Changing careers at 18 years into a job, is it realistic? (update)

After 18 years as an HR coordinator I am thinking about moving into a different field. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. Did you take a pay cut?

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

Try a small project in the new field before committing. It told me a lot about whether I would enjoy it.