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So often we find ourselves on autopilot—wak
up in the same home, putting on the same
clothes, taking the same transportation to th
same-old job. Even our New Year’s resolutio
change barely make it past Valentine’s Day
(though here are 10 resolutions you’ll never
to give up.) And, while it’s perfectly natural (
normal) for humans to crave routine, there’s
much to be discovered outside of the confin
of our comfort zones. “We tend to create clu
and remain stagnant when we are doing the
same old things,” says Julie Coraccio, life co
and owner of Reawaken Your Brilliance . “Wh
we begin to see things differently and look
around us we open ourselves up to new
possibilities and new opportunities and can c
out fear.” It’s usually, the fear, or the energy
the fear, she says, that’s greater than what
actually have to do and change. Feeling like
might be ready to make a big life change? R
how these inspiring folks made radical move
took chances and embarked on epic adventure
“At age 53, I opened my own
restaurant.”
Courtesy Jaime coker Robinson
—Brad Gold, 72, Los Angeles, CA
“When I got laid off at 53 from a senior
management position with a struggling resta
chain, I knew it was going to be hard to find
another job in the corporate world. I also kne
was now or never to pursue my lifelong drea
owning my own restaurant. What was most
daunting was that, in order to make this hap
I was going to need to find an existing café t
was underperforming and whose owner was
highly motivated to get out of his lease. I go
very lucky and found just what I wanted eigh
blocks from home. Since I had never financi
planned for this day, I had to borrow money f
friends and relatives. I changed the name to
Black Dog Coffee , the menu, the recipes and
look of the cafe, and my wife did a great job
‘designing on a dime.’ Eighteen years later, w
still here and doing better than ever. I’m eter
grateful for the layoff and the opportunity to
pursue my dream.” Looking to pursue your
dream? Here are tips on leaving your day job
fulfill your dream.
“I overcame my fear and lost m
than 180 pounds.”
Courtesy Scott Schmaren
—Scott Schmaren, 54, Saint Charles, IL
“At 40 years old, and having struggled with
obesity all my life (I was at 5’6″ and weighed
pounds), I lost and kept off more than 180
pounds by using hypnosis. I didn’t want to sp
my whole life being sad, depressed and obes
couldn’t stand it anymore and I knew if I did
change I was going to die. I wanted more. I
wanted to be happy, healthy and full of love
life. From that perspective, I started on my
journey to change how my mind thought and
worked. I walked away from my real estate
career to commit my life and career to helpi
others change their lives and helping them
overcome their obstacles and challenges. I
became a hypnotist and a public speaker. Th
was 15 years ago and I am now in the best
physical, mental and spiritual condition of my
life. I still weigh 175 pounds and my life and
career is helping people create and live out t
dreams.”
“I went vegan for the sake of m
health.” Courtesy Craig Shapiro
—Craig Shapiro, 64, v*rg*nia Beach, VA
“I had been working at a newspaper for more
than 30 years when my life change reared its
head: I was ‘downsized.’ I went through serio
depression after that and it got to the point
where I couldn’t sleep, wasn’t exercising and
minding what I ate. I decided to reevaluate
life and what I felt most passionate about, w
was getting healthy. I’d wrestled with high bl
pressure and high cholesterol in the past. I a
decided to no longer consume animal produc
The three wonderful adopted dogs who share
home are no different from the cows, pigs a
chickens whose flesh we pile on our plates.
think and feel and are part of a family. By g
vegan, I’m saving animals’ lives and helping t
environment—meat production poisons the ai
and water. Good health, a clear conscience,
cleaner planet—that’s a heady combination.”
“The loss of my wife led me to
make a major change.”

Courtesy Allen klein
—Allen Klein, 79, San Francisco, CA
“When I was 40 years old, my wife died of a
liver disease. She was 34. At the time, we h
10-year-old daughter and I was the co-owner
silkscreen business in San Francisco. After h
death, I realized there was something bigger
needed to do in my life, but had no idea wha
So, I sold my half of the business to my part
and waited for guidance to know what to do
next. My wife had a great sense of humor an
although there were lots of tears during the t
years of her terminal illness, there was lots
laughter. After she died, I realized how impor
that laughter was, even though it was often
and how it helped me, her and those around
deal with her illness. I went back to school t
learn about therapeutic humor, started speak
about it and volunteered with people who we
dying to see how they used humor to help th
cope. All of that became fodder for my first
book, The Healing Power of Humor , which is
in its ninth foreign language translation.”
“I went back to school at 46 to
become a psychotherapist”
Courtesy Karen Whitehead
—Karen Whitehead, 52, Alpharetta, GA
“I was part of the sandwich generation with
child in college, one graduating from high sc
and one in middle school, all while taking car
my aging mom who was having major health
issues at the time. I was working as a third-
grade teacher after taking a break to stay ho
with my kids. After a few years, I realized I
miserable. I started having physical health
problems and my stress level was through th
roof. This wasn’t what I wanted to be doing
anymore, but I had no clue what I did want.
with the support and encouragement of my
husband and family, I took a job in an
independent school working in fundraising an
communications. When my immediate superv
left to work at an inpatient hospice and aske
me to go with her, I found myself excited to
connect with the families and patients. I star
meeting with different professionals to explor
career options in medicine or social services
took time to review course catalogs at
universities. I decided on an online Masters i
Social Work program at Boston University. I
my job, took a leave of absence midway thro
to care for my mom who was having health
issues and completed the program in three
years. I now have a private practice, Karen
Whitehead Counseling , where I help clients
stress, anxiety, cancer and chronic illness en
life again.”
“I moved across the world after
leaving a dead marriage.”
Courtesy Candice Kilpatrick
—Candice Kilpatrick, 40, New York, NY
“I had been living in Asia for nine years worki
as a teacher and was in a dead marriage. Se
months after I left my husband, I found out h
had been cheating on me. I desperately want
to start over in a new city where I could cho
my own identity, and not live in the small ex
community where I would be known as an ex
wife of someone. I took a big leap and move
NYC with two duffel bags and not a single fri
or family member in sight. Since moving to t
states, I’ve worked in social media for big br
like Yahoo!, Duane Reade and Moët. I’m also
newly married to an amazing man! I took a h
leap and it paid off! You are in control of you
own fate!”
left a miserable, high-paying j
and rented a cabin in the
wilderness.”
Courtesy Leslie Bradford Scott
—Leslie Scott, 52, Crescent City, FL
“At 42 years old, with two daughters just abo
to finish school, I quit my six-figure-salary jo
working in a toxic environment and escaped t
cabin by a river. Single parenting, a horrible
husband, and a misogynist boss zapped my
emotional well-being to near zero. In 2009, w
my kids now grown, I came to the conclusio
that life was not meant to be so difficult, an
surely there was another way. I was going to
rebuild my life from scratch, even if it meant
losing everything in the process. I rented a c
in the wilderness and sat by a river for nine
months, living off my savings. I hiked, kayake
read, wrote and unpacked my emotions. It w
restorative. After nine months, I found a job i
the recreation industry. It was a departure fr
what I had been doing, but I loved it. One
weekend, I hired a seaplane pilot to drop me
in the wilderness for a hiking trip. On the wa
we fell in love and I ended up moving in with
him. He was a flight instructor and trained m
fly a plane. After a few failed business attem
I started my own bath and beauty company,
Walton Wood Farm, which has become a mul
million dollar international brand in just three
short years. If I hadn’t found the courage to
from scratch, I’d probably still be stuck in th
car dealership working for a tyrant today. I w
not have met my darling husband, started a
business and would not have achieved my
childhood dream of becoming a bush pilot.
“I left my 20-year corporate
career to travel the world.”

Courtesy Leigh Wilsons
—Leigh Wilson, 42, Chicago, IL
“I’ve been employed, in some fashion, ever si
I was 15 years old, only taking a week betwe
changing jobs across the country. Throughou
my professional career, I would plan out my
vacation time years in advance, maximizing
time away as much as possible. After a
whirlwind trip to Southeast Asia in 2016, I
decided I wanted to travel deeper, beyond th
usual one or two-week bursts where work is
piling up behind me. When I started travel
blogging and engaging with the digital noma
community, I realized there are lots of peopl
doing exactly this, but I don’t know anyone i
‘real life’ who’s ever strayed from the traditi
career path. Despite the fear, I decided to p
the plug on corporate life. I started a websit
called Campfires & Concierges and, along wi
my dog, I’ve embarked on a six-month, 10,00
mile road trip through the American Southwe
and Baja Mexico. To prepare, I cut back on
expenses and sold a lot of my belongings. I
my home and downsized to 800 square feet
few years ago, which makes moving into my
vehicle and a storage unit a little bit easier!”
“At 41, I left my boyfriend, job,
condo and moved back home.”
Courtesy Jill Sherer Murray
—Jill Sherer Murray, 54, Doylestown, PA
“Even though I had everything I had ever wa
and lived in a great city for almost 20 years,
was being held back. My life simply wasn’t
moving me forward in the direction of my dr
or allowing me to grow in the ways I truly
wanted. While my life was good, it just wasn’
good enough. There were things I wanted to
and be and have that I knew were out there,
if I stayed where I was, they’d remain outsid
grasp. I wanted marriage and, after 12 years,
boyfriend still couldn’t make that commitmen
fact, I recently gave a TEDx talk called “ The
Unstoppable Power of Letting Go” about how
let go of that relationship. I also wanted to b
writer and a speaker and a teacher, and, whil
was writing a column for big magazine, I was
also stagnant in a corporate job that just did
move me. And while I adored Chicago, my lo
for a city just wasn’t enough to keep me stu
So, even though it was utterly terrifying and t
fear of being alone was palpable, I left anyw
told my boyfriend it was over and put everyt
I owned into my Toyota RAV4 and a moving t
and moved four states away to my hometow
was the scariest and best thing I’d ever done
my life. Within a year of leaving, I found mys
living in a bucolic artist’s community, writing
blog called ‘Diary of a Writer in Mid-Life Crisi
for a well-known literary magazine, freelance
writing, and enjoying a happy engagement to
wonderful man I thought I’d never find.”
“I jetted off to Paris for my 40t
birthday.”
Courtesy Star Staubuch
—Star Staubach, 41, Taylor Mill, KY
“Sounds luxurious, right? It felt impossible fo
this middle-aged mother of three with no
childcare and no savings to do anything for
herself. And yet, I dared to dream and said it
loud one day while on the bus home from wo
The woman sitting next to me got a tissue fr
her purse to blow her nose. On the tissue w
stars and the Eiffel Tower. My name being S
it only made sense that this was a sign. Whe
shared the story with friends, they affirmed i
And what was even more shocking is that on
friend told me she had a timeshare in Paris t
cost only $120 a week and was available on
birthday. Oh, and it was three miles from the
Eiffel Tower! As my husband searched for fli
he discovered that we had 50,000 skymiles
didn’t know we had (three young children, w
hadn’t flown anywhere in years). The
grandparents agreed to take the kids, who h
never been away from us overnight. For my
birthday, I ran three miles to the Eiffel Tower
back to our condo.”
“I left a 15-year career in huma
resources to become a baker.
Courtesy Liz Berman
—Liz Berman, 43, Natick, MA
“I started off making cakes for my kids and
quickly realized that baking provided me with
creative outlet that had been missing from
work in human resources. I started posting
pictures of my work on Facebook and soon
developed a large following. Friends and frie
of friends started asking me to make cakes f
them, so I figured I should give this a shot a
business! After several years baking at night
while working in my office during the day, I
decided to take the leap and go full-time wit
That was five years ago and I never looked b
Since then, the business has grown dramatic
It was clearly the best decision for me beca
it taps into a creative and entrepreneurial sid
me that had previously been unfulfilled. The
added bonus is I’m able to be home for my k
every day when they come home from school.