Part of being not cavalier is also thinking ahead -- you have XYZ job now, but what job do you want next? When interviewers ask people, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" it's not a bullshit throwaway question. Do you see yourself managing people who do the same job as you in five years? Do you see yourself doing the same job but for a larger company? Do you see yourself going back to school or getting additional training? Do you see yourself working in a different industry? There are lots of ways that career paths shift and move as industries change and economies go up and down, and most people just do not give that a second thought.

Maybe you might still get swamped by a big wave, but you'll recover from it better if you know your boat. People who plan weather storms better, even where their plans have to change because you grow to know yourself and your situation better in the process of planning.

Anyhow, sorry for the tl;dr comment, dude.

The best (and I think only) way to prepare for a recession is to do so in boom times: save, save, save. Live under your means as much as possible. There is no better tranquilizer and means of weathering a storm than a fat savings account, and you can only fatten it up in boom times.