Some of us, more than others, find ourselves magnetized to this multitude of passions. In her book “Refuse to Choose!”, Barbara Sher delves into the psyche of such individuals, coining them “Scanners.”
Scanners aren’t easily categorized. They’re the ever-curious, the ones with an insatiable appetite for learning and a zest for varied experiences. But it’s not just whimsical hopping from one interest to another. Scanners dive deep, absorbing the essentials, and often, when a new intrigue appears on the horizon, they follow its call.
In a nutshell, if you find yourself constantly curious, if you’re ever torn between multiple passions, or if you have a stash of half-finished projects waiting for their next turn in the spotlight, Sher’s insights might resonate with you.
Curious about the scanner mindset, I had a rather enlightening chat with ChatGPT (funny, isn’t it?). It’s all in this post: “Not just book summaries: How I use ChatGPT to ask personal questions and receive coaching advice”.
With a bit of ChatGPT wisdom in my pocket, I dug a bit deeper. I mixed up some insights from Noam Wasserman’s “The Founder’s Dilemmas” with the scanner vibe. What came out of it? Check this out: “Partnership Arrangements with Scanner Mindset: Merging Insights from Noam Wasserman’s ‘The Founder’s Dilemmas’ and Scanner Traits for Entrepreneurs”.
Let’s see what tips ChatGPT has got for us this time. Here are ten actionable ideas tailored for an entrepreneurship-oriented personality to harness the strengths of a scanner.
- Rapid Prototyping:
- Action: Whenever a new business idea strikes, create a quick prototype or mockup. This allows you to test the waters without fully committing, leveraging the scanner’s love for starting new things.
- Idea Journaling:
- Action: Keep a dedicated journal or digital note-taking app for all your business ideas. Regularly review and annotate these ideas, allowing you to revisit and combine them in innovative ways in the future.
- Collaborative Partnerships:
- Action: Identify partners or team members who complement your scanner strengths. They can help in seeing projects through to the end while you hop to the next exciting venture.
- Set Short-Term Milestones:
- Action: Break down your entrepreneurial goals into smaller, bite-sized tasks. Celebrate each accomplishment to maintain momentum and motivation.
- Dedicate Exploration Time:
- Action: Block out specific times in your week dedicated solely to exploring new ideas or industries. This allows you to indulge your scanner tendencies without feeling guilty about diverting from ongoing projects.
- Reframe Failures as Learnings:
- Action: After each project or venture, whether successful or not, conduct a reflection session. Focus on what you learned and how it can benefit future endeavors, rather than dwelling on what didn’t work.
- Diverse Skill Acquisition:
- Action: Enroll in short courses or workshops that align with your varied interests. This not only satiates your scanner curiosity but also equips you with a diverse skill set beneficial for entrepreneurship.
- Networking Across Industries:
- Action: Attend networking events or join online communities from varied industries. This allows you to feed your diverse interests and can lead to unexpected entrepreneurial opportunities.
- Regularly Pivot Business Offerings:
- Action: Introduce seasonal products, limited-time services, or short-term projects in your business. This keeps things fresh and aligns with the scanner’s love for novelty.
- Mindfulness and Self-compassion Practices:
- Action: Incorporate mindfulness exercises or meditation into your daily routine. This helps in recognizing when self-blame starts to creep in and allows you to address it compassionately, focusing on growth rather than criticism.
Being a Scanner in the entrepreneurial scene has its quirks. You dive into varied domains, bringing in fresh ideas, but there’s also that frequent itch to chase new passions, sometimes leaving tasks in limbo. Merging Barbara Sher’s insights with some hands-on strategies offers a potential route for Scanner entrepreneurs to navigate these waters. It’s less about fitting a specific mold and more about recognizing Scanner quirks and exploring if these tips can help streamline the business journey.
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