I have changed career fields (industry and skills required) every 10 years, most of them grew out of my side hobbies. From my experience, always have a side hob

I have changed career fields (industry and skills required) every 10 years, most of them grew out of my side hobbies. From my experience, always have a side hobby that can grow up to become a new career if you want. Also, having a side hobby, that is not connected to your current career, will make you think and act differently even in your current career job. The demand for trade skills (plumbing, carpentry, electrician, construction, mechanical assembly etc.) is growing as more and more people gravitating toward white collar jobs. These are also a nice skill to have in your daily life. You don't need to think of these skills as "backup" career plan but more of something that takes you away from the work you do for 8-10 hours a day. Though HN is not fond of him, you might want to check out Mr. Money Mustache http://www.mrmoneymustache.com http://www.mrmoneymustache.com. He was a software engineer and "retired" at early age and enjoys his carpentry and construction work. The forum on his site also offers wealth of information on alternative methods of keeping busy that also pays.