What do we do when we really want to do something else with our working life but the jump between a safe career and a potentially unstable one just feels too big?

Maybe you want to explore a more creative side of yourself and you want to be able to make that your full time job. Maybe you want to retrain completely into something that you feel truly passionate about.

These dilemmas are really normal throughout our working lives and sometimes the gulf between what you think we really want to do and what you are actually doing seems vast. Overtime this can chip away and make your current job seem and feel unfulfilling and frustrating.

It’s important to have an understanding of where the drivers are coming from when you want to make a big change. Has this come from not enjoying your current job or role or the people around you? If this is a trigger it could be that a change of scene would be a good way to explore something different without making a huge ‘All or Nothing’ change.

Maybe this has come from finding something out about yourself that you didn’t know previously. You might be very talented in something that has only really become obvious now. It could be a good idea to tap into that talent and try something alongside your current role. If it is something you need some time to dedicate to, is it worth speaking to your manager to see if you can re-arrange your working week so you can carve out specific regular time to explore this?

Take a look at your support system and your resources, if you make a big change, is there a safety net around what you are doing until your new venture gets up and running?

If you need some additional qualifications, can you do these alongside your current role? It might be tough for a while to commit to both but this might show you how enjoyable you really find the other option once it becomes less of a hobby or dream and more of a reality.

Is there someone who has done what you would like to do and could you connect with them to see how they did it? The advantage of social media is that we can connect with people who are not in our immediate network.

Before making a significant change in your working life, ask yourself these 5 key questions:

1) Do you know why you want to do this? Ask yourself this and write it down. Put it in a drawer, ignore it for a week and go back and ask yourself the same question. Is your response the same? This is your starting point to start building out your way forward. Keep this close and go back to it every time things feel tough.

2) Side hustles and hobbies can feel very different when they are full time jobs with pressures of budgets, time management and deadlines. Ask yourself if you had these additional pressures, would you still want to do it?

3) Check your resources and plan for a certain amount of time with a dip in income. How does that look? How does that feel to you?

4) There are seasons of life where work can feel frustrating and unfulfilling. This does not necessarily mean you are in the wrong place. Look at the positive aspects of what you do. Maybe it’s the people, the security it gives you, the opportunities. How does it now look through that lens? Can you talk to a boss or peer or mentor about switching things up in your role to see if that gives you a much needed shot of energy. Then re-visit in 3 months time. How are you feeling now?

5) Keep working on your project / new venture alongside your current role. It might be that you need qualifications, a different network or some meetings with people who have done it. Do these things whilst you are in your current job and see how it all feels to you. You will then be gathering data on how this new opportunity might look for you.

I really want to do something else with my working life- but I am scared to make a jump

I am uncomfortable with feedback. How do I change this?