Niching down? No thanks.
I can’t imagine spending my days laser-focused on just one thing. One industry. One topic. One passion.
Too much out there. Too much to learn, to experience, to explore.
Since I was a kid, I’ve admired Leonardo da Vinci—the ultimate Renaissance multitasker. When I visited the Museo Leonardo da Vinci in Florence a few years ago, I was reminded why.
Painter. Engineer. Scientist. Sculptor. Architect. He imagined flying machines centuries before the Wright brothers. Dabbled in anatomy, hydrodynamics, optics, civil engineering, and—because why not?—tribology (the study of friction and wear).
The guy had range.
Fast forward to today. Richard Branson? Same deal.
Entrepreneur. Commercial astronaut. Adventure-seeker. Founder of Virgin, which spans everything from music to airlines to space travel.
In 1991, he crossed the Pacific in a high-altitude balloon from Japan to Arctic Canada. In the late ’90s, he and Larry Newman (yes, I used to fly Larry’s hang gliders) tried to circumnavigate the globe by balloon.
Oh, and he has dyslexia. ADHD. Struggled in school. His headmaster once told him he’d either end up in jail or as a millionaire. (Spoiler: It was the second one.)
Same goes for Steve Jobs. Yes, we know him as the Apple guy. But he was also a media mogul, a Disney board member, and the founder of NeXT.
Patterns, right?
The most interesting, accomplished people aren’t just one thing. They don’t live in neatly labeled boxes.
My own journey?
Hotel and restaurant business. Law. Real estate. Investing. Author. Speaker. Co-founder.
And beyond work? Family. Travel. Tennis. Football. Baseball. Scuba diving. Hang gliding. Windsurfing. Skiing. Motocross. Paddleboarding.
Life should be interesting. Life should be a mix.
Yes, sometimes success requires focus—deep, unrelenting focus. But it doesn’t mean you have to lock yourself into just one lane.
Being “rich” isn’t just about money.
Maybe it’s financial security.
Maybe it’s the freedom to spend your time how you want.
Maybe it’s the joy of knowing you designed a life you actually love.
Or maybe it’s a little of everything.
Unless you’re tired. Then forget all that and take a nap.
Because in the end? The real riches are your health, your energy, your peace of mind.
All right. That’s my Tuesday late morning take.
Now, I’m pushing the legal pleadings to the side and off for a run to the beach and back.
Enjoy the journey. Make today a masterpiece.
—Mitch