Mid life crisis here I come.

[flowerycurtain]

Hi everyone.

Hit the big 40 last year and am questioning myself. Currently I'm a partner in a family farm. We're about to either fall out over succession planning or I'll end up as a farm secretary which I'm not sure I want.

If I'm going to drop out of the farm it's probably now or Never.

The bit of farming that I love is the food production element. I feel I'm actually doing something good in the world. But about 5% of my role is that. More is property management and back office.

Would I be mad to consider a complete change of direction. I've always wanted to do something meaningful. Social work, prison rehabilitation are ideas keeping me awake at night.

Supportive dh so happy to spend time and money retraining (obviously after a period of research/volunteering)

Has anyone done anything similar?

I retrained at 34 , lots of people do well into their 50's if you have the drive and energy go for it.Prison rehab would be really worthwhile imo.

I got a lot of tattoos.

Blobby...😂

Retrained and started new career at 40. Go for it!

All positive responses so far!
@Bearnecessity and @SnarkyBag what did you retrain as?

It sounds like a good time to take stock and think about what you want to do but don't have rose coloured spectacles on about other careers. So many jobs have so much time devoted to admin and inputting endless data , sitting behind a computer. I work in social care, the admin is a nightmare !

I trained as a primary teacher....not doing it now tho'.

I retrained at age 50 as a teaching assistant in early years in a school. I volunteered first in the nursery class for a couple of terms, then the Head asked if I would like to get qualified by doing an apprenticeship. Permanently employed there now.

Don't lose your opportunity to inherit the family farm. Surely some of it or its value is yours whether ou work there or not. See so many people setting up small food production enterprises on farms now. Ireland has new ones every day..Could you start a business of your own. Although there will be a lot of administration.

@junebirthdaygirl the will is my sibling and I will get 50/50. Parents still have a good 25 years left in them before we get that though. Sibling doesn't work on the farm.

I could set up my own business. The problem is I'm not hungry enough or have enough time. DH has a successful business that means I do the majority of house/childcare/family admin. To be a success I'd have to put in a ton of hours for very little reward. I'm in a very very lucky position that I don't have to work. I want to and will but it also takes away that hunger and therefore drive to do something for money. I guess that's a little bit where my dream of doing something to help others comes from.

That sounds just fantastic to have things so secure. Definitely go and train for a job yo would love. You could always work part time afterwards if it was all too much.

I'd stick with the farm tbh. You love the food production and your sibling doesn't work there, so it seems mad to potentially lose the family business when you don't have a burning ambition to do something else. Can you not get back into the animal side of things and offload bring in someone else to do admin