Past generations created wealth and a happy life simply by studying hard, accepting a lifelong job, buying a home, starting a family and working a career with near-guaranteed security.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Where are we now?
Job opportunities are scarce and super competitive, incomes are flat, housing and costs of living are through the roof, and average job tenure is just 3.3 years.
Job security is a thing of the past.
The corporate ladder has been stripped of its "middle management" rungs in a quest to remain globally competitive and survive in a rapidly evolving, consumer-centric, technology-laden and demanding marketplace.
The world has changed.
To succeed now you need to empower yourself, your career, leverage your talents and create choices and options.
Gone are the days of a "job for life" and employer loyalty.
You need to protect your interests and create your own opportunities to get ahead.
Few people are exceptionally talented at one thing.
We're not all destined to play Wimbledon or to create the next Google.
However, for all of us, it is an absolute reality that success can always be found at the intersection of talents driven by purpose.
The management of time and talent therefore become the keys to success.
Everyone has a unique combination of talents, making success open to all of us.
It begins with defining your purpose, identifying your individual talents and finding the intersection that will meld these talents into success outcomes.
Side gigs or side hustles are micro-businesses, and, in my view, every single person should have one.
Diminishing jobs, middle management carve-outs, contract labour, off-shoring, automation and low wage growth are all relegating job security into a thing of the past.
A properly established side gig/hustle gives you choices and something to leverage when and if things don't go to plan.
It will bring peace of mind, significantly enhance your sense of self and empower you with options.
A few extra dollars along the journey, some engaging mental stimulation, and who knows where it may end up?
Dr Steve Enticott is a financial advisor and founder of CIA Tax. This is an extract from his book, The Man With A Plan
