thinking about doing something completely different -- tell me i'm not crazy

[samstress]

i'm feeling like i want to completely change careers, but am nervous.  i'll be 39 in a few months (i know that's not ancient, but at this point in my life i thought i'd be cemented in a career by now -- i sometimes feel like i'm still not a grown-up). 

i've also got baby #2 coming in may.  depending on how you look at it, this could either be a good time or a bad time for such a change.

guess i'm just looking for encouragement or maybe stories from those who have done something similar.  the frustrating part is that i don't really know what i'd do.  if i knew what that "thing" was i would pursue it wholeheartedly.  i'm not against going back to school or working really hard to make it happen, i'm just not sure what i want to be doing. 

i've often said to myself, "if i had only done this five or ten years ago", but i don't want to keep beating myself up about it and i certainly don't want it to be five or ten years from now and i'm saying the same thing. 

sorry, just frustrated.

[Evergreen]

You are 39? I always thought you were, like, 20 you look so young!

Anyway, I 'm in the same boat. I've been meaning to go to law school for 8 years and this year I'll be 30 with two kids and a newborn when I finally go.  Might not be much help but I am sure there are a lot of others in the same boat. Don't give up on a chance to have the career of your dreams even if getting there seems tough.

[staceychev]

I'll be 39 in the fall and have always assumed that this career won't be my last! I say go for it. Sorry you're frustrated, too. I know what I'd like to do for my next career, but that doesn't really help you...  Keep your chin up!

[samstress]

thanks ladies (and thanks emily for the much needed ego boost).

[beebalmmama]

I'm starting back to school this next fall and I'll be 33. I haven't really had a career yet and I know what you mean about thinking you'd be settled into your career by now. I've had some work related to my degree (sort of) but nothing lasting and now not even close to what I want to pursue now. Honestly I was throwing around a few ideas until just last year I realized I was heading down the wrong path with all those ideas. I'm glad I waited because now I feel very confident about the program and career path I've chosen.

I met my dh when he was 37 and he went back to school to become a school teacher at the age of 39. Started teaching at 42? He's got 20+ years to teach......I think you've got time too.

[VisionaryMom]

I'm in my first semester of an accounting degree, which is far afield from what I've done the last 8 years (copywriting). I'm 30. 

I have a degree in history and fell into copywriting because I didn't have a clear plan back then. I've known for a while I wanted a change, but I didn't know what. TBH, I started thinking about what I really enjoyed, which was hard for me. So much of my life has been "need" that it took me a while to get in touch with what I really enjoy. 

I spent probably 6 months - 1 year thinking about it and considering ideas before I made a decision. Then I thought I'd go back to school later, when the kids were older, until I had a health scare that convinced that now is the time. For me, I asked myself a lot of questions about what I like to do even when I don't have to. I used some questions from "find your hobby" quizzes & books to help me formulate the right questions. 

[Quinalla]

Nothing wrong with changing your career path, it's so much more common for people to change careers multiple times in their lives now. But yeah, definitely have to figure out what you want to do. Taking a few classes, reading books, looking at random job postings, looking at a list of most needed positions, or just thinking about what you really enjoy doing and how that could fit into a career are all things that might inspire you. Once you figure it out, I'm sure you'll do great!

[CatsCradle]

Hi OP!  I spent the first part of my life engaged in the arts (visual and theatre) but at around 36, decided to go to law school.  People were shocked because it was such a switch.  But for me, not really, because I really needed paid work that would challenge my brain.  Not that art doesn't challenge my brain (it still does) but I found that I was a weekend artist and basically working dead-end jobs to meet the bills.  I was admitted to the practice of law at age 40!  I should note that I did all this before I had DD, so switching gears, in my opinion, was much easier for me because I had the time and energy to stay focused.  I do know that a lot of people, however, make the switch successfully post-child-bearing. 

Good luck.  The first step for me was ridding myself of the fear of change.

[neonalee]

I don't have any advice for you, but I could have written your post.  The degree & job I have are very different from what I had expected (the industry changed).  I go through stretches of being extremely unhappy about it, and others of acceptance.  I want something else, but no idea what.  The ideas here will help me too!