Does your job fit your lifestyle? Or should it be the other way around, with your lifestyle fitting your job?

 Ideally the two should go together, but how realistic is that? If you want a big house, expensive holidays and the freedom to buy what you want when you want, you aren’t likely to be able to do that on a nurse’s salary or that of a teacher.

When you are planning your career, it’s important to consider the lifestyle you eventually want to enjoy. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you will need to earn large amounts of money – it could be that you want flexibility so that you can spend time with friends and family or to follow your interests. You might want the freedom to take time off whenever you want or to travel frequently.

 If you are thinking of changing careers, it’s important to look at where you want to be in 5, 10 or 20 years, especiallyif you have definite ideas about your preferred future.

 But of course, you might change your mind and so any plans should allow room for flexibility.

We are used to thinking of our careers as straight lines, moving steadily up the ladder, but these days the reality can be quite different.

 So you should be open minded and prepared to continue learning and gaining new skills to deal with the unstable economy and your own lifestyle changes.

Portfolio Careers for Multiple Income Streams