Lately, I've been doing some thinking (dangerous pastime, I know). I am rapidly approaching my mid-40's, have rising middle school and high school age kids, and am very much still in my "first career." That is to say, I won't be leaving my "first career" anytime soon, at least voluntarily.
But I often wonder about the possibility of a career change. What would I do? Would it sustain my family financially? Would it be personally rewarding? Would it be beneficial to others? Lest you think this is part and parcel with the onset of a mid-life crisis, don't. My first priority has been, and is, to provide for my family. Considerations like "is my current job rewarding" falls low on the list. I do what I do, and I do it pretty well, "liking" it is irrelevant. Staying gainfully employed is the primary objective, because it has to be.
Today, I consider myself locked in to my present vocation. This will not always be the case, however, and it strikes me that maybe a time is approaching where I do need to give this some serious consideration. I find it highly unlikely for me to be able to walk into a second career without some thoughtful preparation, especially if additional education is required. Perhaps another undergraduate degree, or a masters of some kind, or even apprenticeship in a trade should be considered. This costs money, which means that training and certification for the second career would need to be underwritten by the first.
While it is certainly possible that I'll stay with this "first career" until I am of retirement age, I somehow sense this may not be the case. My quest, if I choose to pursue it, is not merely to fill my post-retirement days, but rather to lay the groundwork for an earlier, pre-retirement shift to something new.
The what, of course, must come before the how, which is where I must begin.
As soon as I have time.
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