Need help - in a quandary

[meowmix]

Sorry this might be a bit long, and also I have changed name because there are people I know on here now.

Here's the deal. Last year I was made redundant from a senior job which I loved but that was unbelievably stressful and political. It was horrible thing to go throughbut I managed to get a good settlement and a new, better paid job almost immediately, and do feel that it is a good thing that I've left.

The new job is better paid, lower stress but I have less authority and freedom. To be honest I'm bored in the job, its stuff I've done before and I miss the stress of the old job. I've started an OU course to soak up some of the boredom and we're trying for another baby too (which isn't a boredom cure just the timing seems right as its a low stress job for me).

Its only been a few months but I've been approached by 2 headhunters for jobs that are more on a par with the old job. I'm very tempted to go for it but also tempted to settle where I am for a while. The current job isn't going to be a job for life and there is little room for progression. But thats what makes it low stress.

So I don't know what to do. How do I make this decision, how do I approach this? Also should explain that I'm the sole earner so the pressure is on to work and keep increasing income for the family. I know it might seem like everything is going my way but actually I'm really confused and stressed by this (I know - poor me).

Sorry this was so long, I'd really appreciate thoughts.

you're bored and unfulfilled

isn't it a no-brainer?

go for the interviews and see if you get an offer

What helped me a few years ago when I was trying to decide whether to make a career change was I wrote on a bit of paper the pros & cons of each job. It helped me make a decision based more on logic than emotion (v hard for me ). Good luck!

Twiglett I do agree - sometimes! Then other times I think well, maybe a lower stress job is a good idea and that I shouldn't expect work to fulfill me but be better/more rounded/balanced female of the 21st century (type thing). Prob is that even this low stress job is long hours and commute.

I'm driving myself mad with indecision

How far away are you from a point of no return with the more exciting sounding jobs?

Perhaps you can take it further before you have to decide, and in doing so it might claify what is the right decision at all?

problem is that its a small market so if I do go for the jobs I have to be serious about it - I can't mess them about. So we've had initial chatts but now I need to say yes def interested or not

its not so much about the jobs tbh more about how I choose what I want from work/life. Dunno if I'm making much sense, but I kind of feel that I have to make a choice between being career bitch and mummy or wage slave and mummy. Till I was made redundant I was very career minded