HOW TO TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS

YOUR INSTINCT IS A POWERFUL TOOL. YET MANY OF US DON’T TAP THIS RESOURCE TO IT’S FULLEST EXTENT.

It’s not uncommon to second guess yourself and dismiss an instinct you have as not credible.

If you feel you’ve made wrong decisions in the past or trusted your gut and got hurt, it’s understandable that you’d question its usefulness.

Yet, when you’ve fully honed your instincts, they can help you make better choices and avoid regret.

So what are the secrets to developing this valuable asset?

Here are 6 keys to trusting your instincts:

 

1)  Tune in to your body

Your body is wonderful source of feedback and is intimately connected with your mental and emotional states.    When you are mentally overwhelmed, your body can feel fatigue.   When you are dehydrated, it’s hard to concentrate.   When you’re sad, your body has less energy.   So your body can give you powerful clues about whether something feels right, is a good decision, will be safe, etc.

To tune into it’s wisdom, try slowing down, finding a quiet place, closing your eyes, and taking some deep breaths to ground yourself.  Then as you think about your issue or situation, ask yourself, “What signals is my body giving me?”   “Do I feel any tension, nausea, weakness, heart fluttering, sense of being unwell, etc.”

 

Get a FREE copy of The Personal Mastery Toolkit.

Raise your game and lead an exceptional life.

2)  Write out your thoughts and emotions

One of the best ways to tap into your intuition is to allow your thoughts and emotions to spill out onto a blank page.  Sometimes the act of picking up a pen and engaging your brain to generate content pulls out the wisdom needed.

The trick is to allow all your random thoughts and emotions to flow without judging anything or worrying about grammar, punctuation, etc.   Just make it a stream of consciousness that you pull out of your head and onto the page.

Don’t worry how the words might sound if someone else read them.   Remember that this is just for you, and you can always shred or burn the paper after you’re done.

If you find yourself writing random things like “peanut butter” or “gadfly” don’t worry and stick with it until you mind starts to relax into the flow of it and you start to hear your inner voice.   When you first try this, it may take 5-15 minutes until you get past the “random noise” to your true feelings or thoughts, so just keep writing whatever comes to mind without evaluation.    After some practice, you’ll find you can tune in more quickly.

 

3) Check your assumptions and potential biases

Another key to trusting your instincts is to be in touch with what with you are assuming about situation or person, and what biases may be coming into play.

For your assumptions, ask yourself, “What am I assuming here?  Is this/that really true?”, “Do I need more information?”.  For biases, try asking yourself, “Are my biases/preferences getting in the way and not letting me see the potential of this?”

When you tune into these answers it will help you get clearer on what may be influencing your gut instincts.   Sometimes these assumptions or biases operating under the surface can cloud your intuition.  So it’s helpful if you’re feeling unsure about things to use these questions.

 

WANT TO ACCELERATE YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH AND SUCCESS?

Take the BRILLIANCE BLUEPRINT™ digital course.

4) Gather more information

If things don’t seem clear and you’re struggling to draw a conclusion or make a choice, sometimes it’s just because you don’t have enough information yet.

You may need to do some research, ask some questions, or have more conversations before your instincts kick in and gives you guidance.

 

 

5)   Ask for feedback

Sometimes just running your ideas or thoughts by someone else and asking if what your feeling or thinking makes sense, can help you get clearer.

The act of verbalizing your thoughts to someone else and having to explain your points can help crystalize your inner “gut sense”.

Even if the person listening to you doesn’t agree or offers an alternative, the conversation can still spark clarity or even a “eureka” moment.

 

 

6)  Remember that you’re the best judge of what’s right for you

It’s natural to be influenced by those who gave your feedback or by your desire to meet other people’s expectations or needs.

But it’s helpful to remember that you know yourself better than anyone else does and are most familiar with your own thoughts, body, feelings, and needs.

So when you listen to and prioritize your own voice, gut, and intuition rather than bending to the opinions of others, you’ll be well on your way to mastering this precious inner source of wisdom. 

 

DIVE DEEPER:  Boost your self-awareness and confidence by understanding and mastering how you think about your life story here.

Get a FREE copy of The Personal Mastery Toolkit!

Raise your game and lead an exceptional life.

NEW TO KAREN?

READY TO RAISE YOUR GAME AND LEAD AN INSPIRED LIFE?

Get Karen's premium strategies and exclusive content delivered to your inbox.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Get a FREE COPY of Karen's

PERSONAL MASTERY TOOLKIT!

Achieve your goals and elevate your life with 7 powerful questions and 40 strategies.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

Share This