Are you positioned to take advantage of the good times and navigate the bad? You have to expect one as well as the other. During the good and bad times, there are shifts you can take that will serve you well.

Get out of debt.

The quicker you get out of debt, the better. You can't take advantage of opportunities when you're mired in debt. Opportunities are available in both good and bad times. There are opportunities that present themselves and debt keeps you from profiting from them. It also magnifies the negative because as the cost money increases then becoming an increasing portion of your expenses is debt service.

Think globally.

We can no longer afford to think and act locally. What we need is a broader vision. We must think about how our vocation, our business and our industry will operate in a global economy - because it already does.

Be entrepreneurial.

The age of the free agent is what this age is. Even if we are and plan to continue working in a larger company or organization, we must at least think like an entrepreneur. We need to be "in-dreariness." Unlike before, seniority and experience doesn't have the value anymore. Producing results - and profits - is what matters.

Becoming a capitalist.

Others own liabilities while the wealthy own assets and these are things that cost money to own and maintain. Capitalism is not a dirty word. Assets that produce income is what a capitalist owns. Generating income are assets such as stock, equipment, and businesses. Self-made are 80% of all millionaires in America. You can become one of them.

Be flexible.

At a rapid pace is how things are moving. This would demand adaptability. Things will not remain the same, nor will they go back to the way they used to be. We must be willing to change directions quickly. It's time to dodge and weave. We should accept change. Shift happens!