Advice on life's next chapter

[Lotusflower70]

So I feel like I am in transition in my life and want to do something different careerwise. I am 47 so I have a lot of experience to draw on but I am looking for any ideas that anyone has about getting from the I know I need a change to actually making the change. Thanks for reading and appreciate suggestions and recommendations.

[Sanity Claws]

1. Good luck

I made a career transition but it was not smooth. I really don't have advice to offer except don't stay where you are. Make a side step, a smaller transition than originally planned, anything. I stayed too long in what I had been doing and got awfully depressed. I think that affected my ability to make the transition.

[vlyons]

2. Are you crafty

That is, are you good at creating crafts? I made a pretty good living, at least good enough, making jewelry, weaving, cheese presses, etc that I sold at craft fairs and on ebay. It was good enough until I landed my next corporate job.

[pangaia]

3. What do you like, or like to do?

[MineralMan]

4. It's difficult to offer much without knowing more, I'm afraid.

However, examine your options, your abilities, and your preferences and have a solid plan before cutting loose from your current situation. That would be my primary advice.

[procon]

5. I shifted to a new career in my mid 50s.

I was suffering from a major case of job burnout, I hated going to work and loathed the profession I had worked in for the past 30 years. Then this crazy opportunity came out of the blue where I could actually put my learned avocational skills to work. I went to the interview on a lark, expecting to get laughed out of contention and escorted off the premises as a fraud. They hired me on the spot and I had to decide, then and there, to accept and do something I loved, or be an unhappy drudge for a nice paycheck.

I had to keep telling myself to just do it! Do it! Be happy, and even it it doesn't work out, I could always return to my professional job. It was the hardest, scariest, most exciting and ultimately the most rewarding decision I've ever made. I had to take a big (as in, huge) pay cut and had to dip into my nest egg a bit, but it was a great job. The pay raises were good and I had parity within 2 years, so I had no regrets, and would probably do it again.

The only advice I would share, is just do what makes you happy, it really will change your whole outlook on life.