This post is in partnership with Forté Foundation. As always, all thoughts, opinions, and experiences are my own.

As a little girl, I was convinced I’d be a psychologist; seriously, I have the letter from my 10-year-old self to my future self saying so! I moved forward on that path in my twenties, earning my master’s degree in counseling. But something happened. Every fiber in my being was saying “this isn’t right, you need to make some big career moves!” I ignored that voice (and all the other signs from the universe) and pushed forward.

Ultimately I fell into such a deep depression that I got myself fired—not once, but twice!—in a month. While it was definitely a blow to my self esteem, it also forced me to figure out what to do next. In an effort to ensure you don’t get that same jarring wake up call like I did, I want to share with you some of the signs I’ve experienced over the years that meant I needed to make my next career move [+ a few tips on how to go about it!]

5 Signs It’s Time To Make Your Next Career Move:

You’re having a physical response.

Whether it’s always feeling tired, waking up in cold sweats in the middle of the night, or feeling like you’re going to be sick on the way to work, listen to your body! A lot of the times our body gives us a response that things aren’t in alignment anymore. I know when I had a 9-5 that wasn’t right for me, I felt awful: I couldn’t sleep, I wanted to throw up, and I had a 24/7 headache and shoulder pain.

You’re bored/annoyed/frustrated.

This is the biggest sign for me that things need to change. I definitely experienced these feelings in my 9-5, before starting my own business, but was super surprised when I began experiencing them last year as an entrepreneur! While I love blogging, blog consulting, and everything else that I do, towards the end of last year I felt bored with it all. I became annoyed with every email, message, or comment. I was frustrated with myself because I knew I loved the business I’ve built and my audience, but couldn’t figure out why I felt annoyed all the time. And the reality was that I needed to take a step forward. I needed to make my next move in order to grow and reach new heights. Enter The Confused Millennial Podcast!

You keep thinking about quitting.

I know that may sound super obvious, but I think it’s easy for a lot of us to push thoughts of quitting aside. I thought about leaving my job all the time when I had a 9-5, and it turned out that was exactly what I needed to do. When I thought about quitting the blog last year, it was an indication that I just needed to get out of a rut and make some moves. Either way, the thought is indicative that things need to change. Instead of making excuses for why you can’t quit (or using quitting as a way to escape the “stuck” feelings) listen to your intuition and adjust accordingly!

You feel jealous of other’s successes.

Jealousy isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s completely normal to experience some amount of envy when you watch your peers seemingly soar past you in their careers. But here’s the thing you have to remember with jealousy: It’s just an emotional reminder of what you’re capable of too! If you’re experiencing frequent bouts of envy it’s time for a change!

You’ve plateaued.

Whether you’ve become stunted in your growth, earning potential, or passion, a plateau is a sure fire sign that it’s time to shake things up! One of the reasons I got so antsy in my old day job is that I realized that my earning potential would only go up about $20k over the next ten years. And sure a $20k bump after ten years isn’t anything to scoff at per se, but it’s not what I wanted to myself. I felt stunted in my ability to grow both in income and responsibilities, which meant my passion felt limited too.

I’ve plateaued in my business too, and it’s forced me to figure out the best way to advance, from moving my business from a local level to online, and from just a blog to the blog and podcast.

Tips For Making Your Next Career Move

Now that you know you need to make the change, I’m not going to leave you hanging without a few tips on how to actually do it!

1) Tell someone!

Seriously, when you tell someone it becomes a lot harder to talk yourself out of making the change! You can also check out amazing communities like Forté Foundation to find support from like-minded women who are taking their careers into their own hands and stepping into leadership roles.

2) Pursuing higher education.

Whether you are looking to stay in the traditional workforce or start your own thing, taking the GMAT and pursuing business school is a great next step! It’s especially helpful if you want to build new skills and a fantastic network, but aren’t yet totally clear on your next job is going to be— you may discover your next career move through your education!

3) Create and practice a healthy routine.

Whether it’s morning yoga or meditation, you definitely will want to create some sort of daily practice for enhancing your mindset. Taking a next step can be really exciting, but it can also lead to some feelings of self doubt or confusion, so make sure you’re setting yourself up for success by keeping your mental game strong.

How my career moves moves have paid off

Honestly, listening to all the signs that it was time to make my next career move has always paid off. It’s always allowed me to gain more self confidence, a deeper understanding of my mission in this life, and grow my bank account! Most importantly it’s allowed me to redefine success on my own terms and shape a truly fulfilling daily life for myself. So listen to that deep knowledge inside and make your next career move. You will always have people and organizations like Forté Foundation that support you on this journey.

5 Signs It’s Time To Make Your Next Career Move