What Kind of Expert Are You?

I think everyone wants to be an expert in something they do, and often times they want to be an expert in everything they do, but in today's world, is that really possible? I talked to my mom on the phone today and was telling her about how busy I've been lately and that it's been difficult for me to find harmony between my obligations and my desires and interests. Between school, spending time with my brother, my girlfriend and the basic necessities of eating and sleeping, I don't have much free time.

I sometimes find myself getting into hobbies I don't have time for.  I like watching movies (new and old), playing video games, and reading books and comic books, just to name a few.  I would love to be an expert when it comes to all of those hobbies, but it's virtually impossible, even to just gain a "mastery"of one.  I'm trying to see movies almost every weekend to catch up for Oscar season. I'm trying to catch up on games from quarter 4 of last year that I didn't have time to play. I still try to get through two or three books a month as well as comic books like the new Superior Spiderman.  There literally aren't enough hours in the day for me to devote and engross myself completely into any one of those interests.

Two decades ago, before the World Wide Web, information and access to current forms of media was so limited that it was much more feasible to keep up with the consumption of media, but is that possible today? I argue that it's a futile task because of how global and accessible everything is in this day and age. I can go to a website online and have instant access to thousands of movies, go on Xbox Live and have access to hundreds of games, or purchase and download virtually any book or comic book digitally, all with the click of a button.

So here's the question I ask, do I need to specialize more in my expertise, or is trying to be "well rounded" worth it? Should I stop reading comic books, that way I have more time to devote to playing games? As we get into the new year, I can't help but be overwhelmed with excitement for all the new movies, games, and comics. However, with as little free time as ever, I need to be conscious of what I'm choosing to experience and support. Do you have a similar experience this time of year? Is there anything from 2012 you really wanted to see, play, or read that you missed? What do you want to be an expert in? Let me know in the comments below.