It’s better to consistently make good money, than to sometimes make great money.
Your ‘Consumption Curve” is basically the amount of money you need for your daily living expenses and thus the income you make to satisfy it. It’s best to not have this vary too wildly from time to time.
Smooth your consumption curve - don’t have a wildly varying income and standard of living between different years. After taxes you keep less if you make 100k over 10 years