Hello Ben. I might be able to offer some insights from my own experience. I recently made a career pivot after 20 years in my previous line of work and the balance between personal passion vs safety net has certainly been something that I'm juggling with. Would be happy to chat further on the subject.

Hi Ben, thanks for sharing this. You've identified the 2 biggest challenge in making a career change; finding an area of passion where you can make a living and doing it in a sustainable way. For a start, ask people close to you on their observation of areas where you are passionate about. Keep your current job so it allow you to chase after your passion while having the peace of mind that money is still coming in. Join support communities where you can get feedback on your strategies, plan and skills development in the direction of your passion. Once you passion can support roughly around 75% of your current salary, then make the leap. O yes, if you are married, it is critical you share your plans with them. Think of your partner as a stakeholder you need to manage. :) All the best

Hi Ben, you are right to say that many people are rethinking their career choices. As a certified professional coach, I've coached other mid-career professionals and built a small community of people going through exactly what you are going through on social media. I would love to share more about how I can help but in the mean time, I would suggest not to limit yourself to the belief that you have to choose between your passion and a safety net. It can be both. You'll need clarity, the right mindset and strategy. Hope this helps!

i did a career pivot couple of years back. at the time i didnt know what i wanted to do, but i sure as hell knows what i do want to do. i took a massive 66% paycut to try out something new. i loved it. money was tight but the fondness and the drive to go to work everyday is amazing.