Sometimes writers find themselves in an awkward position. They love what they do, but they feel unhappy and frustrated. Ever felt that way?

Here's my secret: For the last little while I have felt this way, too. I've been walking around with this deep, unhappy feeling inside. I love writing. I love helping others with my writing. But the type of writing I've been doing for the last 2-3 years has been extremely unfulfilling for me.

The AHA! Moment

At the end of 2007 I sat down to do my annual goal setting and planning session. I immediately suffered a minor breakdown when I realized I didn't accomplish very many of my goals last year. Talk about a cold slap of reality!

Even more frustrating was the reason why I didn't accomplish them. It wasn't because my goals weren't reasonable. It wasn't because I was lazy (although I did my fair share of procrastinating). The biggest reason why I didn't reach my personal goals was because I was too wrapped up in writing for everyone else.

But Isn't That What You Do?

Yes, writing is what I do. Don't get me wrong. Not all the writing jobs I had last year were horrible. I worked with some wonderful clients and some projects were fun and enjoyable. But the other 85% were boring, tedious, and nerve-wracking.

Before you egg me in the comments, I'm not complaining. Well, okay, I suppose in a way I am. But in a good way. You see, when I stepped back and took inventory, I was unhappy and tired. And in the middle of this muck, I asked myself a very important question: "What do I want?"

Asking myself that very simple question sent me into a week-long contemplative state. The truth was, I'd spent endless hours working only to find myself broke and miserable. It wasn't working for me.

During these two miserable weeks, I had long talks with two trusted friends. I poured my heart out to both of them and told them how conflicted I was feeling. Their advise: Take a break and follow my heart.

Getting Real With Myself

Writing is my passion. That goes without saying. So there was no way in this world I was going to give up writing altogether (although I was tempted!). So I decided that if I were going to continue writing, I needed a plan. Better yet, I needed a major overhaul of my business structure and plan.

In all honesty, I didn't really have a business plan for my writing. I basically was living hand-to-mouth, taking just about every client that came to me asking for help. I had no strategy, no plan of action. I just lived day-by-day. It's no wonder I found myself so lost and disappointed!

I finally got real with myself. First, I needed a plan. Second, I needed a method of execution. Third, and most importantly, I needed confidence in myself to carry through.

I made a decision to segue into copywriting. It's something I've dabbled in, but never fully committed to. The ugly truth is that I was too chicken to. I kept telling myself I wasn't knowledgeable enough and didn't have enough experience. But you know what? Nobody's born a genius! Nobody's born with years of experience!

So I made a plan. I am studying. I signed up for a copywriting course. I'm taking measurable action steps toward my goal of becoming a copywriter. It's scary, I won't lie. I'm nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. But I know if I set my mind to it, there's nothing I can't do.

Are you a writer struggling with career change? Get more tips from Hope at http://www.hopewrites.com