In previous Inside Higher Ed pieces, I’ve shared the origins of my decision to leave higher education and practices for career discernment, including how to follow a strong yes and to make career moves by saying no. In these pieces, I shared what motivated me to change directions after investing many years in graduate education and a faculty position, even earning tenure and promotion.

In this article, I describe my process of planning to leave, attempting to move beyond the rationales typically described in quit lit to address questions of when and how to leave. Certainly, the work of planning a career change overlaps with the work of career discernment, but planning involves additional logistical, financial, emotional and relational matters.