Hey Dotsie, I went through a mid-life change in 1998. I had a wake up call by having a thyroiditis attack. I ended up on 6 months of bed rest. It gave me a lot of time to think. I quit my job and opened up my own consulting firm. From there I picked my own projects and worked only offsite as much as I could. Then, a couple years after that, around 2000, I decided I wanted to retire completely and write full time. My husband and I made a plan to do that and we succeeded. My first book was published in Nov 2001, the second in March 2002, and now my third will be published this year. I have outlines for 6 more books. My plan is to write 1 book a year. My publisher thinks it's a great plan too! :-)

My best advice is if you're serious about making a change, have a plan. Go about it with your goal set firmly in your mind and don't let anything stop you. Take your time and do it right so that you can have a higher chance of success.