by Patricia Gilliam

Created on: January 23, 2008

Sometimes it's just incredible to think how much time the average person spends during their lifetime in some type of career. If you do the math, it works out to be over 70,000 hours with a career of around 40 years.

At 24 years old, I also realize like other people in Generation Y that all of my career isn't going to be spent at one particular position or even one particular field. I believe people feel stressed in selecting a career because they feel limited to one thing that may or may not be a mistake. What I think is more practical is diversifying your career like you would any other investment.

A lot of times people believe you have to choose your life's work in your late teens or early 20s, but I think that's far from the truth. There are hundreds of examples of people who didn't really begin their true calling until the later parts of their life. It's never too late if you have the inner drive to find what you want out of life.

In a work environment where you have no idea how long any particular job is going to last, I think it's financially more stable to have multiple side-incomes in addition to any full-time job that you have. Another reason for this is it gives you time to experiment with different career options on a small scale without going broke in the process. Try out a lot of things that interest you that can create an income (even if it's small). Don't be afraid to fail because either way it's going to get you closer to finding a great income source that's fun to do.

I've basically have had this philosophy since I was around 19 years old, and today I have at least seven different streams of income coming in. All but one are based on hobbies I had that I just decided to try to make money with, and I'm never bored. I've also tried things and failed, but it was a learning failure and not something that really bothered me emotionally or financially. Now I've figured out how to do more of what I love and transition into it more and more over time. Work that you enjoy is not "work" in the sense that most people think of it. It's just living life and making money at it.

If you have a passion for something, figure out a way to do it. It may honestly take you awhile to pull it off, but it's worth it. You may even have to work at something you don't like to get yourself to the point you can do what you love. There's a major difference in something being temporary and it becoming your life. Don't lose focus, but realize that success often requires delayed gratification. It's still better to let a dream motivate you than to let it go and settle for what you really don't want.

I wish you the best and hope you find what you're looking for in career!

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