You can be satisfied with what you have, but you should never be satisfied with what you are today. - Bertie Charles Forbes

When we are little, we are often asked what we want to be, and we usually think about the jobs and say what is cool to us. Unfortunately, we cannot deny that our society has an important power that somehow affects our identity. On the other hand, our childhood has the feature of being the stage where we are most nourished by this social influence. We are asked not “what we want to do” but “what we want to be” at this important stage.
There is an important difference between these two questions because the question “WHAT do you want to BE” points to the goal you want to reach from its essence.
The classic answer to such a question is; I want to be a doctor, I want to be a teacher, I want to be a firefighter, I want to be a policeman. In other words, the point to be reached is emphasized, not a process. If you ask if this is a bad thing, no, it is not a bad thing, but it is not a developmental thing, because a child who has focused only on the point he wants to reach from childhood will only develop himself until he reaches that point. The most typical example of this is actually teachers. Teaching, in general, is a very sacred profession, so for many people, teaching used to be an important point to be reached. From the moment we reach that point, the dreams begin to decrease gradually. That is why we are not likely to see teachers who make a difference in their profession around us.
On the other hand, in more conscious societies, children are not asked what they want to be, but what they want to do. At the core of this problem is the journey, there is the process, there is the continuity. Our answer to the question of what do you want to do is usually answers that include a process. That is why the entrepreneurial spirit becomes more dominant in more conscious societies, free from adjectives, titles, and positions. This entrepreneurial spirit always forces those individuals to move to a higher version of themselves because there is no stopping point in entrepreneurship.
Above, I tried to explain the basics of development. When I look at my own past, I was obviously happy because my sense of curiosity, which has been dominant since my childhood, did not allow me to focus on a single area anyway. Even though I was labeled as voracious at the time, I witnessed the evolution of this label into the time-honored label of “versatile”.
My high school years were my years of discovering and getting to know myself in many ways. In those years, I was so curious about many things that I could never come to a definite conclusion about what my profession would be. When I questioned what I wanted to be, I felt like I was stuck in a mold. However, I had dozens of dreams, sometimes as an engineer, sometimes as a chemist, sometimes as a painter, sometimes as an architect, sometimes as a businessman who travels constantly. Unfortunately, no profession had all of these. That’s why I think it was the best decision of my life to choose the business department that I could fill as I wanted. By choosing this department, I got rid of the anxiety of what I will be and on the contrary, I had the chance to jump into the imagination offered by the question of “what will I do”.
As of the point I’ve reached, I can say that I have had the peace of not limiting myself to a single area. I went on many different journeys until I evolved to this point, I tried and failed from time to time, the day came when I went over the things that everyone claimed to be the opposite, the day came when I had the chance to discover the sides of me that I did not expect even from myself. But no matter what, I always tried to prepare myself like an adventurous passenger who could take different paths.
And today I would like to offer you 5 tips from my own experience for this versatile development.

Don’t be afraid to be curious

The most important feature of being a versatile person is being curious. Curiosity is not a static emotion. Fear often prevents us from taking a step, while curiosity pushes us to take a step.
It is believed that curiosity will always trouble you, but let that curiosity lead you. Instead of suppressing your curiosity as much as you can, let it guide you. I don’t mean the curiosity that the gossip culture underlines here :) My point is to wonder about the essence of knowledge, to wonder where it can reach when it branches out, to wonder how it can become functional. We make knowledge valuable when we apply it, not when we accept it.
In short,

I suggest you create a curiosity list. When something comes to mind, write it down, either verbally or in writing, for later research. Try to measure yourself as much as possible, not by how much you know, but by how much you are curious about.
Endless curiosity is the most important formula for not getting old. Thomas Gray

Learn how to learn

For me, learning should be a science in itself, I think we should learn how to learn, especially when we live in an age where we are surrounded by information.
When you want to improve yourself in a subject, draw a roadmap for yourself. Deciding where to start is often the hardest part, but, you can make it your goal to start from scratch.
When I discovered digital design 10 years ago, I realized that this field was very suitable for me. However, I didn’t know where to start. I wonder if I was too late to learn such a thing, or if I wasn’t late, I thought a lot about what I should do. And at the end of the day, I forced myself to make designs based on my needs, without going to a course or any special education. Of course, I tried to learn this by scanning the resources on the internet, watching the works hundreds of times, and copying the same things while they were doing it. At that time, I discovered that this was the most effective way of learning for me.
Likewise, while trying to learn a foreign language, I focused on speaking, which is my main goal, instead of losing my years by learning the boring world of the grammar of that language. So I was focusing on the correct pronunciation of that word by typing it as it was pronounced. At the end of the day, we all aim to talk comfortably with a stranger, so I tried to develop my own learning paths accordingly. In this way; I had the chance to learn English, Spanish, Chinese (A certain level), and Arabic.
In short,

If you want to improve in a subject, try to choose the easiest way for yourself. Instead of complicating your journey, try to discover ways that will work for you and will get you to your desired destination quickly.

Get closer to talented people

Include people in your life who can inspire you to become a versatile person. Sometimes it can be a close friend, family member, lover, teacher, or colleague. The important thing is to have someone more expert in a certain subject than you.
Applying this method has helped me a lot. First of all, I have ensured that my close circle consists of quality people. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to get support at any time.
In this regard, it has been my greatest luck to be close to a person like my uncle since my childhood. As someone who admires the path he follows, being close to him has always taken my view of life to the next level. I can proudly confess that my uncle’s interest in technology, foreign language, being successful, being organized and disciplined, being a good speaker, protecting family values, and being courageous in all matters is the trace of my uncle. His presence has helped me to improve myself in many ways.
On the other hand, in my circle of friends, I had the advantage of an environment that would welcome me to a better and more beautiful environment. Very recently, thanks to a friend, I realized my dream of drawing. In this way, I had the chance to discover a hidden talent with her guidance and guidance.
In short,
It would be wiser to view development as quality teamwork rather than a one-man journey. Sometimes there is no need to rediscover America, being close to people who have discovered it will be both easier and more instructive.

Virtue does not stay alone, it always finds neighbors. Confucius

Keep learning

The most important obstacle in front of the development is the person’s saying “I know”. A person who thinks she/he knows everything can easily stop improving himself and cannot see that she/he has another point to reach.
However, a person who wants to be versatile does not have a chance to say that he has learned everything. He must believe in the eternity of what he can learn for the rest of his life. Of course, we can all push the limits on this journey to the best of our capacity, but the essence of this job is to continue.
The most typical example of this is actually the richest people in the world, whose lives we now look at with envy. In our opinion, they have reached the last point they can reach, but it is not so for them. Bill Gates continues to improve himself to fight epidemics and child paralysis that are still outside his field. Elon Musk, who produces the fastest electric cars in the world, continues to devote himself to science so that humanity can go to another planet.
In short,
Try to embark on a journey, not about getting somewhere, but about continuing to explore places. One day, we will all come to an end even if we don’t want to. Instead of saying that I learned everything about a subject, saying I continue to learn will make you a more successful person.

And finally, expect more from yourself

Being versatile is actually something that comes with stepping into an unfamiliar field. We can be experts in one thing, but when we want to diversify this area of expertise, we inevitably intend to start a journey from scratch.
Instead of belittling yourself to acquire a new competence, believe in yourself and at least have the courage to try. You never know where you’re going with it unless you try.
2 years ago, before I started writing on Medium, I questioned a lot, “I wonder if I can succeed, can I address people with my writings as I want”. But at that moment I realized that I have nothing to lose. No one would even know about me. And thanks to my courage to try at that moment, I continue to write these lines today.
Listen not to what people expect from you, but to what you “expect” from yourself. While people offer you an insured 8–5 job, try to express that entrepreneurial spirit in you even more. Everyone has more potential than they think, as long as you feel it inside and believe in yourself. No one was born from scratch as Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, or Messi, they deserved to be called those names because they believed there could be more.