Do you ever feel strongly about a decision and then overthink it to the point of analysis paralysis?
You may have already lost an opportunity or two for not trusting your gut feeling or simply by being indecisive.
I know because we’ve all been there. And I hear you: it’s never an easy decision to choose between what your head tells you and what your heart really wants.
But don’t worry. There’s a way you can harness the power of your intuition to help you make better decisions in your life.
Today, I’m sharing actionable strategies to help you learn to trust your intuition, so you can start taking steps towards the life you want.
But first…
What exactly is intuition?
Intuition is simply a process that allows you and me to know something without relying on analytical reasoning. That “feeling ” enables us to bridge the gap between the conscious and non-conscious parts of our brain. Intuition also helps bridge the gap between instinct and reason.
What is the difference between instinct/ego and intuition?
Instinct/ego and intuition serve two different purposes.
In the most basic sense: instinct has everything to do with your survival, safety, and security. Whereas intuition is the complete opposite: it’s all about ensuring that the things you do align with your highest good.
I know that the lines can get a little blurry at times, so let me share an example with you:
Let’s say you’re working at a dead-end job, and you’re unhappy with it. Your instincts might tell you not to quit simply because it’s your safest choice. After all, that same job helps put food on the table. It keeps a roof over your head, and it ultimately helps keep you safe and secure.
On the other hand, your intuition might tell you a completely different story: it might tell you that this job is not the right fit for you and that you’re better off starting a new career or, maybe, a new business. It might tell you that you’ll be happier if you leave and start something new.
As you can see, intuition can also be a very powerful tool. But how do you know which one to listen to?
Before diving in and trusting what intuition tells you to do, let’s first talk about how you can identify it in the first place:
How do you know if it’s intuition that’s speaking to you?
With so many emotions and feelings that we’re constantly dealing with in our lives, it’s easy to mistake one for the other. So how do you know it’s intuition and not just another emotion?
Here are a few ways you can tell:
- Intuition is a strong gut feeling that you can’t just shake off.
Believe it or not: your unconscious mind is looking out for you, trying to protect you from danger. So when you feel that intense, nagging feeling from your gut (or chest) that you need to run away from something, it’s probably your intuition telling you to take flight.
And in most cases? The uneasiness won’t stop until you heed its warning.
2. You’ll always feel at ease after following your gut.
No matter how scary a decision becomes – whether it’s dropping a $20,000 investment or grabbing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – you’ll always feel at ease after following your gut.
Nobody knows exactly why this happens, but more often than not, if you feel at ease with a decision, it’s because you followed your intuition.
3. Intuition could come in the form of exceptionally lucid dreams.
When we constantly think of something, our mind subconsciously registers it as essential to our reality. Once it does, that something sometimes comes in the form of dreams. And if it’s backed by intuition? That dream could become lucid – and persistent.
Note:
Lucid dreaming, by the way, is when you have the ability to consciously control the actions you take in a dream. It allows you to control the course of your dream and, in some cases, even wake yourself up. To learn more about lucid dreaming, follow this link.
A perfect example of this is a personal experience of mine. For a very long time, I’ve had these recurring dreams about airports. In these dreams, I always find myself stuck, and I can’t find my gates. I couldn’t get to where I needed to be.
That’s it. That’s how this particular dream often ends for me – and it’s left me feeling uneasy for a while.
So, I began to do my research. I checked dream meanings, and that’s when I realized that that dream was a manifestation of a very big decision that I had been putting off for a while. And to my surprise, once I finally took the leap and made that decision, that particular lucid dream about airports just stopped.
So, that’s how intuition can speak to you through dreams. In most cases, if you have lucid dreams that seem to be backed by intuition, then you’re on the right track.
4. You constantly see the same opportunities popping up everywhere.
Undeniably, this is one of the most common ways that intuition works.
It’s hard to explain, but when you feel like you see opportunities everywhere, it’s probably your intuition trying to tell you that it’s time to take the leap.
Let me share with you another personal experience.
You see, before I decided to become a professional speaker, people would often come up to me and ask, do you do speaking engagements? Not only that, I often see ads about professional speaking courses. And even when I’m at a bookstore, I would find a book or two about professional speaking on the table or the floor.
Previously, I thought it was a coincidence. But after I started doing speaking engagements, it became more and more apparent that I was constantly seeing the same opportunities pop up everywhere.
Sometimes, the universe shows you signs of what you should be doing. These signs could come in any form, like a book, billboard, or statement shirt, that all seem to point in one direction. And yes, that’s how intuition sometimes works.
5. You’ll have intense clarity in moments of downtime.
Imagine being alone in a quiet room. You have the time to think, daydream, and contemplate. And suddenly, you feel a clarity that is so intense – it’s like you’re seeing everything for the first time.
This is a perfect example of how intuition can work. It often happens during downtime, when you’re free to let go of the thoughts that are cluttering up your mind.
6. Your thoughts are often pulled in a consistent direction.
As I mentioned before, intuition can become very persistent and nagging, even. So if you have a thought or idea about something that you previously dismissed, and you often see it coming back – again and again, then it’s most likely your intuition speaking to you.
So, the next time you find yourself having a thought that seems to be pulled in a consistent direction, you should stop and try to listen to it. It might be your intuition trying to tell you something.
7. You feel physical symptoms.
Another way that your intuition could be speaking with you is through physical symptoms.
With intuition, some people could feel ill. Others might feel the exact opposite: invigorated, inspired, or in the flow.
If you’re feeling ill, it’s most likely your intuition telling you that it’s time to make a change. If you’re feeling inspired, it’s most likely your intuition trying to tell you that you’re doing the right thing, and so on.
Now that we’ve gone through all the ways that intuition can speak to you, let me give you a few tips on increasing your intuition so you can confidently tap into this inner wisdom.
5 Ways on How to Increase Your Intuition
At this point, you might be wondering how you can harness the power of your intuition so you can confidently make decisions. Read on and discover five ways how you can increase your intuition.
1. Listen to your inner voice.
I know. It can be challenging to tell which voice in your head is your intuition. But if there’s one thing you can do to differentiate it from the rest, it’s this:
Just think back to the first thought you had when faced with that particular decision.
Because, here’s the thing: intuition is usually the very first thought that comes into your mind before your brain kicks into overdrive. And yes, it’s usually the inner voice that you should listen to and pay attention to.
2. Spend more time in solitude.
Believe it or not, emotions, especially negative ones, can cloud your intuition as much as they can cloud your judgment. But you can get past all the noise that’s bothering you by giving yourself more alone time.
And this doesn’t mean spending your entire day locked in a room and away from people. In fact, there are tons of different things to spend time in solitude, and some of them are:
a. Meditation
I like to think of meditation as some kind of brain exercise. When you’re capable of turning off your thoughts at the drop of a hat, you’re also giving yourself some space for self-awareness in your thoughts and actions. And yes, if you’re looking out for your intuition, meditation is such an essential activity to do. Think of it as a gym but for your brain.
b. Journaling
Journaling is another way to clear your mind and let go of the things bothering you. It’s also a great way to get a different perspective on things and gain insight into your own thoughts. Ultimately, it will allow you to be able to function at a higher level of clarity than you could if you aren’t getting those thoughts on paper.
c. Enjoy downtimes.
One of the main reasons why people have a hard time trusting their intuition is because they’re constantly working. We’re always in a rush and continuously looking for ways to make more money. But when we’re constantly in this state, it’s difficult to feel in alignment with our own intuition.
So, condition your mind that as a human being, you can’t work nonstop. You need a little breather every once in a while, too.
A scheduled downtime will allow you the space you need to feel in alignment with your intuition, be immersed in your own thoughts, and not just be pressured into another person’s agenda outside of that downtime.
Don’t get me wrong. Your downtime doesn’t have to be fancy. You can go for a walk in nature, or do a hobby you love. The bottom line is to just move away from other people’s thoughts, beliefs and ideas for some time so that you can give space for yours. And when you do, you allow yourself to listen to your inner voice.
3. Listen to your body.
If you’d like to be more in tune with your intuition, you need to learn how to listen to your body. These tiny signals, like your body’s cues and all forms of physical sensations, can help you understand your gut feelings better.
For example, if you feel ill in the presence of a certain person, then something must be out of alignment. It could be your inner voice is trying to tell you something about that person. Either way, don’t just dismiss these sensations as a figment of your imagination.
The bottom line is to pay attention to your body. If you do, you’ll learn to trust your intuition a whole lot more.
4. Try to look into the meaning of dreams.
Dreams can tell us so much about ourselves. But more often than not, we have no idea what they mean.
If you want to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your intuition, you might need to explore the meaning of your dreams, especially those that keep on recurring. You can do this by reading a few articles on the internet or even checking out dream books so you can have better clarity on what those dreams mean for you and be able to address any issues that may be bothering you.
5. Learn how to detach from negative emotions.
Without a doubt, we all get emotional. And it’s completely normal to feel negative emotions like anger, frustration, sadness, and disappointment.
But as an entrepreneur, you’re not supposed to make emotional decisions, or you might regret making them later on.
So let me stress this out once again: you need to make decisions from a place of clarity, even when you’re feeling a whirlwind of emotions.
How? The first step is for you to identify those emotions. Ask yourself: how are you feeling? Are you feeling sad? Upset? Angry?
Once you’ve done that, make an effort to push that particular thought to the side, even temporarily, to make some space for clarity and allow you to decide what to do next.
So, whenever you feel wrong about something, give this exercise a try, and I’m sure you’ll be amazed at how incredible it is.
Note:
I’m not saying to ignore your emotions completely. They will always be a part of your life. But what you can do is understand that you can detach from them temporarily so you can make effective and clear decisions. Doing so will help you become more connected to your intuition in the long run.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to stop overthinking by trusting your gut, let me take you to the next step.
If your gut has been telling you for a while that you should start your own business, then I have the perfect resource to get you started.
My Entrepreneurial Mindset Quiz will help you get a clear picture of what skills you will need to develop to see true freedom and flexibility as an entrepreneur.
So go ahead, trust your gut feeling, and check this out: https://corrielo.com/entrepreneurquiz
It’s 100% free, and it has everything you need to point you on the right track.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you at the next one!
