In the long run, I think the happenings of the last few years are laying the groundwork for another explosion in growth in the next 20 years. Why the optimism? Because the people that are going to weather the storm of the next few years are going to have two things going for them:

1) A Shift in Their Interpretation of a “Career”

For most of us, our grandfathers and fathers were able to be comfortable being cogs in the corporate machine – knowing they had a pension and social security to get them through retirement. In the New Normal, a stint with a particular company may last less than one year.  A willingness to simply work hard and show up on time could have led to a lucrative (albeit blue-collar, not that there’s a thing wrong with that) career. Now, many of those jobs will be outsourced.

The new American worker will have to have an entrepreneurial mind-set, even if they are currently cogs in the machine. They will have to constantly strive to get better, learn more, and show more value in order to maintain their position. Even better – more and more people are going to strike out on their own. In my world, I can already see this – talented people working with other talented people in temporary arrangements with multiple companies.

That’s diversification, people – and leads me to point #2.

1) (Super)Enhanced Financial Literacy

I have this sneaking suspicion that 90% of what most people know about personal finance has been poured into their head by a bank commercial or a politician. In order to make it over the next 20 years, Americans are going to have to actually learn how money works. Not just max out your 401(k) at work and say you’re “saving for retirement” – but actually have the tools to understand and optimize how your money is working for (or against) you.

I don’t mean knowing exactly what allocation of your portfolio should be in Japanese growth stocks – but understanding what a new car REALLY costs, or why making the minimum payments on your credit card is going to lead to the bank taking your house. In the New Normal the ability to look 2-5-10 years in the future and plan for that will be a skill that will be almost as valuable as the ability to earn a higher salary.

I’m making a conscious effort to keep this little corner of the web alive and kicking. First, I’ve gutted it completely. Here is where I want to talk about the business world, entrepreneurship, and all the other great things that come with that, and I wanted a fresh start.

More importantly, when your success depends a great deal on success in SEO and PPC marketing – it’s easy for that to become a primary focus. One could accurately call this blog my attempt to remain not only a well-rounded businessman and entrepreneur, but a well rounded person in general.

I think that’s important, don’t you?