How do I know it's time to move on?

Some decisions in life are simple, necessary, and totally cut and dry. In the case of when to move on in your career, there are some obvious reasons that will have you ready to leave in a hurry.

However, more often than not, you find yourself staying where you're comfortable - even if you have a small voice nudging you that it's time to go. You probably believe that there is better out there, maybe even a dream role. But, you stay anyway. Staying feels stable.

I faced this very dilemma earlier this year. I wish I could tell you that I moved through some kind of formula and quickly discovered the answer. There were no lightbulb moments. But, looking back, I can see it so clearly. Here's what happened...

I was less than a year back in the workforce after taking a 3 year gap to care for our 3 small children at home. I had a pretty fulfilling job and was meeting a lot of influential people. I was not looking for an opportunity, but one fell in my lap. I went back and forth for easily a month. Thankfully, I wasn't being held to a short deadline to decide.

I was enjoying a specific aspect of my job and the connections I was building. However, I knew I'd eventually outgrow it, even though that hadn't happened yet. I also was commuting 40 minutes each way and working some required evenings. Both of those components were keeping me away from my family far more than I wanted to be. This new opportunity would offer me more working from home, more flexible hours, and a boss I had gotten to know and was certain would provide a supportive environment where I could actually grow.

It sounds obvious now, but I was TERRIFIED to make a change. I was GOOD at that job. I felt competent and enjoyed that feeling. I was in a groove. People were complimentary of the work I was doing. Some of it was really rewarding, too. Why would I mess that up? Here are the 2 questions I had to ask myself that over time nudged me past feeling completely frozen and indecisive.

1. What are my priorities? First priority: seeing my family and not missing out on the field trips, awards ceremonies, doctors appointments etc. I wanted to be home when my kids stepped off the school bus. Second priority: knowing I had room to grow in responsibility and in pay.

2. Does this line up with my values? When in conversation with my potential new boss, every word he spoke about culture and perspective on work/family balance spoke to me. His high level of ethics lined up with mine. His respect for me and desire to listen to and consider my perspective...priceless. Being valued was key for me. 

It was through that lens that I saw a clearer path forward. Was I still scared? 100% terrified. It felt like a huge risk. But, you know what? Once I decided, the rest of my time in that original role felt frustrating. It's like the rose colored glasses came off and I could see things really were not the right fit for me there anymore. I became more certain each day. That was a gift.

Just yesterday I ran into someone I knew from my last job. He asked me how it was going and we started chatting about reasons to leave a job and how for some it's money or an unhealthy environment. Then, he said something I cannot get out of my head.

He said, "Money isn't enough of a reason. Is the work I'm doing draining me or energizing me? If it's draining work, an hour can feel like 5 hours. If it's energizing, the hours fly by."

Wow. Is your work draining you? How do you feel during your work day? Do you feel depleted by the end of it? Maybe it's 80% draining but there's 20% that really feels like "your zone". You know what I believe? I believe there's a role out there for you where you're 100% in your element.

If your priorities and values do not align with your current work, consider opportunities to move on. If your work is draining more than energizing, friend, it's time to move on.

If you're intrigued, I want you to write down your priorities, your values AND what tasks or type of work really energizes you. What skills are you using when you feel like you come alive? Physically write all that down!

Then, I want you to start looking a little bit. Pull up a job listing website like Indeed and look for opportunities that align with what you wrote down: your priorities, your values and the type of role that you'd be excited to get out of bed and do every day.

You don't need to jump ship tomorrow. But, get curious. Start updating your resume. Get clear on the value you bring and make sure it shines through on that document. Opportunity is out there. Life is far too short to be comfortable, but depleted.

If you haven't touched your resume in years, or just feel a lack of confidence in it, I highly recommend downloading my free guide 7 Things to Take Off Your Resume Right Now. It has all the most common mistakes I have seen in the nearly 350 resumes I've transformed. Let's get you on the right track!