Do you Trust Yourself?
Jobs, clients, customers or opportunities, why would you take the risk of only relying on one source of income? Diversity is the fruit of life and it ensures insulation against uncertain economics. If you view this through the prism of the current turmoil in the oil and gas sector, due to the declining oil price, the clamouring for diversification has been unprecedented. As operators have withdrawn project funding, those companies who are overly reliant on income from a single source have been blindsided. Diversification ensures we are more resilient and less vulnerable. You wouldn’t, or definitely shouldn’t, entrust your pension fund to an investment in a single company so why are so many of us so willing to accept a single job as the investment in our present and future prosperity?
The Peer to Peer Economy
The peer-to-peer economy has entwined itself within the fabric of our lives and provided the opportunity, without any discrimination, for anyone to earn more money. Whether you look at Uber, Airbnb, Fiverr or any other company operating within this arena you can only see incredible growth growth occurring. As I look at current and historical employment trends I can’t help but question the sensibility of holding down a single job. Diversification insulates you against unemployment during times of uncertainty as you are not dependent on a single income stream. With growing certainty I believe the pattern of multiple employments, at the same time, will become far more prevalent. More than that it will also be more flexible and fruitful for the individuals who are willing to embrace it. Individuals are slowly catching up with this reality. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/12161558/Heres-how-much-money-people-are-making-from-the-sharing-economy.html
The arguments against this are uncertainty and unpredictable workload. How many people though have faced redundancy having assumed their jobs were ‘safe’? Safety is a relative term and you are only as safe as market conditions prescribe. In the whole businesses aren’t as loyal as they perpetually wish their employees to be. We have been brainwashed into thinking that stability can only be achieved through a single source of employment. The lifelong career is still held as the Holy Grail and something that should be strived for and admired. The facts though speak to a completely different truth, one that insinuates you are costing yourself a fortune through your loyal dedication. http://www.forbes.com/sites/cameronkeng/2014/06/22/employees-that-stay-in-companies-longer-than-2-years-get-paid-50-less/#6cf3eeb9210e
The Future
To be clear, I am in no way advocating or suggesting the adoption of a job hopping mentality. To the contrary, I’m imploring you to think of your best interests and consider the decisions that serve you best. Metaphorically speaking you wouldn’t rely on a diet comprised of a single food source, what if there was a drought and the food couldn’t be produced? Yet we willingly strive for a single job which puts that very food on the table. This marries back to a growing sentiment of entrepreneurialism and the human desire to be the master of your own destiny. I’d personally rather be in control of the direction I’m headed than entrusting control of the tiller to someone whos interests and my own are not aligned.
What I believe the adoption of the peer-to-peer economy speaks of, and its increasing proliferation as a viable means of employment indicates, is a growing trust of individuals in their own success. Trust is the currency which enables transactions or exchanges to occur, whether that is monetary, labour, produce or products. By trusting themselves they have been able to achieve unparalleled control of their success.
Ultimately I believe each of us is as successful as we allow ourselves to be, meaning we are but a product of what we are willing to accept. If you are content and trust your current situation there is no reason to change, but if you are sceptical and trust yourself to make something better why would you not take the opportunity for exploration. By accepting our situation we strangle our own potential. If you want something to happen, if you want something different, only you possess that ability to identify what you desire and unmercifully pursue ascertainment.
