to feel trapped by a stable job? Anyone jumped off the 9-5 treadmill and followed a dream?

[Lacreon]

Disclaimer: I know I'm lucky to have a job at all, etc. and this post is possibly going to be a bit rambly...

I currently have a job which on the one hand is great for these reasons:

1. I get to work from home
2. Hours can be flexible
3. Is reasonably well paid

However I'm going through a bad work week and am feeling a bit trapped by it - I have worked in a slightly creative industry for a decade on and off and fell into what I do currently which is tenuously linked but not creative at all. My role has evolved to the point where what I do is basically admin and a lot of the time I think I could probably disappear for a fortnight and no one would notice. There is zero potential for career progression or for it to ever become something interesting.

It's also getting difficult at the moment as I'm caught between two managers who have differing views of what my duties should be. In the last few months the volume of work has doubled due to a change in circumstances but my effort in dealing with that is not recognised by one manager as she doesn't believe that it should be part of my role etc...

So basically I've decided to start looking around for something else but I'm feeling a bit trapped as I live somewhere fairly rural and would probably have to travel a long way to find something similar. I don't really know what I want to do ultimately, run a market stall or a catering van or preserve old buildings or something. But do I have to just suck it up, do the sensible thing and jump through hoops for the next decade to keep a roof over our heads? I can't decide if life's too short to be unhappy at work or whether I should just count my lucky stars to have a job at all and get on with it.

Any thoughts? Anyone got tales of quitting the rat race and following their dream?

Or - if you like your job or feel fulfilled by it, what is it that you do?

Can you not try a market stall, do some catering over weekends, so you get an idea of what it will take, profits etc.
start developing a business plan, see if it is still holding your interest. NOthing to stop you at least trying in some way to see if alternative careers will work for you.
For me it would concern if i thought i coudl make any money, what your overheads are, and whether you had a safety pot whilst you got started ..
good luck

Purely my opinion but I had a job (actually a well paid 'career' role, good salary, pension, company car etc etc) many years ago and I gave it up for 'lifestyle reasons' - I do regret it now I am my mid 50s with a very small pension to look forward to, nothing like the standard of living I used to enjoy. I don't want to bleat as I am still very comfortably off compared to many and I have a part time job that is fun, enjoyable but barely earn more than minimum wage.

In hindsight, I should never have left my previous role.

Can you concentrate on finding enjoyable hobbies and interests outside of work?

Yes, I did and I make peanuts compared to what I used to but the hours fit, I don't need childcare and I love it.

I did! And I don't regret it one bit. However, I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to do: it wasn't simply to 'escape' a horrible work environment (though that was a major bonus) or to cope with the fact that I have regular bouts of severe illness that mean I can't leave the house for 2-3 days a month. I would worry a bit if you were my best mate and saying to me 'I'm going to give up my job and make jam, or save old buildings' because there's a pretty big difference between the lifestyle involved in those things!! I'm not saying 'don't do it', but I am saying HAVE A PLAN!

I am so much happier now, even though I work madly hard at it (when I am not ill in bed like today). However, it was easy for me because I live in a cheap city and have an extremely supportive DH who loves his reasonably decently paid job.

I left a sensible teaching career to go self employed running a completely unrelated online business.

Business started whilst bored on maternity leave in 2005 and was initially just intended as some holiday money and something to keep my mind occupied whilst on mat leave.

However it took off and until the credit crunch fully hit me (2010 ish) I was actually earning more in business profit that my full time teaching salary. I therefore I had no reason to go back to teaching, even though I considered myself a 'career break teacher'.

Since the 2010 my profit margins have reduced, but the work-life balance is fantastic and for that reason I doubt I'll go back to a 'proper job' anytime soon.

It's a brave decision to make, but worth it IMO.

I left full-time work in 2003 to start my own business in the creative field. Cue lots of "you are mad, you have 2 young DCs what about financial stability, you can't give up a stable job". I understood people's concerns and it was a real struggle at 1st, but Im so glad I took the plunge. I had time and focus to be "me" creatively, build my business, and best of all so much more time with my DCs too. They're grown now but I look back and am glad I was there for most of their childhood, not stuck on a treadmill which is how I was feeling. I wouldnt change any of it for the world.

Must say I had a lot less money for a time but money isn't everything, I cut back where I had to. Less material things don't phase me. I didnt have a big savings pot but before I left full-time work I was luckily able to go job-share, which reduced job to 3 days weekly. So I juggled both job & business for 3 years, before leaving entirely. You do have to have some sort of lead-up and plan. & its hard work.

Its important to me to love what you do. Even though your current work hours and set-up sounds pretty cool, OP! But if you want to do something else then just follow your dream..don't miss your opportunity. You'll feel all the better for it

I am in a somewhat similar position to you and having the same thoughts. I have a good job, I am really rather good at it and there is the potential for progression and higher pay either where I am or in other organisations. In fact it really is a great situation and I feel very ungrateful for even considering giving it up. However, it is something I just sort of fell into so have no real love for it and it is getting increasingly stressful. I really can't manage to find any enthusiasm for continuing doing it for the next 30 odd years.

But what do I do instead? Especially as I am the higher earner in the family and we can't really afford a pay cut while I retrain or start a business.