I’m an addict of the worst kind, no matter what I get on a regular basis, I always want more. It’s never enough, and I’ll spend all day, every day doing all sorts of demeaning things to get it.
I have one source which supplies me with what I need on a regular basis. I don’t know what I’d do without them and am constantly on edge wondering how I’d cope if our arrangement ends. What will I do if they start supplying someone else instead, how will I go on?
Does this sound like you? The job-employee relationship is pretty much the same as the addict-dealer relationship. It starts nice enough, lots of promises of a fabulous future together, then the threats of removing supply start, scaring you into doing more and more.
The problem comes from relying on a single source, but nobody told us that a traditional job and salary is essentially a class A drug. Quitting is not going to be easy and cold turkey is out of the question. We’ve got responsibilities, and we’ve got bills to pay.
But what if you have another source, what if you have multiple sources? Who’s in charge now?
Let me introduce you to Johnny FD and his Travel Like A Boss website
Johnny is one of a new breed of entrepreneurs calling themselves Digital Nomads. They work from anywhere, all they need is a laptop and an Internet connection. Johnny also does something a little different; he posts a breakdown of his monthly earnings. He shares how much money he made and how he’s made it. What you’ll notice immediately is that he doesn’t make his income from just one source, he has many. You can go back through his blog posts to see how his income has developed over time. The value here is to show, with time and perseverance, you can set up an arrangement like this. There’s no magic bullet, no get rich quick scheme, just a steady stream of different sources of income.
Generalists investigate life with real curiosity. They try little things here and there, and they know that sometimes ideas work and sometimes they don’t. The lesson here is one that I need to take heed of myself. Keep moving and keep trying things. If you’re not moving forward you’re going backwards; there’s no standing still.
Back to being an addict and what to tell the kids. Who knows really, should they go to university or step out and build their own thing? Degrees get more expensive but have less value, so while the world will tell them to go college then get a steady, secure job, there are now fewer and fewer jobs available in an economy where ideas are the new currency.
I have two girls whose work lives will be very different from mine – they will most likely do many different things rather than just one job for life. I think perhaps the most important thing for them will be to remain curious, try what excites them and not have only one supplier. KICK THE HABIT!
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