Thank you for your very good question, Tue Minh. I'm sure this is a situation all of us can find ourselves in sometimes.

First, I think it is important that we understand the difference between work-life balance and being in a comfort zone. Good work-life balance helps us to face the guaranteed changes of life positively while being in a comfort zone may prevent us from facing changes positively.

I believe real balance is internal and not affected (but will be tested) by external circumstances. It is the byproduct of living each day according to the right priorities. When we figure that out and have conviction to live by it, we have an inner peace regardless of whether life is good or going through turbulence.

What I hope I am understanding correctly from your question is - "When & how to have the courage to change?".

Here are my suggestions from dealing with change in my life:

1. Seek Advice from Trustworthy Seasoned Travelers

When we want to see a new place, we ask those who've been there many times for advice, not from those who know a lot about that place but have never been there. Seek out advisors and mentors you trust who can listen to your situation and give you some advice. In moments of change, what we need is clarity and we need fresh perspective from the right people. With clarity comes courage and confidence.

2. Consider Love Ones (Our Passengers)

I think one of the biggest frustration in our decision making is how it affect our relationships. We know our choices impact others and but often we just don't know how much. Whether we are single or married, when we make important decisions we should consider not just our own risk appetites but also the risk appetites of our love ones. Ask for their opinions.

It won't be easy especially for those who are having difficult relationships with their love ones. But perhaps this is exactly what is needed because the reason why we feel out of balance with our choices sometimes is because we have not considered the impact of our choices on our love ones.

3. Signal Early

Accidents happen on the road when we decide to change directions too quickly. The bigger our vehicle (responsibility), the more damage we do when we don't signal the changes we plan to do to those around us.

We need to understand speed is neutral, it is neither good nor bad. Going fast can be good sometimes, the same with going slow. So if you are not in a life or death situation which requires lightning fast reflexes, it is good to signal early.

Many who want to change careers or start their own business ask me "I want really want to make this change but I'm afraid the people around me cannot accept it. How should I go about this?"

My advice is to signal early like we signal our motorbike/car before turning. Let those close to us know we are planning for a change.

eg. "Hi love one/friend, since you are important to me, I want to let you know something I'm planning. I've been considering this new direction for a while. I've thought through it carefully and plan to make a change in about 6-12 months."

Even if those relationships are not supportive of your change and you are very sure about your decision, it will have managed their expectations and enable you to keep the peace with them. One possible way to respond to those not supportive may be: "Thank you so much for sharing your advice and opinion. I do appreciate it. Please know I will be considering this very carefully and will make my decision."

Hope this isn't more than what you asked for! :) I do believe when we seek good advice, consider our love ones and communicate early to others, it enables to keep our balance when going through changes in life. All the best!