Downgrading Career?

I don't know how much of what's on my mind right now is the product of pure frustration or imposter syndrome or ADHD burnout or what, but I'm shocking myself by considering that there's a part of me that would really like to stop shooting for the highest star in my job career and job search, and just do something that I like and can feel good about. Thing is, I also have to support myself on it. Read on, and I apologize in advance for the length.

I've been doing mostly administrative support for most of my career, minus about four or five years I during which I dipped into a different role that I wouldn't mind doing again but it was kind of a one-off job and I haven't seen anything similar since. Over the years I've accumulated enough admin experience that I rose to the the level of executive assistant, directly supporting C-suites and other senior leadership types, often while simultaneously managing most other office functions and once even managing the CEO's separate commercial rental property as well. I was laid off in 2025 and found another EA role a few months later, then was laid off again very recently due to a corporate sale. Meh, it happens, I get it. Anyway, I'm very good at what I do but I'm starting to get really tired of navigating the job market every time I turn around.

As a household of one in an economy where the cost of everything is skyrocketing, these days I need to be making as close to six figures as I can possibly get. $100k+ is not unheard-of for high-level EAs in my geographic area (I live in the DC-MD-VA market), but it isn't super-common either. I've been within 25-30k of that number in a couple of jobs and was frankly underpaid for all of what I was doing, but lately most of the EA jobs I'm seeing that pay what I need are in-person at longer distances than I care to commute, and jobs I could do that are close to home pay more like $50-65k, just because of the way business concentrates in some areas vs others. I love the area where I live and want to remain living within a very short (5 to 7 mile) radius because living farther away would put me into commuting hell for the very specific things I enjoy doing outside of my working hours AND be even more expensive than where I live now.

Time for the kickers:

1. I'm 60, but my interests, energy level, and skill set are more like those of my friends in their mid to late 40s. I'm tech-savvy, to the point that I often fix people's computer issues so they never have to call the IT helpdesk. Same with smartphone weirdness. If I don't tell people my age they tend to lump me in with the 40-somethings. Great, I'm good with a holding pattern there. But here's the thing: I can't ever afford to retire, and even if I did I'd probably put in 40 hours doing volunteer work because I can't just sit around bored (did I mention I have ADHD?) While I'd love to be able to step aside and leave a job opening for someone younger, because let's face it I know perfectly well that Millennials and GenZ are getting screwed badly these days, there's the fact that...

2. I got screwed out of retirement savings during the last big recession, partly because I had stepped away from full-time work for a few years to care for an elderly parent. I never was able to put that money back. I do not own a house or a condo. I live alone and rent an apartment, which of course means my rent goes up every year. I'd willingly share a house with the right person or people, under the right circumstances if it meant I didn't have to scramble to try to land a job where it's possible that the ONLY part I will like is the paycheck. Fck that noise, because I've already done enough of that.

3. I went back to school a few years ago, intending to make a career change that then stalled, so I have student loans to pay. Joy.

Would I be a total wuss if I just said eff it and aimed for, or settled for, a lower-tier office manager role and looked for a housemate situation so I could still afford to live on my salary and maybe still enjoy my off-hours instead of being in a state of non-stop stress? I mean, on the one hand I value work/life balance tremendously and at least I'd be doing this in service to that. On the other hand, I've always been the type to push myself and not feel like I'm doing enough.

Thoughts?