For the last few weeks I’ve been agonizing over a decision. I’ve consulted friends, colleagues, my mother, my boyfriend, and many people who I trust and love. I have weighed the facts and figures, looked at my feelings and personal choices, weighed the pros and cons, and have done a lot of thinking and analyzing.

I spent a large chunk of my free time thinking and talking about this decision so I could be sure that I was making the right move for the right reasons. And when I finally settled on my choice, I felt good about it. Here’s how you know when you made the right move.

1. Your gut has been nudging you in one way
2. The people you trust listen to you and talk you through the options and end up at the same conclusion you have.
3. You find out that there are some sacrifices or changes that will come with the decision and you make peace with them relatively quickly.
4. The slightly queasy feeling you get when you think about not making the decision is distinct from the butterflies of anticipation you get when you consider making the decision
5. You do actual calculations where the end result directs you to make the change.
6. Your pros and cons list have way more pros than cons. (An obvious indicator)
7. When you finally make the decision, you feel like a weight has lifted off your shoulders
8. When you inform mentors and people you love and trust about your decision they are genuinely happy and excited for you
9. You stand firm in the face of others trying to change your mind. Even when you are offered things that would have swayed you before.
10. You can feel in your heart and know in your mind that you are making a decision that will make you happier in the long run
11. You are excited about the potential of what the change will hold for you.
12. You feel confident in your decision and know the fluttering in your stomach are anxious butterflies of anticipation, not sad and droopy butterflies of making the wrong choice.