Intuition has been described as the highest form of intelligence. It is a fast type of thought processing that has enormous value and is used today in business and personal decision-making. But how can you trust it?
How Intuition Helps When Making Big Decisions
Intuition can help you with those big decisions about life’s direction – (I wrote about the ways it can help in career success). It can help in relationship situations also – (see my article on intuition in relationships).
Why? Because intuition brings to the table these attributes…
1. Varied And Broad Perspectives
Think of it like a vault or warehouse of experiences and knowledge that you can tap into for direction. Bonapart drew on his varied and broad perspectives from his experience to intuitively know the best attack strategy to succeed.
2. Pattern Recognition
According to science, intuitive intelligence recognizes patterns in a situation for the best outcome, much like recognizing patterns to put together a jigsaw puzzle.
3. Insight not otherwise forthcoming
Successful entrepreneurs and professionals recognize the insight they gain from listening to their intuition.
My article on the real-life success stories highlights this power and gives examples of where it provided for the big decisions that made profound differences.
Learn more about trusting your intuition.
Tips On Using Intuition For Big Decision Making
Here are some important pointers about relying on intuition to help you decide on critical issues.
Steps To Strengthen Intuition
You may need to up the ante with accessing intuitive power. Here are some steps…
One: Practice Clearing Your Head.
You need a clear ‘head space’ to make room for flashes of insight. Start by filtering out the noise and clutter. Dim the emotional turmoil and stress.
Things that work for me:
- Taking a shower – Yes, it’s a place where I’ll often get a flash of insight – an answer to something that had been bothering me.
- Going for a drive (not in busy traffic however)
Two: Stop multitasking – it is a fallacy that it achieves more.
Three: Avoid social media distractions.
Four: Try to incorporate daily habits that help you:
- De-stress. Get rid of the ‘noise’ and clutter. Chunk the overwhelming into smaller and simpler bits. Reduce distractions. Preserve free mental space
- Shift focus away from the issues for a while.
- Ban the should haves and should dos. Get rid of the ‘shoulds.’ Open up to all possibilities
I find when I get into ‘the zone’… I ‘get it‘ — the dots start connecting.
This can happen when I’m doing something as mindless as cleaning, ironing, watering, or weeding the garden. Or just in the shower.
Letting go of perfectionism is critical for de-stressing and making space.
To get beyond a metal block and trigger ah-ha moments, try stepping away from the issue.
Just leave it be…for a while.
Intuition offers a direct line to your life force, and also, as I experience it, to a divine intelligence.
~ Judith Orloff MD
Trust And Act On Your Hunches
Don’t doubt or overanalyze your decision if you’re convinced it’s correct. If it feels right, stick to it.
Don’t force or stress about it.
In developing intuition, take one step at a time. If you are concerned about bias parading as intuition, you should definitely read this article I wrote separating the two.
Start Small To Gain Confidence
The aim is for you to build up trust in your intuition.
In a way, developing intuition is like forming a new relationship.
Worried about the voice of fear and anxiety? The next part in this series discusses the difference between intuitive thought and emotional urges.
Have A Morning Ritual Of Meditation
Be like Oprah and many other achievers, and introduce a morning ritual of meditation or prayer for clarity of thought.
Keep A Daily Journal
This is a journal of your hunches and how they manifest. Look back and learn.
Search for signs of synchronicity and unusual coincidences. What do these mean? Ask your intuition the question. Listen.
Intuitive Decision-Making Pros And Cons
Pros
- Fast
- Solutions on the go
- Guidance when no standards exist
- Avoiding a disaster that the rational mind does not foresee
- Openings to opportunities
- Prediction of outcomes
- Creation of the new
Cons
- Open to doubt
- Requires risk-taking
- Can’t substantiate decisions rationally
