I gave notice on a Monday. By Tuesday, I was already building the case for why I should take it back. Here's what I finally understood about the fear that floods in right after a real decision: it isn't a verdict telling you you were wrong. It's the feeling of your life actually changing.

Whether or not to leave generally shows up as a feeling first. Different feelings point in different directions, but there are some clear indicators that it’s time to make a change. Here's how I tell them apart, and the one move you can make now to find out which one you've got.

The in-between isn't empty time. It's the actual work. It's where everything you've been moving toward is forming, and it requires you to be present with it instead of skipping to the part where you understand it and have what you desire. Grief shows up here, and you can't outrun it by getting busy.