Remember when Michael Jordan played baseball?

“Now, wait a minute, you silly goose,” you might be saying. “He played basketball. In fact, some say he’s the GOAT—Greatest of All Time.” (By the way, this is not a debate about whether Michael or LeBron James is the GOAT. I’m just stating what you’re saying about me.)

Well, in 1994, after three NBA championships for the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan retired from the NBA and signed with the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A team affiliated with the White Sox. You can read all about it in this Chicago Tribune article.

Photo of Michael Jordan found at The Chicago Tribune website.

Some questioned his involvement, though he used to play baseball as a kid. He played with the Barons for a season, but ultimately returned to basketball in March of 1995. But the fact is, he played baseball.

That came to mind when I pondered some advice I’ve heard over the years—just do one thing well. If you’re a jack of all trades, you’re a master of none as the idiom goes.

Geffray Mynshul coined the phrase jack of all trades in an essay. The master of none part of the phrase was added by someone else. Look here for more information. Needless to say, the latter part of the idiom, which we’re more familiar with today, shows a common negative perception of someone who does more than one thing.

“Stick with what you’re good at” some say about the need to gain mastery in one area. While this is good advice, it is limiting (in my opinion) in some ways.

I say that because there is such a thing as EGOT—someone who has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. None of those awards is easy to win. That’s why only twenty-eight people have won all four.

Some people can sing, act, write, direct productions, and play musical instruments. We might grouse, “Yeah, but can they do them all well?” Yes. Yes, they can.

And maybe some of you can too. Maybe you write novels and poetry. Maybe you write and illustrate books. Maybe you compose music and make quilts. Maybe you write for more than one audience: kids, teens, and adults. Maybe you’re a doctor and write children’s books. Maybe you play sports and are a photographer. I’m reminded of Jordan Cowan, a former competitive skater turned camera operator. You can read about him here.

People might scoff without admitting to their own sense of limitation or because others criticized them for trying something different. But sometimes, trying something different just means you were meant for more.

Photo of Michael Jordan from The Chicago Tribune, May 7, 2020. Awards photos found at Wikipedia.