Have you ever been introduced to someone new, and then suddenly, a wave of dread crawls chillingly down your spine?
How ’bout the moment when you’re poised to attend a party, but an internal alarm goes off telling you to stay home?
What about the petrifying experience of walking home at night, and a faint voice in your head tells you to quicken your pace?
Those foreboding cues, dear reader, are all part of your intuition. It is our all-knowing “inner voice” that warns us about the perils that loom ahead, but it also guides us toward safety and security.
Many of us have a bad habit of ignoring our intuitive powers because it’s not rooted in logic or reason. We shake off the “jitters” that electrifies our bodies when a shady character or situation surfaces into our lives because, first and foremost, pointing to our “gut” as concrete evidence behind precariousness isn’t exactly convincing to anyone, including ourselves.
But what if I told you that I can prove that the absence of facts and figures (in favor of using intuition) during decision-making is actually effective … by using facts and figures? A study conducted by psychologists at Tel Aviv University’s School of Psychological Sciences found that when participants made decisions solely based on their instincts, their rate of accuracy climbed to 90 percent, according to ZME Science.
If you were to ask me to zoom in on my own personal experiences with my intuition, it’s never failed me, especially when it comes to my career. If there’s an entity that’s failed me at all, it’s myself when I’ve ignored my intuition.
To give you an example, as a writer, it’s my job to come up with stories that attract scads of readers. After years of observing the readership’s responses to my clips, I’ve strengthened my inner intuition in discerning which topics will inspire a shockwave of virality throughout social media and beyond.
If someone were to ask me how I knew the topic I selected would do exceptionally well, my answer would be, “I just do!” As Arianna Huffington once said in a Facebook post, “Intuition is like a muscle: the more you connect with it and trust it, the stronger it gets.”
It’s important to note that this inexplicable “sense of knowing” took time for me to sharpen.
My intuitive decision-making process has served me well thus far – one of my articles became a topic of discussion on the popular, all-female daytime FOX talk show The Real. And as a writer for a popular woman-oriented blog, I consistently attract millions of readers a month.
It was my inner voice, not left-brained methodology, that led to my successes as a writer.
The problem with solely using logic (such as data analytics) to anticipate what will “connect” with readers is that it keeps you stuck in a hamster wheel – “XYZ has worked for us in the past, so let’s do it over and over again.”
There is no innovation and one simply relies on former trends to keep them anchored to the same ol’ repetitive topics.
But when it comes to originating brand-spankin’ new topics, seasoned writers and editors have perceptive, intuitive powers that tells them, “Oh yeah, people are going to love this!” They can’t quite explain why, but intuition definitely plays a part in helping the editorial staff discern which stories will make the greatest impact.
If my intuition helped me reach several millions in one day thanks to a popular talk show shedding a spotlight on my article, just think about where your intuition can take you, career-wise, if you just listened to it!
What if you stopped pursuing the “logical” path? What if you veered away from your family’s expectations and standards? What if you followed your intuition, instead of rationale, to lead yourself to career fulfillment?
If you’re not happy in what you do, there’s a chance that you’re turning a blind eye to your internal compass. “How,” you must be thinking, “can I possibly tune into my intuition to truly hear what my ‘inner knowing’ is trying to tell me?”
Here are the answers to your question:
Acknowledge Your Body’s Messages
Did you feel a jolt of uneasiness when you attended your job interview? Your intuition could be telling you that the environment may not align with your needs as an employee.
Are your co-workers and higher-ups leaving you feeling spiritless and lifeless? Your inner voice is telling you that it’s time to seek new horizons in regard to your career path.
If you’re at a fork in the road, does option A churn your stomach, but option B emboldens you? Your internal alarm is suggesting that the latter should be your final decision.
Pay attention to the “hunches” that crawl throughout your body; they’re messages that you must heed that will guide you away from trouble and toward a better career path.
Meditate
How can you hear the messages emanating from your inner voice if you’re surrounded by external chaos that drowns out your ability to be introspective? That’s why so many career-oriented and successful “movers and shakers” recommend meditation – they’re advising the masses to tap into their inner awareness while simultaneously keeping stress at bay.
If you, like me, don’t like the traditional concept of meditating because you’re a fidgety, ants-in-your-pants energizer, there are other ways to “become present” without the stereotypical “oms” and Indian-style sitting. Check out Katherine Schafler’s “Meditation for Those Who Don’t Like Meditating” here at Thrive Global.
Be Aware of the Signs Around You
If you’re trying to climb up the ranks of your corporate job, but everyone around you keeps saying, “Wow, I think you’d be an excellent motivational speaker,” it’s time for you to consider that maybe – just maybe – this is a message from the universe, God – or whatever higher power you believe in – that your life purpose lies in a different path than you originally thought.
A highly intuitive person absorbs messages like these, takes them to heart, and sees them as a guiding light to career contentedness. But the oblivious would laugh it off and continue to trudge down the wrong path.
Once you’ve deciphered the message of your “inner knowing,” don’t overanalyze it. Just follow your gut and take the plunge.