When it's time to move on

Listening to your gut and when it's time to move on

Every weekday I log in to my computer, sign into Slack, my email, and Figma and get clacking away at work. I have meetings virtual or in-person, I send messages, work is being planned, and products are getting built. Work-life continues to steadily move.

I am fortunate to have a work-life balance, co-workers I enjoy working with, and the autonomy to do the things I need and want to do in my role. I have a lot of ownership over the work I do and I felt like I had the room to voice my thoughts and opinions.

Why would throw this all away? I remember asking myself this constantly while I was interviewing for a new role somewhere else. It took weeks on end to figure out why.

One of the first things I was advised was to create a pros and cons list, and I of course created one. I remember listing out a con for one and realized it wasn’t something significant enough to impact my decision. It quickly became clear it was less about the quantitative and relied more on the qualitative reasons instead.

There is something to be said about listening to your gut. The last time I was in this position, I remember being extremely distraught figuring out whether or not I was going to move on to a different role. I referenced that time period to reflect on those past feelings and compared them to what I was going through in the present.

There were a lot of similarities in the feelings I faced this time around, but the alarming indicators of indecision weren’t as apparent. Sure I would wish-wash with the people I confided in, but I recognized it’s because I wanted to make sure I was accounting for all the different angles. When I finally got the offer, my reaction was what clearly communicated to me what I wanted to do.

I don’t know if I made the right decision until I am actually in this new job, but I have to rely on my gut. It’s not like I’m moving into this blindly either and I’ve felt a lot of excitement during this waiting period. And in all honesty, I don’t think there is a “wrong” decision. I will miss my current colleagues and the dynamics that we’ve built. I’m also looking forward to meeting new people and figuring out how to create new relationships.