Making a big career change is never easy, especially if you’ve got kids to support, a mortgage to pay, and a car to worry about. People will tell you you’ve got it great where you are and that the grass is always greener on the other side. What they don’t know is what’s best for you. Switching careers doesn’t have to be the daunting process everyone makes it out to be if you are organized, practical, and thorough with your research.

Method 1 of 5: What Would You Rather Be Doing?

1. Tackle the golden question

If you had all the money in the world, what would you be doing with yourself? Don’t hold back. This is brainstorming time. Make a list of all the things you’d rather be doing with your time. Your first few answers will probably be something like: Take a tropical vacation, spend more time with the kids, etc. But push your thinking beyond that. Ask yourself if you are content with stringent working hours, accounting to higher authorities, etc. If this is what you don’t like, then strive for a self-actualizing job that gives you exactly what you desire or hope to achieve.

2. Consider careers that interest you.

You might have studied accounting at college for the sake of job security and financial certainty. But all the time, perhaps you really wanted to be a park ranger or a freelance troubleshooter. Think back to what once motivated you when you were younger––you will often find the kernel of the things that still motivate and thrill you there.

• Write a list of the things you loved to do once and the career ideas you had.
• Add down the ideas for preferred careers that you actually have now. Don’t hold back for such reasons as “lack training” or “no resources to risk it”. At this stage, write down the career paths you’d really rather be following.

Method 2 of 5: Working Out What Else You Can Do

1. Evaluate your skills and talents. Ask yourself: What am I good at? What do I most enjoy doing? Write down every skill you’re capable of. Don’t be shy. Does your current job give you satisfaction and utilize all your potential?

2. Identify transferable skills. After having listed all known skills and talents, identify what skills will best transfer over into the new line of work you’re hoping to change to. The longer the list, the easier the transition.

• If you have only a few or no transferable skills, do not be discouraged. New skills can be easily learned, while old skills can act as the foundation blocks.
• Other life experiences can also make this transition easy––remain conscious of the basic life skills that have already been acquired and avoid discounting them. Give yourself a boost and some credit.
• Pursue your passion to find happiness. Is there a passion outside of your work that has brought you a range of skills that you might be able to use to bolster your transition case?

3. Think of jobs that allow you to do what you really want to do, at least in some form. In what ways will you be able to apply your skills and talents every day? Be creative and open-minded. Focus on what your inner feelings guide you to do.

4. Make a list of everything you want in your new job. make one of everything you don’t want, such as revisiting tedious aspects of your current job. Having this dual list of preferences to guide you will make it easier to check off the jobs that fit and delete the ones that don’t; the list helps you to be more discerning and less ready to jump into the same situation.

• Be prepared to work gradually towards your needs and wants; steady accomplishments will make the career transition less risky and more likely to work out for you.

• The list helps you to listen to your gut reactions and not ignore warnings that something isn’t a good match for you. You are changing careers precisely because you want to remove yourself from the warnings, so heed that feeling if it arises.