I have 14 years as a Corporate Communications Specialist.
5 years as a government language professional.
9 years as an online university tutor.
Almost 4 years as a ghostwriter.
Plus published books, editing, translation, and proofreading work.
You’d think this makes building an online business easier, right?
Actually, it makes it harder.
I try to do everything, waste time on everything, and achieve nothing.
The Lie We Tell Ourselves
“More skills = more opportunities = more success.”
The reality? More skills = more confusion = more paralysis.
I spent months flip-flopping between freelance writing, online tutoring, website content management, translation services, and editorial consulting. Most paid badly. All left me scattered.
Having too many options is just as paralyzing as having none.
Why Being Multi-Skilled Backfires
You can’t position yourself clearly. “What do you do?” “Well, I’m a communications specialist and writer and editor and translator and…” You sound unfocused, and potential clients move on.
You second-guess everything. Should I write about corporate communications? Self-help? Fiction? SEO? Analysis paralysis kicks in. Your laptop fills with half-written manuscripts.
Every opportunity feels possible, so you spread yourself thin and master nothing.
The Hidden Advantages Most People Waste
Being multi-skilled isn’t the problem. Not knowing how to leverage it is.
Your diverse background gives you:
- A unique voice: You see connections others miss because your journey is different
- Unfair advantages: You can write, edit, position, and package content while other creators need teams
- Cross-industry credibility: You’ve been inside multiple worlds and know how they really work
The Strategy I’m Testing
I know I need to choose one focus for the next few months, not “a bit of everything.”
Here’s my approach:
The 80/20 Split: 80% of effort goes to one primary focus. 20% to everything else.
Find the connecting thread: Stop trying to monetize every skill simultaneously. Instead:
- Pick one primary focus
- Give it 90 days of consistent effort
- Expand only after building momentum
The goal isn’t to use every skill at once. It’s to be a strategic expert who happens to have multiple tools in the toolkit.
The jack-of-all-trades approach has kept me spinning my wheels for too long. Time to focus and build momentum.
