Terrified of turning 30!

Dear Sheryl,
I’m terrified at the thought of turning 30 in a few months. I always thought I'd be much farther along in my career than I am and I don’t want to stay in my current job much longer. The thought of choosing another career for the rest of my life scares me. I think I want to teach and have begun researching graduate programs but feel incapable of making the right decision. I feel as if so much is riding on this decision. What can I do? I don’t want to waste any more time.
Too scared

Dear Too Scared,
You are about to enter one of the best decades of your life and there’s nothing at all to fear about that. First you need to find out why you’re afraid. After a brief phone consultation I discovered the problems are with your thoughts. You THINK you should be better established in a different career and that turning the big 3-0 means you're a failure. Reality suggest this isn't true. You are doing the work you should be doing because it's the work YOU ARE DOING right now!
From what I understand you successfully manage over 20 people and enjoy some aspects of your current job. You have begun taking steps to transition into your next career and that’s exactly how it’s done my little frightened one - one teeny tiny step at a time.
Your job is not to figure out the rest of your life by a certain age. It is to figure out what it is you want to do right now. Worrying about tomorrow robs you of the joy you could be experiencing right now and who wants to live like that? Planning and worrying are two different things. Planning helps you focus on your future by setting goals concerning what you intend to BE and DO with your life.
The next logical step after writing down everything you want do and be (You can download a free Wildly Improbable Goals worksheet on my website www.ruhappe.com) is to decide which goal you’d like to pursue first.
If it’s teaching you need to decide when you’d like to transition into that career then work backward from that date. Let’s say you decide to leave your current job in 2010 which means you have a year to finish any classes to become a certified teacher. You can research this on the internet as well as any available jobs in your area. Gathering information moves you towards achieving your goal and invites all sorts of miracles. That's the part I love the most.
Another option is to search for alternate certification programs. Some states allow you to teach full-time while taking free college classes.
The bottom line is that turning another year older should be celebrated. You have another year in which to enjoy your family, love your husband and marvel at how fast your kids are growing. When you think of it 30 is just a number. You get to decide how you live your life. You get to decide how you enjoy the multitude of moments that make up each day every year of your life. Here's hoping this is the Happiest Birthday you've ever had. P.S. Remember: You get to decide!

Recommended Reading

The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle
The Joy Diet by Martha Beck
The law of attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks