Quandary at the crossroads

I turn 50 at the end of February, and I feel I’m at a crossroads. I’ve been Craig for 50 years and I feel it’s time to let Catie take the wheel for the rest of my life. I want to be Catie now. I’m on the verge of changing my name legally, but I’m worried about any fallout, both personally and financially…

I don’t feel like Craig anymore, it seems odd to see that name written down now, and it jars when I see it in a professional capacity (unless I change my name with HMRC, there are still occasions where Mr Craig Stevens still appears in online forms – ones that other people I work with see, people who don’t know me as Craig.)

To certain people I will always be Craig, I can’t insist that they call me Catie and I never will, but professionally and socially, I am Catie. I just feel that I’m flipping the preferred and the actual – I’ll be Catie Craig Stevens. Catie will be my legal name, but I’ll still be Craig to those who can’t call me anything else for whatever reason.

I have a deed poll form written up and witnessed, I just need to work out if and when I deploy it.

It’s a scary and anxiety-creating…