賳 賱賲 鬲賰鬲賲賱 賲卮丕乇賷毓賴. 丕賰鬲卮賮鬲 兀賷囟賸丕 兀賳賳賷 兀賳鬲賲賷 廿賱賶 鬲氐賳賷賮 賵丕丨丿 賮賯胤 賲賳 亘賷賳 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 鬲氐賳賷賮丕鬲 鬲賯毓 噩賲賷毓賴丕 鬲丨鬲 丕爻賲 賵丕丨丿 賰亘賷乇 賷購爻賲賾賶 " 丕賱兀卮禺丕氐 賲鬲毓丿丿賷 丕賱賲賵丕賴亘" 兀賵 賰賲丕 鬲胤賱賯 毓賱賷賴賲 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 丕爻賲 Scanner.
"You'll notice I didn't use the word "or" because Scanners don't love to do one thing or the other; they love them all."
丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賵丕賱鬲賷 賰丕賳鬲 鬲毓丕賳賷 賲賳匕 氐睾乇賴丕 賲賳 廿噩亘丕乇 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 賱賴丕 丿丕卅賲賸丕 毓賱賶 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇貙 賲賳匕 兀賳 賰丕賳鬲 賮賷 丕賱賲丿乇爻丞 兀賵 丕賱噩丕賲毓丞 毓賳丿賲丕 鬲賲 廿噩亘丕乇賴丕 毓賱賶 丕禺鬲賷丕乇 賯爻賲 賱賱鬲禺氐氐 賮賷賴貙 乇睾賲 兀賳賴丕 賱賲 鬲噩丿 賮賷 賳賮爻賴丕 賲賷賱賸丕 賱卮賷亍 賵丕丨丿 賮賯胤貙 賵廿賳賲丕 乇睾亘丞 賮賷 丕賱鬲毓賱賾賲 賱兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賲丕丿丞 鬲賳鬲賲賷 賱兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賯爻賲. 賯丕賲鬲 亘噩賲毓 賯氐氐 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 兀氐丨丕亘 丕賱賲賵丕賴亘 丕賱賲鬲毓丿丿丞 賲孬賱賴丕 賱鬲亘乇賴賳 亘賴丕 兀賳 毓丿賲 丕賱賯丿乇丞 毓賱賶 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇 賱賷爻 囟乇賵乇賷賸丕 兀賳 賷賰賵賳 卮賷卅賸丕 爻賱亘賷賸丕貙 賵廿賳賲丕 賯丿 鬲賰賵賳 賰賮丕亍丞 丕爻鬲孬賳丕卅賷丞 賱亘毓囟 丕賱兀卮禺丕氐 丕賱匕賷賳 賮賷 丕爻鬲胤丕毓鬲賴賲 丕賱噩賲毓 亘賷賳 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 賴賵丕賷丞 兀賵 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 卮睾賮 兀賵 丨鬲賶 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 毓賲賱.
鬲購賯爻賾賲 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 兀氐丨丕亘 丕賱賲賵丕賴亘 丕賱賲鬲毓丿丿丞 廿賱賶 兀丨丿 毓卮乇 賳賵毓貙 賷禺鬲賱賮 賰賱 賳賵毓 賲賳賴賲 丨爻亘 乇睾亘丕鬲賴 賵賯丿乇丕鬲賴 丕賱匕賴賳賷丞 兀賵 鬲賮囟賷賱丕鬲賴 兀賵 賳賵毓 丕賱毓賲賱 丕賱匕賷 賷囟賲賳 賱賴 鬲丨賯賷賯 卮睾賮賴. 賵丨爻亘 賰賱 鬲氐賳賷賮 兀賵 賳賵毓 賲賳賴賲 鬲卮乇丨 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 卮乇丨賸丕 賲購賮氐賾賱賸丕 賱賱兀丿賵丕鬲 丕賱賷賵賲賷丞 丕賱鬲賷 賷賲賰賳 兀賳 鬲爻丕毓丿 兀氐丨丕亘 賴匕丕 丕賱賳賵毓 賮賷 丕禺鬲賷丕乇 丕賱賳賲胤 丕賱賱丕夭賲 賱丿毓賲賴賲 禺賱丕賱 胤乇賷賯賴賲 賱廿賳噩丕夭 賲丕 賷乇睾亘賵賳 賮賷 鬲賳賮賷匕賴貙 賰賲丕 鬲購亘賷賾賳 丕賱賵馗丕卅賮 賵丕賱兀毓賲丕賱 丕賱賲賳丕爻亘丞 賱賰賱 賳賵毓 賵丕賱鬲賷 鬲賲賳丨 兀氐丨丕亘賴 賲爻丕丨丞 賲賳 丕賱丨乇賷丞 賱兀睾乇丕囟賴賲.
"One path will never be enough for you."
賱賰賳賳賷 丕賳鬲亘賴鬲 廿賱賶 兀賳 賴賳丕賰 賲卮賰賱丞 囟禺賲丞 賵賯毓鬲 賮賷賴丕 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賮賷 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘貙 賵丕賱匕賷 賯丕賲鬲 賮賷賴 亘鬲氐賳賷賮 兀氐丨丕亘 丕賱賲賵丕賴亘 丕賱賲鬲毓丿丿丞. 賴匕丕 丕賱鬲賵爻毓 丕賱賰亘賷乇 賮賷 丕賱鬲丨賱賷賱 禺賱賯 賳賵毓賸丕 賲賳 丕賱鬲卮鬲賷鬲 賱丿賶 丕賱賯丕乇卅貙 賵丕賱匕賷 賵噩丿 賳賮爻賴 -賰氐丕丨亘 賲賵賴亘丞- 賮賷 兀賰孬乇 賲賳 鬲氐賳賷賮 亘賱 賮賷 賲毓馗賲 丕賱鬲氐賳賷賮丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇兀賴丕 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲丕亘. 賵亘丕賱鬲丕賱賷 賱賲 賷毓丿 賮賷 丕爻鬲胤丕毓鬲賴 鬲卮禺賷氐 丕賱鬲賵氐賷賮 丕賱氐丨賷丨 丕賱匕賷 賷賳鬲賲賷 賱賴 亘卮賰賱 賵丕囟丨. 亘丕賱廿囟丕賮丞 廿賱賶 兀賳 匕賱賰 賯丿 氐賳毓 禺賱胤賸丕 賮賷 賲賮丕賴賷賲 賲孬賱 丕賱丕賱鬲夭丕賲 賮賷 丕賱賲賵丕毓賷丿 兀賵 丕丨鬲乇丕賲 丕賱鬲毓丕賯丿丕鬲貙 兀賵 鬲丨賲賾賱 丕賱賲爻丐賵賱賷丞貙 賵匕賱賰 賱兀賳 丕賱鬲氐賳賷賮丕鬲 丕賱賮囟賮丕囟丞 丕賱鬲賷 氐賳毓鬲賴丕 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賯丿 鬲毓胤賷 丕賱賯丕乇卅 丕賳胤亘丕毓賸丕 禺丕胤卅賸丕 亘兀賳 兀賷 鬲賯氐賷乇 賲賳 胤乇賮賴 賲丕 賴賵 廿賱丕 賲賷夭丞 賯丕亘毓丞 丿丕禺賱賴 賱賰賳 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 夭丕賵賷丞 兀禺乇賶. 賵賯丿 賷賰賵賳 匕賱賰 氐丨賷丨賸丕 賮賷 亘毓囟 丕賱兀丨賷丕賳貙 賱賰賳 毓賱賶 丕賱噩丕賳亘 丕賱丌禺乇 賯丿 賷毓胤賷 匕賱賰 丕賱賯丕乇卅 賲亘乇乇賸丕 賰賷 賷賲賳丨 賳賮爻賴 丕賱毓匕乇 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 丕賱鬲賳賯賾賱 亘賷賳 丨丿賵丿 丕賱鬲氐賳賷賮丕鬲 賲賳 兀噩賱 丕賱賴乇亘 賲賳 賵丕噩亘丕鬲 賵丕賱鬲夭丕賲丕鬲 毓賱賷賴.
賵噩丿鬲 兀賷囟賸丕 兀賳 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱丨賱賵賱 丕賱鬲賷 兀卮丕乇鬲 賱賴丕 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 睾賷乇 毓賲賱賷丞貙 賵亘毓囟賴丕 睾賷乇 賲賳丕爻亘 賱亘毓囟 丕賱賲乇丕丨賱 丕賱毓賲乇賷丞貙 賰賲丕 兀賳 亘毓囟 賴匕賴 丕賱丨賱賵賱 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 鬲賳賮賷匕賴丕 賮賷 亘毓囟 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓丕鬲. 賰賲丕 賱丕丨馗鬲 兀賳 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱丕賯鬲乇丕丨丕鬲 丕賱鬲賷 兀賵乇丿鬲賴丕 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 賮賷 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷睾賱亘 毓賱賷賴丕 胤丕亘毓 丕賱鬲賮丕丐賱 丕賱賲賮乇胤貙 賱賰賳 匕賱賰 賱丕 賷賳賮賷 賵噩賵丿 丕賯鬲乇丕丨丕鬲 賲賮賷丿丞 賵賲賲鬲丕夭丞 亘丕賱賮毓賱.
亘毓丿 丕賳鬲賴丕卅賷 賲賳 賯乇丕亍丞 丕賱賰鬲丕亘貙 禺賱氐鬲 廿賱賶 兀賳 丿丕禺賱 賰賱 賲賳丕 賲賴丕乇丕鬲 賲鬲毓丿丿丞貙 賵禺亘乇丕鬲 賲禺鬲賱賮丞貙 賵爻購亘賱 賲鬲賳賵毓丞 賱鬲賳賮賷匕 兀丨賱丕賲賳丕. 亘賷丿 兀賳 賴賳丕賰 鬲賵賱賷賮丞 禺丕氐丞 鬲購賲賷賾夭 賰賱 丕賳爻丕賳 毓賳 兀賷 丕賳爻丕賳 丌禺乇. 鬲乇賰賷亘丞 鬲噩賲毓 兀賮賰丕乇賴 賵丌乇丕亍賴 賵鬲兀賲賱丕鬲賴 賵鬲乇丕孬賴 賵丕毓鬲賯丕丿丕鬲賴 賵毓丕丿丕鬲 賲噩鬲賲毓賴. 鬲囟賲賳 賴匕賴 丕賱鬲乇賰賷亘丞 鬲賮乇賾丿 賰賱 鬲噩乇亘丞 廿賳爻丕賳賷丞 賱兀賷 賲丨丕賵賱丞 賱丕鬲賾亘丕毓 丕賱卮睾賮 賵鬲丨賯賷賯 丕賱兀賲賳賷丕鬲貙 丨鬲賶 賵廿賳 鬲卮丕亘賴鬲 兀賴丿丕賮賴賲.
睾賷賾乇 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 亘毓囟 賯賳丕毓丕鬲賷貙 賵噩毓賱賳賷 兀孬賯 賮賷 丌乇丕卅賷 丕賱鬲賷 賰丕賳鬲 鬲賳丕爻亘賳賷 鬲賲丕賲賸丕 賱賰賳賳賷 賰賳鬲 兀禺賮賷賴丕 禺卮賷丞 丕賱丕賳鬲賯丕丿 賲賳 賲噩鬲賲毓 賱丿賷賴 胤乇賷賯丞 鬲賮賰賷乇 賵丕丨丿丞 賱丕 鬲賯亘賱 丕賱丨賷丕丿 毓賳賴丕. 兀丿乇賰鬲 兀禺賷乇賸丕 兀賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 鬲鬲爻毓 賱丕鬲禺丕匕 賯乇丕乇丕鬲 毓丿賷丿丞 丨鬲賶 賵廿賳 亘丿鬲 賲氐賷乇賷丞貙 賮丕賱夭賲賳 賲賮鬲賵丨 賱賱鬲噩乇亘丞 賵賱廿毓丕丿丞 丕賱鬲噩乇亘丞. 賵兀賳 賮賵丕鬲 兀賵丕賳 賲丨丕賵賱丞 噩丿賷丿丞 賱賷爻 爻賵賶 賵賴賲 賷賯亘毓 賮賷 毓賯賵賱賳丕 兀賵 毓賯賵賱 賲賳 丨賵賱賳丕 賲賲賳 賷孬亘胤賵賳 毓夭賷賲鬲賳丕.
賱賴匕丕 賮賮賷 乇兀賷賷 兀賳賳丕 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 兀賳 賳噩亘乇 卮禺氐丕賸 兀賳 賷禺鬲丕乇 兀賳 賷毓賷卮 丨賷丕丞 賱丕 賷噩丿 賳賮爻賴 賮賷賴丕貙 賮丕賱廿賳爻丕賳 賰丕卅賳 賷丨乇賾賰賴 丕賱亘丨孬 毓賳 爻毓丕丿鬲賴 丕賱禺丕氐丞貙 賵賷鬲賯丿賾賲 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賲賳 禺賱丕賱 鬲噩丕乇亘賴 丕賱丨乇丞 丕賱鬲賷 賱丕 鬲賳鬲賴賷. 賷噩亘 兀賳 賳丿乇賰 兀賳賴 賱丕 賷賲賰賳 鬲胤亘賷賯 兀爻賱賵亘 賵丨賷丿 毓賱賶 噩賲賷毓 丕賱兀卮禺丕氐貙 賴匕丕 亘亘爻丕胤丞 賱兀賳賳丕 賱爻賳丕 卮禺氐賸丕 賵丕丨丿賸丕. 廿賳 胤亘丕毓賳丕 丕賱亘卮乇賷丞 賲鬲賳賵毓丞 亘卮賰賱 孬乇賷賾 賷賰丕丿 賱丕 賷鬲賰乇乇. 賱賴匕丕 賮賲賳 丕賱馗賱賲 兀賳 賷鬲賲 禺囟賵毓賴丕 噩賲賷毓賸丕 賱賳賴噩 孬丕亘鬲 賷賮乇囟賴 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 毓賱賷賴丕.
賷噩亘 兀賳 賳鬲乇賰 丕賱賲噩丕賱 賱兀胤賮丕賱賳丕 賰賷 賷賯賵賲賵丕 亘丕賱鬲毓亘賷乇 毓賳 丌乇丕亍賴賲 賵乇睾亘丕鬲賴賲 丿賵賳 鬲兀孬賷乇 兀賵 囟睾胤 毓賱賷賴賲. 賷賳亘睾賷 兀賳 賳賲賳丨 賱賴賲 丕賱賮乇氐丞 賰賷 賷乇爻賲賵丕 胤乇賷賯賴賲 亘兀賳賮爻賴賲 賵兀賳 賳賰賵賳 亘噩賵丕乇賴賲 賮賯胤 賲賳 兀噩賱 兀賳 賳賯丿賾賲 賱賴賲 丕賱丿毓賲 賰賷 賳賳賲賷 賱丿賷賴賲 賲賴丕乇丞 丕賱賯丿乇丞 毓賱賶 丕賱丕禺鬲賷丕乇.
丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賷賯毓 賮賷 288 氐賮丨丞貙 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱兀賵賱 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賰丕賳 賲賲鬲毓賸丕貙 廿賱丕 兀賳 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賰丕賳 賮賷賴 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱廿胤丕賱丞貙 兀賲丕 丕賱噩夭亍 丕賱兀禺賷乇 賮賯丿 卮毓乇鬲 賮賷賴 亘丕賱賲賱賱. 賱賰賳 匕賱賰 賯丿 賷毓賵丿 廿賱賶 兀賳 丕賱賰丕鬲亘丞 兀賮乇丿鬲 亘廿爻賴丕亘 賵氐賮 賵卮乇丨 鬲丨丿賷丿 丕賱兀丿賵丕鬲 丕賱賷賵賲賷丞 賱賰賱 賳賵毓 賲賳 鬲氐賳賷賮丕鬲賴丕貙 賵匕賱賰 賲賳 兀噩賱 兀賳 賷賰賵賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賲乇噩毓賸丕 賷賵賲賷賸丕 賱賰賱 賲鬲毓丿丿 賱賱賲賵丕賴亘 賷噩丿 賳賮爻賴 賮賷 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘.
鬲賯賷賷賲賷 賱賱賰鬲丕亘 3 賲賳 5
乇丕亘胤 丕賱賲乇丕噩毓丞 亘卮賰賱 賲購賳爻賾賯
兀丨賲丿 賮丐丕丿
23 鬲卮乇賷賳 丕賱孬丕賳賷 賳賵賮賲亘乇 2019
April 20, 2015
Very Much Enjoyed! Sher has an enthusiasm for life in all of it's diversities and it's great to realize "hey, I'm like that too!"
The Scanner Daybook is one of my favorite suggestions. It's basically an idea book. As an avid journaler, I've had idea books in the past and was glad for the reminder.
The second half of the book focuses on the careers that Scanners may be interested in. This was less useful to me, but there were still good tips interspersed to keep me reading.
Sher tells a great story about spending time with her kids, they were rollerblading, they all fell down in a heap in the grass and laughed wildly. She realized her kids were happy because she was happy. "Doing what you love isn't a privilege; it's an obligation... By denying yourself the right to do what makes you happy, you may be depriving others of a shot at their happiness..." :)
...November 2010... *nods, nods* So many ideas for keeping your many projects organized.
...April 2015... This is a book that I must re-read every few years. I have so many ideas and projects going, but sometimes I get stuck trying to figure out what TO DO: there's so much! where do I start! This book reminds me that I _CAN_ do EVERYTHING! I can do many projects at once, in the same manner that I read several books at the same time... one project today, another project tomorrow, something else on the weekend. It's a nice reminder.
The Scanner Daybook is one of my favorite suggestions. It's basically an idea book. As an avid journaler, I've had idea books in the past and was glad for the reminder.
The second half of the book focuses on the careers that Scanners may be interested in. This was less useful to me, but there were still good tips interspersed to keep me reading.
Sher tells a great story about spending time with her kids, they were rollerblading, they all fell down in a heap in the grass and laughed wildly. She realized her kids were happy because she was happy. "Doing what you love isn't a privilege; it's an obligation... By denying yourself the right to do what makes you happy, you may be depriving others of a shot at their happiness..." :)
...November 2010... *nods, nods* So many ideas for keeping your many projects organized.
...April 2015... This is a book that I must re-read every few years. I have so many ideas and projects going, but sometimes I get stuck trying to figure out what TO DO: there's so much! where do I start! This book reminds me that I _CAN_ do EVERYTHING! I can do many projects at once, in the same manner that I read several books at the same time... one project today, another project tomorrow, something else on the weekend. It's a nice reminder.
March 29, 2008
This is a manual of sorts for people Barbara Sher refers to as Scanners.
Scanners are people who enjoy doing a lot of different things 鈥� with absolute passion! They are multi-skilled, well-read and interested in countless topics, professions and hobbies; they are challenged to choose between a "favorite" or "dream" job by traditional standards. And their days and homes are literally cluttered with a wide variety of clues with regard to this reality.
Scanners find it easy to start jobs, projects, etc. but they are often challenged to complete said adventures due their span of interests and their distinct ability to dart about in multiple directions. Their minds are literally filled to the brim with ideas and directives, and more inspirations that humanly possible 鈥� even when considered over a lifetime!
Sher comes alongside and inspires the reader to embrace who she is as well as presenting insightful exercises and useful tools to equip a Scanner (and to aid her in determining what type of Scanner she is).
Scanners are people who enjoy doing a lot of different things 鈥� with absolute passion! They are multi-skilled, well-read and interested in countless topics, professions and hobbies; they are challenged to choose between a "favorite" or "dream" job by traditional standards. And their days and homes are literally cluttered with a wide variety of clues with regard to this reality.
Scanners find it easy to start jobs, projects, etc. but they are often challenged to complete said adventures due their span of interests and their distinct ability to dart about in multiple directions. Their minds are literally filled to the brim with ideas and directives, and more inspirations that humanly possible 鈥� even when considered over a lifetime!
Sher comes alongside and inspires the reader to embrace who she is as well as presenting insightful exercises and useful tools to equip a Scanner (and to aid her in determining what type of Scanner she is).
April 1, 2013
FANTASTIC book if you, like me, have 100 ideas of brilliant project swirling around in your head at any given time, love to do EVERYTHING, are interested in all kinds of topics ranging from string theory to bel canto to interior design.... Barbara Sher gives clear, simple, practical advice and direction for all of us that can't choose one thing, one path, one career, one hobby, and that is: DON'T CHOOSE. Do it all. She gives very specific, but appropriately high-level big ideas about how to help calm yourself/organize yourself/keep things ready for yourself to jump into a creative work at the drop of a hat. I'm actually planning on how to DO what she says--a rare thing indeed. If you're creative, love learning, and especially learning fast, and ever thought something was wrong with you, read this book.
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