When Is the ‘Right Time’?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the ‘right time’. When is it the ‘right time’ to move on from a job? When is it the ‘right time’ to ask for a promotion? When is it the ‘right time’ to move somewhere new and start a new chapter? When is it the ‘right time’ to do what you’ve always wanted to do?

I’ve been in London two whole years now and am feeling quite stagnate. I have itchy feet again which will come as no surprise if you’ve been following me for a while.

I’ve also been in my job role for 18 months now, the longest I have ever spent at one company. With members of my wider team leaving for new roles and pastures new, it’s also started to make me wonder if it’s time for something new in my career too. 

I don’t like being comfortable. I crave adventure and always doing something new and exciting. While I adore my job and my team, part of me craves the challenge of something completely new. 

But when is the ‘right time’ to make those decisions, to leave somewhere comfortable, to start a new job, to move to a new city or country and take a leap of faith?

Excuses

It’s easy to think of an excuse to stop yourself from changing the status quo. 

‘But I like it here,’ ‘but I have a nice apartment,’ ‘but I know what I’m doing in my job,’ ‘but we don’t have enough savings,’ ‘but what if you don’t like it?’, ’but what if something better comes along later?’. 

There are many ways to talk yourself out of doing something that you want to do. You can think of 100 reasons not to do something, but if it’s something that you’ve been thinking about for a very long period of time or feel that you’re ready, then maybe this is the time to do it. 

I’m all for writing the next chapter of your life and having many different parts to your memoir. What makes for an exciting life? Doing the same old thing every day? Or trying new things, getting that new job, moving to that new place, seeing a new part of the world, meeting new people. 

It makes a difference from being in the same place forever, going to the same job and seeing the same people every single day.

The ‘what if?’ questions

‘What if’s’ can be just as much of a setback as excuses. 

What if we don’t like it, what if it’s the wrong decision, what if we stay and something better happens, what if we don’t make any friends?

Now turn those questions on their head:

What if we love it, what if it turns out to be the best decision you’ve ever made, what if you stay and nothing better comes along, what if we make so many friends we don’t want to leave?

The things we don’t do and try are the things we regret later on in life. I don’t think I would ever regret trying that new job, that new city, that new lifestyle. If anything, I’ll learn from my mistakes and be able to make more informed decisions in the future knowing what I do and don’t like. 

Waiting for a right time that will never come

Actually making that decision to go for it and hand in your notice, buy the plane ticket, or apply for the visa is one decision that can change the entire course of your life. 

A scary thought, but also an exciting one. 

But when is the right time to do any of those things? The longer you put off a big decision, the harder it will be to actually make it. Then you’ll start thinking of more excuses like, ‘well I’m too old to do that now,’ or ‘I’m comfortable where I am, there’s no point in changing anything’. 

The right time will never present itself. The right time is just hitting send, clicking purchase and doing the exact thing you want to do. 

Why not make it today? Why not right now? Don’t put it off or the right time won’t come along. 

Being in my 20’s

Being in your mid-twenties is a funny time. I’m in a corporate job that I love and have a good career ahead of myself. I’m renting a flat in London and many of my friends are in the exact same situation. 

But I have other friends that are married, having kids and have bought their own homes. I also have friends travelling the world and moving to Australia, Canada and Dubai. 

It naturally makes me think about my own situation and wonder if I’m happy with what I’m doing, or should I be doing what some of my friends are doing instead?

We’re all on our own time-frame and journeys, that much is clear. But who’s doing the right thing? All of them?

I’m starting to think that this isn’t the time to be on the corporate ladder. I’m 26 and have my whole life to work. 

Shouldn’t I use this time to travel the world, do the most random jobs in random countries and make experiences that I’ll remember for my whole life? Is this my time to do whatever I want and not be tied down to a corporate job?

Is this my right time?

Is this my window before I turn 30 to tick off some more places on my bucket list, experience living in new cities before I settle down and get married and have kids? 

Is this my ‘right time’? 

But I love my job, and I like my apartment, and my friends are here, and I have a stable income and I have future career opportunities. 

But what if I fall in love with a new city? What if I meet new friends for life? What if I have incredible experiences in new countries? What if I change my career and find that it’s what I love to do even more?

Life is about writing new chapters and experiencing as much as we can. This is my right time.