Describe an important decision you made that changed your life.

One life-changing decision I made was to quit a stable accounting job and retrain as a teacher. On paper, the job was fine – decent salary, nice colleagues – but I felt completely drained and unfulfilled. After a few years of just going through the motions, I realised I couldn’t see myself doing that for the next forty years, so I decided to take the plunge and switch careers.

I made this decision about five years ago, after a particularly stressful tax season. I remember sitting at my desk late one evening, staring at spreadsheets, and thinking, “If I don’t change course now, I never will.” That moment really crystallised everything for me. I spent a couple of months reflecting and researching options, and by the end of that summer I’d enrolled in a teaching qualification programme.

A few people were involved in the process. My parents were actually the first ones I talked to, and, to my surprise, they were incredibly supportive, even though it meant giving up financial security. I also spoke at length with a close friend who was already a teacher; she didn’t sugarcoat anything and warned me it would be demanding, but deeply rewarding if I was passionate about it. That honest conversation helped me commit fully to the idea.

This decision has transformed my life in several ways. Professionally, I feel a real sense of purpose now; I’m challenged every day, but in a meaningful way. Personally, I’ve become more confident and resilient, because I proved to myself that I can take calculated risks instead of just playing it safe. Looking back, it was scary at the time, but it opened doors I didn’t even know existed and made my day-to-day life far more satisfying.