To ask you how you changed your life?

[WickedQueen]

I’m at a big crossroads in my life just now. I want a big career change. I want to tear it all up and start again and I don’t even know where to begin.

What I do know is that I am desperately unhappy and I need to fix it.

Has anyone ever just...ripped it up and started again? Not just in work - any aspect of life? Did you ever regret it?

Best thing to do to change is to cease contact with people who negatively affect you.

It’s OK to make bad choices. Can you talk through them?

Yes. After university i got a grad job because that was what you were supposed to do and I hated every minute of it. Loathed the whole thing. It was pointless tedious make work.

I was fired (unsurprising as I was really shit) and I went and temped for the local council while I licked my wounds and worked out what the hell to do next. They had a huge public inquiry coming up and needed an assistant to the person running it, so I did that for 9 months and absolutely loved it.

I worked for the council who were all lovely people while studying law part time, and became a barrister.

Less dramatic than some, but I'd been really gritting my teeth and ploughing on with a job I hated and cried about every day and changed to something so much better.

Some really encouraging posts here. I hate to be the ex smoker type telling people what's best for them, but I'd advise anybody really wanting a change to go for it. Not recklessly, but you'll know deep down if you're genuinely unhappy (I ignored this and wasted all my 20s being anxious and stressed to the detriment of my love life and general enjoyment).

It’s never too late to change aspects of your life! Stay strong and make some small changes and bit by bit you can move away from whatever you are stuck in now. I’ve divorced, moved cities for new jobs multiple times, and am currently retraining in a new career as COVID resulted in our department being closed down. I’m also planning to leave the area I’ve been in for 10 years and move to another city. My advise would be not to change everything all at once. 🌺🌸🌺🌸

I took a job overseas.
No I never regretted it

When I turned 30 I was in a good job that paid well but it was (to me) utterly boring and not at all my passion. I had just kind of fallen into it after uni because I didn’t know what else to do. I was also in a terrible long-term relationship and had made some bad choices with money too.

I quit my job and retrained in a much lower-paid but way more fulfilling career, ditched the boyfriend along the way, and move to a new city. That was eight years ago and while my new life has its own challenges, I’m in a way more rewarding career and have a lovely husband and a home of our own, something I never thought I’d have!

I went to rehab. I'm still sober over 30 years later. Best thing I ever did by miles.

@PrawnofthePatriarchy

I went to rehab. I'm still sober over 30 years later. Best thing I ever did by miles.

That’s incredible

PrawnofthePatriarchy you’re amazing! I went sober 2 years ago after realising alcohol was making me miserable and it was the best thing I’ve ever done too.

I volunteered in a new job and changed career!

Brilliant, isn't it, FirewomanSam?

At 30 I left a well paid career to go to uni. I left the job I had after uni to start teaching

In my 50s I stopped teaching and am now self employed.

It can be done, though it is hard, scary and needs the full support of immediate family.