Changing careers at 6 years into a job, is it realistic? - first time posting

After 6 years as an IT help-desk technician I am thinking about moving into a different field. There are 6 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. My family is supportive but nervous. How did you start?

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