Changing careers at 16 years into a job, is it realistic? after 16 years as an IT help-desk technician

I want to move from IT help-desk technician to something with more stability. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. My family is supportive but nervous. Has anyone made a similar move?

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 6 months.

I took a small pay cut for a year, and it was worth it for the growth afterwards.