Value Your Intuition

Ever wonder how animals know when to run for cover? They can seem to sense that danger is present. You have that sense as well. You won’t be running from a herd of buffalo but your intuition will benefit you in both business and life.

Intuition is essentially an instinct and comes from past experiences. As a child, you learned that a stove is hot when the burner glows red and then you  stayed away from stoves when you noticed they were hot. That is a simplified explanation but the point is that experiences drive your intuition.

Another aspect of intuition is learned behavior. Here’s another simple explanation…think as though you were becominga public speaker. You  can’t just go out and get speaking engagements, you need contacts who are looking for speakers and pointers from those who are successful at it. The lessons you learn as you go teach you how to hone in on the techniques that you never knew existed before.

With each new experience and learned behavior you acquire new skills. Now, every time you make a decision you don’t consciously run through everything that you know before you say “yea” or “nay.” But, that information gets processed unconsciously and results in a feeling.

You might not want to use your intuition because it seems to be just  a feeling. But, although intuition may come across as a feeling,  it is backed up by a lifetime of experience and learning.  So, you really don’t just trust a feeling or a hunch.

With that said, intuition has to be practiced just like anything else. The hardest part of the practice will be recognizing it when you have it. Think about how you would feel walking down the street at night. You wouldn’t go down a dark alley or a dimly lit street. Why? You have learned that there is inherent danger in these places.

Use that same process to conduct your everyday life, your business planning and your goal setting. When you identify a goal you want to achieve, use your instinct to decide how best to achieve it. You can take suggestions from others and study the experts but only you know the best way to proceed for your business. If one path doesn’t pan out, your intuition will help you decide the next course of action.

Most of all don’t be afraid to trust your intuition.  Not only can it save your life in certain situations, but it can  also enhance your life and help you grow your business. One reason we don’t always achieve our goals or even pursue a goal in the first place is because we trust someone else’s intuition over our own.  Spend some time listening to and following your intuition and see where it takes you