Can developing intuition make you more successful in business?

What even is intuition? Most of us think when we are in business or self-employed, that the only way to make decisions is from a scientific place. Anything other than that would be poor decision-making, right?

A lot of people I have coached lately have never developed their instinctual side or ‘inner knowing.’ We get bogged down in the practicalities of life. We look to the person next to us who is also in business and we almost compete and mirror them out of survival.

Instead of looking to anything external, why don’t we trust ourselves more? Everyone has that ‘gut’ feeling, but a lot of us ignore it. We inevitably rush through life with our tick list of accomplishments, but have we ever stopped and worked on what we want from our lives? Have we allowed ourselves the space to develop our instincts and intuition? All the certificates and qualifications in the world will not allow you to grow this particular muscle.

The problem we have now, is we see downtime as unproductive. But we are human ‘beings’ not human ‘doings.’ We feel the need to keep moving and moving, on this hamster wheel existence, until we get to the point we are exhausted and never really arrive at where we want to be.

We also don’t end up feeling that sense of accomplishment we thought we would, when we do get to the place we imagined we would be in. Because, mostly, we make decisions from a place of what ‘the other’ is doing. It becomes competitive and not really who we are. The trick is to get to know who you are on a deeper level.

Create that space any way you can. My most inventive ideas and creativity have always come from downtime. A walk along the beach. Watching a movie. A soak in the bath. A walk in the forest. Even hugging the occasional tree! Listening to your favourite podcasts. Inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere, but if we are stuck in productivity, we never get to experience what getting to know ourselves really feels like.

But, when allow that downtime, we start to understand what would make us feel happy and fulfilled. Then, and only then, can we make decisions on who we are. Ignore all the noise outside and allow yourself the quietness to understand who you are at your core. You soon find that whatever is not in alignment with who you are won’t feel great. You start to understand what would fit your life and what wouldn’t. If something feels off, listen to that voice inside and avoid it.

How do we develop our intuition though? How can coaching help?

Coaches can help create the necessary space needed for reflection. We can help foster an environment where you can explore all facets of yourself without judgement. We can be someone you bounce ideas off. Even the ideas you feel too shy to share with others.

It’s in those moments of space and exploration, your best ideas will come to fruition. This, in turn, will help you understand yourself and set you on the right path of making decisions from a deep inner knowing, rather than competing with what everyone else is doing ‘out there.’

Coaching will help you align your decisions with your core values instead. The greatest gift we can give ourselves is to know ourselves better. To know every fibre of our being is how you create the life you want. It has to start from the inside out. Not the outside in. If this resonates at all, please reach out to a professional.