This past week, two people approached me and asked, “Gail, how do I know it’s time to leave my current career?”

Great question, and not so easy to answer.

Transitions are always psychologically, spiritually, and sometimes physically hard! This is because we’ll do anything possible to hold on to our old familiar ways. Yet, our spirits are nudging us, sometimes not so quietly, that for us to grow and/or expand, we need to do something different and move on.

For one thing, we know it’s time to leave and to move on when we’re unhappy! When we’re crying, complaining, blaming, or in anger all the time about our current situation, it’s a surefire sign we’re not in alignment. We need to let go and let God.

Before we let go of one trapeze bar and reach for the next higher rung, it’s good to journal answers to the following hard questions.

#1. What’s keeping me in the current situation?
#2. What would happen if I left?
#3. What am I looking for?
#4. Am I leaving because of a person or situation?
#5. If I stayed, could I resolve that situation?
#6. What’s my heart and soul longing for?
#7. Is that possible to achieve by leaving?

Of course, hindsight is always better than foresight. You won’t know if making the much sought-after change is a good decision or not until later yet, everything is always in divine order. There’s a reason and a purpose for what you’re feeling. At the end of the day, you have to trust your gut/spirit and go for it! Do the thing that is yours to do! As John Burroughs said, “Take the leap and the net will appear.” Meaning, take risks and actions, trusting things will work out, and support or solutions will likely emerge even if a specific plan or safety net isn’t immediately visible. As I said when I won the Ms. Colorado Senior America Pageant in 2013:

I believe my desire to fly must be bigger than my fear of falling. Vision is internal, not external, and is guided by my heart, not my eyes. In order to be free, to fly, I must “want my dream, feel my dream, and believe that my dream will come true.” Most importantly, I must live my dreams! I am the creator of my destiny, the composer of my symphony, and I choose to live a life of greatness!

Whatever you choose is the right decision. Listen, pray, and follow your heart and your guidance. You already know your answer and what to do! Have faith, believe, and be willing to change the way you see and change the way you live.