When people come to me for career advice, it’s because they’re struggling with a decision. They have an option that is intriguing, but there’s enough risk and uncertainty that they are nervous and uncertain. For instance, they’ve been an individual contributor, and they have the chance to become a manager. Or perhaps there’s an assignment to a different location. Every case is different, but I’ve found one recurring pattern: thinking the change is permanent.

It’s good to think ahead in your career. If you’re not happy with what you do today, you want to know that you’re getting closer to something that does make you happy. You want to have some intentionality so that you can influence your future instead of being the victim of circumstances.

It’s possible to make the opposite mistake though, which is to see a change as permanent. Part of what contributes to the struggle is that people don’t think “do I want to be a manager?” They think “do I want to be a manager forever?” Well yeah, that’ll stress anyone out. I mean, that’s your whole life. There’s a lot at stake! But that’s making it bigger than it needs to be.

I think the right time frame for decisions like this, assuming there isn’t one built in, is two years. Your question becomes “do I want to be a manager for the next two years?” “Do I want to live in Denver for the next two years?” “Do I want to switch to product management for the next two years?” Two years is long enough for you to explore the option pretty well and understand if it’s right for you. It also makes it more likely that you’ll take it seriously and really try to make it work because there’s not an easy exit.

On the other hand, in a 40 year career, taking two years to try something different is not a big deal. If it’s a mistake, you’ve lost a bit, but it won’t be a total loss. You can handle two years. Even if that’s not the right path, you’ll learn something from it, perhaps more than you would have learned without the risk. After all, just because it’s the wrong decision forever doesn’t mean it’s the wrong decision for now.