To think I'm stuck

[MansAlwaysCold]

I have a good job in a legal environment. It's one that I was quite lucky to fall into really. It's something I could comfortably make a career from and probably continue to do until retirement.

Except I don't want to! I am so incredibly bored of it but I feel so stuck. I have a house and family, I cannot afford to leave and go to university to do something different. Even worse, I don't have a clue what I'd want to do even if I could!

The thought of doing this job for the rest of my working life fills me with dread. It's not bad money and I'm good at it but it's incredibly boring (to me).

I'm not by any means old either, I am in my late twenties. However, I just don't see a way when I can't afford to study and can't really afford to start another path from the bottom either.

Does anyone have any stories of starting over and making it work? I feel quite defeated and stuck whenever I think about it.

I'm really not a journalist... I'd be happy for MNHQ to confirm that.

I don't really understand why anyone would make this up either.

In answer to your suggestion though... I did try an open uni course however, it felt impossible with working full time (and a long commute) and family life too on top. I felt like I couldn't give it the time required to obtain decent grades.

I'd probably try and get my head around a few different approaches in your position. 1. You don't have to stay in this career forever, even if you need to stay for the foreseeable. Telling yourself you're stuck there until retirement is anxiety inducing, particularly in your 20s. 2. Think of ways to improve your working day/general happiness while you are at work. Plan your leave so you have more to look forward to? Take on new challenges? Learn someone else's role? Take a decent lunch break a couple of times a week and do something for you? 3. There are ways and means of retraining but you obviously need to give a lot more thought about what it is you might prefer to do. Spend some time researching, read books on changing career etc. You have time on your side and you don't need to rush. 3. Once you have an idea of what you want to do you can plan your qualifications/route to a new career. If your kids are young, then you might have a bit more room to take a drop in salary when DC are all at school. You might also find once you give yourself permission to explore other options, this job doesn't fill you with so much dread.

Ok, you say you work in a legal environment, but I'm assuming not we w fee earner? As such, are your skills not transferable? To other roles in other industries?

We go into different jobs throughout our lives. Sometimes because we have a keen interest, for the money, it fits with our family or chosen lifestyle. If you think of this time as part of life journey, then start to identify what you want to change. If it is the job, can you look at what skills/knowledge you want to develop? Can you do this whilst still working? Either through distance learning or volunteering? Or is it that you want to look at your lifestyle and make changes there? Please don’t feel stuck, start to make changes in small manageable steps.

According to her book, Michelle Obama had a similar issue. She walked away and got a new job and she's done OK!

Can you not explore other roles within your field of work?