The 10,000 hours thing is A) probably more workforce folklore than fact, and B) about becoming an expert, but you don't need to be an expert to switch careers.

The 10,000 hours thing is A) probably more workforce folklore than fact, and B) about becoming an expert, but you don't need to be an expert to switch careers. Hell, you don't even need to be an expert to be highly successful. I'm in my 40s also and one of the things I've become certain about over the years is actual competency is depressingly low on the list of traits you need to have a successful career. Far more important are traits like confidence, charisma, the ability to bullshit (I hate this), and soft skills. Don't sweat the 10,000 hours. It's probably not true and you don't need to be an expert anyway. I'd say if you really want to switch careers, go for it. Worst case scenario is it doesn't work out and you can come back to your current field. That's a far better outcome than spending the remainder of your life wondering if you could have done it.