If my investment adviser tells me one more time about the virtues of diversification, I’m going to reach through the phone and poke him in the eye. No I’m not. He’s a nice guy, he’s only trying to help. And I get it; I got it long ago. Spread your risk across a variety of asset classes and with a variety of companies and heighten your odds of producing a reasonable rate of return over the long-haul. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s that simple.
So if this makes sense for investing in the market, why wouldn’t it make sense for investing in ourselves? Why just one job or career? Well mostly because one is enough, thank you very much. But it sure does suck when you lose it…or when you just plain old hate it. Talk about all your eggs in one basket…
Now, holding more than one job or pursuing more than one career is challenging to say the least - images of Mrs. Doubtfire scrambling around come to mind. And then there’s this little practical matter of finding employers who are willing to put up with your moonlighting escapades. They’re out there, though (there should be more IMHO). Just think of the windfall if you could make it work! You’d keep monotony at bay; your perspective on the world of work would diversify substantially; you’d be smarter; you’d be better looking; you’d likely feel more fulfilled. O.K. maybe you’d be more tired and maybe you’d get a migraine or two…but it would be worth it.
There are simple ways to diversify too. Maybe it’s time to start putting some energy into that crazy hair-brained scheme you’ve been cooking up – with a paycheck in the background you really have nothing to lose. Start writing the book you’ve been toying with – God knows it will take long enough to write. Learn a trade – I’ve always wanted to apprentice for a Carpenter or an Electrician. Put yourself out there as a consultant – you’d be amazed at what people and/or organizations are willing to pay you for…just ask the 7 gajillion who do it for a living. Volunteer – it may open doors you never even knew were there. Take one class…just one…in something you’ve always been curious about – maybe you’ll hate it, maybe you’ll love it; but at least you’ll know.
No one really knows how often, on average, the global worker changes careers during their productive years. And certainly no one can tell us how many have more than one career going at any given time. But I can tell you it’s nowhere near enough…
Image Credit: EmperorNortonII
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