I had a conversation with a colleague who was torn between different paths to pursue in the next phase of his career. He works for himself now and keeps bouncing between multiple avenues that could lead to professional or personal success. Instead of having angst over choosing one, I encouraged him to think of his work as a portfolio, and instead to consider what proportion of work he wanted in each area.
I have found this type of path to be rewarding for my own journey. I describe it to others as an “organizational infielder,” with a portfolio of multiple clients, utilizing varied skill sets, and working on projects of differing length. All my work has an organizational development thread through it, whether that be teaching, writing, coaching, training, consulting, facilitating, or project management, but no one piece dominates my time or income stream.
If you work for an organization, you can also view your work from a portfolio lens, treating your key responsibilities as independent sectors that can be mixed and matched as your skills and energy levels change. Perhaps this view can enlighten you as to a side hustle to pursue or a different emphasis for your next career move.
Relieve yourself of the burden of choosing “one thing” as your job or one task that you perform. See your work and contributions as a portfolio and curate the components to your liking.
