It's tough to know the right time to leave a job, but according to bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch, there's one simple question that can help you reach your conclusion.
Welch tells CNBC Make It that before putting in your two-weeks notice, you should ask yourself, "When was the last time I did something at work for the first time?"
If your answer is yesterday, last week or even a month ago, then she says you may want to think twice before quitting.
"There might be aspects of your job that you don't like, but your answer is evidence that you're still learning and you're still growing," she says. "Continue to build that resume and take a moment to appreciate that you've got a job that stretches you."
On the other hand, if it's been months or years since you've tried something new, Welch says you're long overdue for a new position.
"You're stuck in the kind of job I call a 'velvet coffin' — comfortable, but deadly to your brain and spirit, not to mention your career," she says.
Even if your job offers amazing perks and you love the people you work with, Welch says you'll still want to "get out before the lid closes on you."
"Once the fear wears off and you're in a challenging new job," she says, "you'll look back and wonder why you waited so long."
Quitting a job may be one of the hardest decisions you have to make in your career, but Welch says this simple question will "provide you with clarity to make the best decision for you."
"The facts are: Be growing, or get going."
Suzy Welch is the co-founder of the Jack Welch Management Institute and a noted business journalist, TV commentator and public speaker.
Video by Beatriz Bajuelos Castillo
Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook!
More from Suzy Welch:
This simple question from Jeff Bezos could transform the way you think about work
What to say when an interviewer asks, 'What's your dream job?'
What to say when an interviewer says, 'Describe yourself in 3 words'
