Making A Living

Context/meta/goals:

achieve sufficient financial security/flexibility that you don't have to worry about being "unemployed" (or taking a non-paying side-trip) for a year
avoid Over-Specialization (esp in skills that will become obsolete) - 2011-08-19-RaoLearningFlowGritSelfDirection
support a Meaningful Life, don't just have a DayJob - 2009-07-31-NewportRemarkableLife (some people, like Hugh MacLeod, disagree - 2004-06-30-MacleodDayjob)
?

Forces

we are in an Economic Transition from a stable-Career Old Economy to a Free Agent Network Economy
we are (Aug'2011) in the midst of Credit Crisis 2008; possibly in Collapse, possibly just in the crash that's typical mid-way up the S-Curve of a Technological Revolution

(meta: in Lean Family couple, might make sense for 1 person to be taking this approach while other sticks with more Old Economy temporary-stability)
be a consultant/Free Agent
invest your time/money in yourself to develop new skills/opportunities - Self Improvement, Educating Adults
tend to your Social Network, build Social Capital
seek BandWagons
start your own BootStrapping sustainable SmallCo/New Collaborative Enterprise/Life Style Company/MicroISV with no Exit Plan - might be One Man Show, might be Virtual Company
- follow Lean Startup process
grab some Venture Capital money to underwrite something interesting, maybe you live through the IPO, maybe you get replaced by some outsider but you had fun while it lasted and can go onto the next thing
join a BigCo and subscribe to Fast Company and Zoloft
join a university faculty or research department (Dave Winer, Clay Shirky, Kevin Werbach)
create stream of Passive Income
students and parents should consider Alternatives To A College Degree
?

See also Personal Finance-type materials: (often questioning the RatRace - Minimalism)