Thanks again. I can only repeat myself: having great conversations here.
What may be difficult for many gifted people to remember is: all things in moderation. Too much of a good thing can become negative.
I think that I am experiencing a bit of this at the moment. In the last 2 weeks I have been experiencing heart palpitations, dizzyness... Sometimes feelings of detachment from work where it is really hard to say whether they come from my frustration with not working on a subject I find really interesting or meaningful, or maybe one that goes with burnout-like states (and after reading a bit on the subject, I see that I must be careful with this, because of the pattern of being extremely engaged, having high aspirations, then not getting the expected results). I tend to obsess over the "career" subject also on weekends, which is probably not a good thing.
I try to counteract it by things such as relaxing in the evening night/not watching anything arousing, turning the computer off, yesterday I did some PMR, trying to walk and move as much as possible (which can be challenging with the COVID situation), trying to eat more slowly and not doing anything else aside from eating...
(Aside from giftedness, I think that this obsession is also fueled by the the typical stress from the millenial generation, which is having to be someone special, doing special things, the whole FOMO thing... it can get pretty annoying and after having fought with it for a while, I consciously try to detach myself from this as much as possible).
If the desire to optimize moves beyond a healthy motivation to weigh options and evaluate what is a workable next step given the constraints of reality... and becomes a need or compulsion related to determining self-worth, then it has become detrimental.
This was one of the main points from my therapist. "My work is not my worth". Funny thing is, I wasn't even working (or only as an assistant), but I was already so consumed with the idea of having to do something great, or being successful... Emotionally speaking, it is only in the last months that I have truly started to be more relaxed and detached, and even this is still stumbly if you consider the state I've been in in the last 2 weeks as I described earlier.
The book "What are the odds?," authored by the MyPillow guy, Mike Lindell, is an interesting autobiographical story of a person who I believe MUST be gifted. I read it with rapt attention and parts of it may resonate with you, too.
Sounds like an interesting story
. I will check that out.
If a field interests you, it is worth 2 more years of studying, if real life constraints allow this. If real life constraints do not allow this, move to Plan B. I have always encouraged people to have a Plan B... and a Plan C. Know what these plans are, and know what the triggers/circumstances are for you personally to change from Plan A to Plan B, from Plan B to Plan C, from Plan C back to Plan A, etc.
That is a good point. I am a dreamer and I have had my issues with real life constraints until now. Also probably typical for the middle-class child who got too much used to his parents providing for him.
(and a bit for the gifted. My imagination can get so vivid, I have spent weeks living in imaginary worlds during university. I was Was also a bit scary sometimes).
Hoping some others chime in with their stories of career path choices, and any advice and tips from what they've experienced.
Also curious to hear about yours if you want to share and think it is relevant!
One of my worries for example is that I might be on my way to "overstudying". I might get bored by picking up new "basics" like organic chemistry while I am getting at an age where well, you start feeling like you are able to contribute. I have some experience with doing research work. I am just a bit sad that I kind of trapped myself in studying a subject which in the end, I simply don't care so much about as I expected while it didn't provide me with the skills that I need to do the work I would like to do (as opposite to for example the telecommunications engineer who does a PhD in biomedical image analysis). I wanted to understand my behaviour, more than I wanted to become a psychologist (which is probably the confusion that some people have in the field). Now I've understood enough and I kind of want to move on to something else.
