Hey Mustachians! This isn't a purely financial question, but I thought that your collective badassity might yield some useful advice.
I really, really (really!) want to transition out of my career field, which is nonprofit fundraising. I fell into it a few years ago, and while I've had a successful run, it's not for me. Nor is the nonprofit sector as a whole. I've been working at nonprofits since I graduated from college, and so far, I haven't come across any job positions within it that are a great fit.
I got into nonprofit work because I wanted to do something creative that would benefit society, but I'm finding that I'm waaaaaay too left-brained to be happy with vague ideals and good intentions. Unfortunately, I really have no idea what I want to do. I'm 27 and adrift.
I'm not looking for some mythical dream job, or as YMOYL would put it, Job Charming. I don't expect perfect personal fulfillment at any job. Just a job that's consonant with my skills and values. Nonprofit fundraising for sure ain't it.
I do know that my long-term goals include a big ol' 'stache and early retirement, in the MMM sense; I don't want to retire from work altogether, just the financial need for work.
Right now, I bring home about $3,200/month. My fiance brings home about $2,600/month. Our household expenses are around $2,800/month, but we could get them under $2,600 without too much fuss. We've got about $30K in retirement savings and $16K in cash savings. Zero debt, student, auto, consumer, or otherwise.
Obviously, if we could save that $3,200/month and maintain a 55%+ savings rate, we'd be able to retire in 14 years. Probably less because a huge chunk of our current expenses--$1,600/month--goes to rent in New York City, and we'd retire somewhere with drastically lower housing costs. But I'd be pretty (or more likely, increasingly) unhappy for those 14 years.
I guess I'm just torn. I know I want to leave, but I worry that it's too risky. What if I can't transition into another industry? What if I do transition, and I find that the grass is always greener? What if, what if?
Lemme know your thoughts. Thanks, guys and gals!