Have you ever found yourself dreading Mondays? The Sunday scaries kick in and leave the last few hours of your weekend filled with anxiety?

Or do you regularly try to escape your reality because it feels off? You travel to escape your life rather than for the experience of being in another location or country.

It’s normal to question your path – especially after certain life experiences or career changing situations. Current events might even make you ask “is this all there is?”

Are there any Grey’s Anatomy fans here? I can quote some of the early episodes (I used to have the first 10 seasons on DVD and could tell you which episodes were on which disc). Stay with me.

At the end of season 3 when the Chief of Surgery position was up for grabs, Dr. Richard Webber told Dr. Addison Montgomery that she would not be the next Chief of Surgery to which she said, “I need this job. I need more in life”.

Richard gently told her, “if you need a job to give you a life, you either need a new job or a new life”. Addison then relocated to LA and joined a private practice with friends from medical school.

There were a few subtle signs that Addison needed a new life before reaching this breaking point:

She went to LA to visit some friends from college (an escape and searching for something familiar)
She explored different paths towards what she wanted (motherhood)
She let go of a life she thought she would have

Before most people make a big move — like relocating or quitting — there’s often a quiet knowing. A restlessness they try to ignore. You might be in that place now.

Recognizing the Inner Discomfort

Watch: What No One Tells You About Leaving Corporate

Do you ever find yourself saying things such as:

I should be grateful that I even have a job
I should be happy with what I have
I have everything I worked for and still feel unfulfilled

But deep down, you know something’s off, even if you can’t name it.

My favorite example of this is from Girlfriends. I also used to have the entire series on DVD and wish I still had them.

Joan Clayton was a successful junior partner at a prestigious LA law firm. She owned her home – passed down to her from her grandparents – had a stylish wardrobe, and a solid circle of friends. The jury is out on if these friendships were healthy but I digress.

On paper, Joan “had it all,” but she was unfulfilled. She went to law school to become a lawyer because she wanted to make a difference. To make change. But she quickly learned that being a practicing attorney at a major law firm is mostly about the bottom line and billable hours.

Despite being promoted to senior partner, Joan decided to leave the firm and practice law to discover who she was now and what she wanted next. She knew it was time to shift.

And viewers saw Joan become disengaged at work, asking questions about finding fulfillment without some of the things she wanted for her life, and even reaching out to a partner at the firm, woman to woman.

How to know it’s time for a life or career change

Whether it’s the Sunday scaries or that nagging voice asking “Is this it?”, these moments are clues. But what do you actually do with them?

That’s the thing: you have to take action. But action doesn’t mean you have to flip your life upside down or completely overhaul your life.

There was a time when I felt as if I was trying to force a career path that just no longer fit. But I didn’t know what to do next. I didn’t even know how to name what I was feeling. I tried using a feelings wheel and everything.

Because I've worked in a number of different industries, it seemed like I was “running out” of industries to explore. That was another signal.

See, it didn’t matter the industry or even the role. Most traditional workplace environments focus on the same core fundamentals: people, process, technology. Different industries may have certain characteristics, but at its core, business is the same at its core.

And once I saw that, I had to ask myself a harder question: Was it time for a new role… or a new kind of life altogether?

That moment of clarity didn’t give me all the answers, but it helped me stop spinning in circles and start looking inward instead of outward.

Granted, I still looked for new jobs because it was really all I knew. It was all I worked for my entire life. What I was conditioned to work towards.

Here are five areas to reflect on before you make a big shift:

1) Purpose

What’s your why?

Clarity starts with understanding what's really driving you. Knowing what truly motivates you is the first step to making a change that feels right. When you're feeling disconnected from your work or life, it's often because your day-to-day life no longer aligns with what you truly care about. You might not even realize how much your values have evolved — or how far your life has drifted from them.

Purpose doesn’t always look like a big mission or a single passion. Sometimes it’s a quieter desire: to be at peace, to make space for your family, or to use your voice in a meaningful way. If you're waking up feeling uninspired, it’s worth asking: What am I actually working toward?

For reflection:

What are your core values?
Have they evolved but your life or career haven’t caught up?
Do you no longer feel connected to your why?

2) Alignment

Does this still feel like a fit?

Alignment is about how well your life reflects who you are — not who you used to be or who others expect you to be. Even if you’re checking all the boxes, a lack of alignment can show up as boredom, burnout, or daydreaming about something completely different.

You might find yourself feeling drained after tasks that used to excite you, or hesitating to say yes to new projects because deep down, you know this isn’t the direction you want to grow in. That’s not failure — it’s feedback.

For reflection:

Do you feel underutilized, like you’re playing small?
Are you constantly fantasizing about a different life — not just a different job?
Do you feel like your life is running on autopilot?

3) Limitations

What’s actually holding you back?

Your biggest obstacles might not be what you think they are. It’s easy to name external barriers: money, time, responsibilities. But the real blockers are often internal — like outdated beliefs, perfectionism, or fear of disappointing others. Sometimes the “safe” path is just the most familiar one.

The truth is, many people don’t make a change because they’ve quietly convinced themselves they can’t. But limitations aren’t always facts — they’re often stories we’ve rehearsed so often we forget to question them.

For reflection:

What’s the story you keep telling yourself about why you can’t make a change right now?
Are you underestimating what’s possible because of what didn’t work before?
What would you do differently if you trusted yourself more?

4) Success

What does success mean to you now?

Success looks different for everyone – it’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s about what makes you feel fulfilled and at peace.

You might’ve once defined success as a certain title, income, or lifestyle — and maybe you’ve achieved it. But if it no longer feels fulfilling, that’s a sign your definition has shifted.

Success doesn’t have to mean climbing higher. It might mean moving differently — with more peace, more presence, or more purpose. Let yourself redefine it on your own terms, not based on what your industry, family, or younger self expected.

For reflection:

Are you hitting the “right” milestones but still not feeling fulfilled?
What does success actually look like for you now — not five years ago?
If no one else had an opinion, what would you be reaching for?

5) Support

Change can feel like something you have to figure out on your own — especially if you’re used to being the one who has it all together. But support is not a sign of weakness. It’s a tool for resilience.

The right support system won’t just give you advice — it will give you space to be honest, even when things feel unclear. That kind of support can be the difference between spiraling and starting fresh with intention.

Making a change can feel lonely, but you don’t have to go through it by yourself. Whether it’s mentors, friends, or a community, the right support can make all the difference.

For reflection:

Who’s safe enough to tell the truth to — even when you don’t have answers?
What kind of support would feel helpful right now (emotional, practical, spiritual)?
Are you willing to receive help, or are you still trying to do it alone?

pre-exit audit

Whether you're considering a pivot or just trying to figure out what you actually want, your exit doesn't have to be chaotic. It can be intentional, thoughtful, and rooted in who you are now, not who you had to be to survive.

If you’re ready to take the next step, I created a free 5-day Pre-Exit Audit to help you get clear on what’s next before you make a move. There’s no pressure to figure out your exit all at once, just small, intentional prompts to help you listen to yourself again.

✨ Join the Pre-Exit Audit here and start building your exit from a place of clarity, not urgency.