Do you hate going to your Woodland job each day? Are you experiencing a sense of uneasiness about your chosen career path? Do you dream about finding work in another profession altogether?  If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then you could be experiencing a mid-career crisis.

According to HRDictionary.com, a mid-career crisis is defined as:

“A point in the middle of someone’s career when they have to decide what to do in the future.”

So should you continue on your path? Or change careers mid-stream?

First, examine why you want to make a change. For instance, is it your Woodland job, your boss, or you current employment situation that you hate, or are you really unhappy with the profession altogether? Once you know what’s troubling you, you’ll know whether you need to jump ship to a different employer, or make a much bigger career change.

If you’re looking to make a complete career change, get things in order, particularly your finances. Since financial obligations are the biggest obstacle to a new career it’s important you pay off debts and save up enough money to live comfortably until you can launch your new career. You’ll have less anxiety as a result.

During this process, create a plan of action that will help you achieve your career goals. For instance, what should you do in the next week, month, 6 months, 1 year that will help you make the switch? If you know exactly what kind of job you want, determine the training and education you’ll need to get there. If you’re uncertain, though, then start doing some research about different career fields. You may even want to take a personality assessment to figure out which fields are a good fit for you.

Also, be realistic about your action plan. For instance, quitting your job and enrolling in school full-time might be unrealistic. Instead, consider taking a night class, or a couple of night classes each semester. That way, you’ll be able to continue working at your Woodland job while moving forward in your plan to fulfill your career goals.

Finally, be open to the change. Switching careers is never easy. You’ll likely experience rejection, false starts, and stress along the way. Also, many people define themselves by what they do for work. If you’re one of them, you could feel a loss of identity along this journey. But if you plan ahead, have a strong support system in place, and are open to the change, then you can likely weather the storm and achieve career happiness.